Abstract: A payroll advance system wherein the Payroll Company receives from the Employers, or the Employer gathers itself, the data necessary to set up payroll, including employee identification and wage information, payroll deduction information, etc. The Payroll Company/Employer receives from the various Employees of the Employers applications for a payroll advance account and/or direct deposit of payroll funds. Since the Payroll Company/Employer already has access to much of the needed wage and personal information by virtue of managing payroll, the application process is greatly simplified for the Employees. Utilizing the Payroll Advance Application, along with the payroll data, the Payroll Company/Employer establishes a payroll advance limit for each pay period, and issues electronic Payroll Advance Cards to the qualified employees who requested the same. These cards can also be utilized to facilitate direct deposit of payroll funds, if desired.