New capability powers same-day restaurant payouts and advances Highnote’s leadership in unified money movement

Highnote, the unified platform for issuing, acquiring, credit, money movement, and real-time ledgering, today announced that Ferry has expanded its partnership, becoming the first subscriber to implement Highnote Instant Payments. The new capability enables large restaurant groups to deliver access to automated, same-day payouts of tips and wages directly to employees, streamlining tip distribution, improving compliance, and helping reduce staff turnover in one of the nation’s most labor-challenged industries.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251203341697/en/

Ferry Expands Partnership with Highnote, Becoming First to Launch Instant Payments. New capability powers same-day restaurant payouts and advances Highnote’s leadership in unified money movement.

Ferry’s solution addresses one of hospitality’s biggest pain points: delayed and fragmented tip and wage payouts. By embedding Highnote’s Instant Payments directly into restaurant workflows, Ferry automates complex tip-out calculations, supports IRS reporting compliance, and deposits earnings in near real time to employee debit cards or linked accounts. The result is faster access to earned tips and wages, better cash-flow visibility for managers, and stronger retention for restaurants.

“Ferry is focused on giving restaurants a faster and more reliable way to pay their teams,” said Trista Kempa, Co-Founder and COO of Ferry. “Highnote’s Instant Payments capability makes it possible for us to offer immediate, compliant payouts that meaningfully improve the experience for both operators and employees.”

Instant Payments gives businesses the ability to send funds in near real time from Highnote-issued cards to eligible external debit and prepaid cards. Unlike standalone disbursement solutions, Instant Payments is built into Highnote’s unified product stack, combining issuing, acquiring, and ledgering in one platform. This architecture delivers visibility, compliance, and orchestration from funding to settlement, empowering businesses to move money faster and smarter across every channel.

“Instant Payments represents the next evolution of our platform,” said Kin Kee, CTO of Highnote. “We built Highnote to unify every aspect of payments, from issuing and acquiring to money movement. Ferry’s implementation proves what’s possible when instant disbursement, programmable ledgering, and intelligent orchestration come together in one system. It is a milestone that sets the pace for where the industry is headed.”

The partnership expands upon Ferry’s existing use of Highnote’s issuing product, with additional capabilities now powering payroll cards and flexible disbursements. Ferry’s first deployment will move over $200 million in annual tip and wage payouts through Highnote, with additional use cases planned as the company grows across the hospitality sector.

As part of Highnote’s broader Money Movement framework, Instant Payments is the beginning of a unified system designed to orchestrate funds movement across multiple rails, including cards, ACH, RTP, and future capabilities such as FedNow and global disbursements. The platform optimizes each transfer for speed, cost, and success rate, giving businesses control and transparency across every transaction.

“Both businesses and consumers now expect funds to move instantly, securely, and with total transparency,” said Mark Reeves, Head of Money Movement Sales at Highnote. “Ferry’s rollout shows how our Instant Payments capability transforms payout speed and efficiency while reinforcing why unification, not point-solution vendor integrations, is the future of payments.”

For more information about Highnote’s Instant Payments and unified platform, contact the Highnote team or visit www.highnote.com.

About Highnote

Highnote is the unified platform for embedded finance, built for modern card issuance, acquiring, credit, and real-time money movement. Designed from the ground up, Highnote combines an intelligent, unified architecture with powerful developer tooling to deliver seamless, branded financial experiences. With built-in ledgering, integrated payment capabilities, and complete program management, Highnote empowers fintechs, vertical SaaS providers, and enterprises to launch differentiated embedded payments experiences that stand out in any market. Headquartered in San Francisco, Highnote is redefining the standard for modern financial payment products. Visit highnote.com for more information.

About Ferry

Ferry’s patented technology seamlessly integrates into native POS and HCM systems to allow restaurants and others in the hospitality industry to easily track and calculate tips, split tips among support staff, and offer near-instant cashless tip outs. The Ferry Payroll Card modernizes payroll by reducing the need for paper checks, and offers users a litany of financial benefits including free access to over 40,000 ATMs nationwide, a competitive Cash Back program, and earned wage access for both tips and wages. Headquartered in New York City, Ferry is reshaping the landscape of same-day payouts, where innovation meets flexibility and lasting value. Learn more about Ferry at www.useferry.com. The Ferry Prepaid Payroll Card is issued by Community Federal Savings Bank, member FDIC, pursuant to license to Visa U.S.A. Inc.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251203341697/en/

“We built Highnote to unify every aspect of payments, from issuing and acquiring to money movement. Ferry’s implementation proves what’s possible when instant disbursement, programmable ledgering, and intelligent orchestration come together in one system."