specification: FinOps Framework
specificationVersion: '1.0'
schema: https://www.finops.org/framework/
provider: Zeal
providerId: zeal-hq
created: '2026-07-01'
modified: '2026-07-01'
reconciled: false
tags:
- Payroll
- Embedded Finance
- Fintech
- FinOps
- Cost Management
- FOCUS
description: >-
  FinOps view of Zeal embedded payroll spend. Zeal bills a per-employee-per-
  month (PEPM) and per-contractor-per-month fee for active paid workers on top
  of a platform / partner fee, with add-ons such as instant pay and paycards.
  Distinct from the platform subscription cost, the actual payroll dollars -
  disbursed wages plus employer taxes - flow through Zeal's funding reserve and
  should be tracked as a separate cost dimension. Test Mode moves no money and
  incurs no per-worker charges.
notes: >-
  Zeal pricing is sales-quoted and not public; reconcile PEPM, per-contractor,
  and platform-fee amounts against a signed order form. Track disbursed wages
  and employer tax liability separately from Zeal's own platform fees.
sources:
- https://www.zeal.com
- https://docs.zeal.com/reference/introduction
- https://focus.finops.org/focus-specification/v1-3/
alignedWith:
  framework: FinOps Foundation Framework
  frameworkUrl: https://www.finops.org/framework/
  dataSpec: FOCUS
  dataSpecVersion: '1.3'
  dataSpecUrl: https://focus.finops.org/focus-specification/v1-3/
publisherName: Zeal
serviceCategory: Payroll and Human Resources
billingModel:
  pricingCategory: Subscription-and-Usage
  billingFrequency: Monthly
  billingCurrency: USD
  chargeCategories:
  - Usage
  - Purchase
  - Adjustment
focusColumns:
  ServiceName: Zeal Embedded Payroll
  ServiceCategory: Payroll and Human Resources
  ProviderName: Zeal
  PublisherName: Zeal
  InvoiceIssuerName: Zeal
  BillingCurrency: USD
  ChargeCategory: Usage
  PricingCategory: Subscription-and-Usage
meters:
- name: active_paid_employees
  description: W-2 employees paid in the month, billed PEPM.
  unit: employees
  aggregation: count
  dimensions:
  - company
  - month
- name: active_paid_contractors
  description: 1099 contractors paid in the month, billed per contractor.
  unit: contractors
  aggregation: count
  dimensions:
  - company
  - month
- name: platform_fee
  description: Flat monthly platform / partner fee.
  unit: fee
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - partner
  - month
- name: instant_pay_transfers
  description: Instant pay transfers, an optional add-on billed per transfer or enrolled worker.
  unit: transfers
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - company
  - worker
- name: paycards
  description: Enrolled paycards, an optional add-on.
  unit: cards
  aggregation: count
  dimensions:
  - company
- name: disbursed_wages
  description: Gross wages and employer taxes moved through Zeal's funding reserve (payroll dollars, not platform fees).
  unit: usd
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - company
  - reporting_period
principles:
- name: Visibility
  description: Separate Zeal platform fees (PEPM, per-contractor, platform fee) from the payroll dollars moved through the funding reserve; pull the payroll journal and cash requirements reports per period.
- name: Allocation
  description: Tag spend by company and partner; map PEPM and per-contractor fees to the customer accounts that generate them.
- name: Optimization
  description: Run in Test Mode while integrating to avoid live charges; batch checks and reconcile inactive workers so you are not billed PEPM for workers who were not paid.
- name: Accountability
  description: Review the reserve balance and per-period cash requirements before each pay run; assign an owner for payroll funding and monthly Zeal invoice reconciliation.
maintainers:
- FN: Kin Lane
  email: kin@apievangelist.com