PayRewards, a rewards-first platform designed for small businesses, has officially launched in the United States with US$28 million in new Series E funding. The capital brings the company's total funding to US$70 million and supports its expansion beyond Australia through parent company Pay.com.au. The launch aims to help American businesses earn rewards on accounts payable activity that has traditionally generated little or no value.
The market gap and the PayRewards solution
American consumers routinely earn rewards on personal spending, yet business payments such as rent, utilities, and taxes often go unrewarded. Credit card restrictions and incompatible payment systems have left many small and mid-sized businesses earning nothing on significant outflows. PayRewards addresses this gap by allowing businesses to earn points on both ACH and credit card payments, turning routine bills into flexible rewards currency.
How PayRewards works
Unlike subscription-based bill payment tools, PayRewards charges no monthly platform fee and businesses pay only when they choose to earn points. The platform layers its own rewards on top of existing card rewards, allowing members to effectively double the value on the same dollar. Company leaders refer to this benefit as the Double-Dip, and points can be redeemed across airline and hotel programs, gift cards, employee incentives, concierge requests, or future invoice credits.
Executive and customer perspectives
PayRewards US CEO Blake Hutchison described the platform as an end-to-end solution that makes it simple to pay anyone by card or bank transfer while earning full credit card and PayRewards points in return. Steve Shillington, a McDonald's franchisee and PayRewards customer, said the program is the best rewards experience his business has used. He noted that the company earns points on expenses it would be paying anyway.
Growth metrics and backing
PayRewards enters the US market after parent company Pay.com.au processed more than US$7 billion in business expenses over the last 12 months and served more than 30,000 businesses. That performance represents 100 percent year over year growth. The latest raise follows a November 2025 funding round of A$25 million, approximately US$18 million, and was privately funded by a group of existing and new investors.
Availability and company background
PayRewards is currently available to small businesses in most US states, with the exception of Connecticut, Hawaii, New Mexico, South Dakota, Washington, DC, and West Virginia. The company is the US arm of Australia-based Pay.com.au, which was founded in 2019 and has processed more than A$10 billion in business expenses in the last 12 months. Pay.com.au serves businesses by enabling payments to suppliers, tax authorities, payroll, and other expenses while earning points redeemable across a network of 16 global airline, hotel, and card partners.
The launch of PayRewards in the United States signals a new phase for the Australian payments and rewards ecosystem as it targets one of the world's largest small business markets. With US$28 million in new funding and a model that rewards both card and bank transfer payments, the company is positioned to appeal to businesses seeking more value from everyday expenditures. Its expansion highlights a broader shift toward applying consumer-style loyalty incentives to the business payments landscape.