Jem, the WhatsApp-based workforce platform for deskless workers, is adding discounted groceries to its financial wellness offering through a partnership with Pantry Club. Eligible employees can buy a Pantry Club grocery voucher in the Jem WhatsApp chat using pay they have already earned, then choose their groceries in Pantry Club's online shop and have them delivered, with the voucher amount recovered through a salary deduction.

The service is being piloted with selected employers before a wider rollout.

Pantry Club advertises savings of up to 55% against retail prices on selected offers, with delivery charged separately. It runs online stores that let brands sell directly to employees and communities, with payroll deduction as a payment option.

The company says it has completed more than 362,000 orders, delivered over 17 million products, and that 80% of its deliveries go to township homes. For Jem, the deal adds to what it calls its FinWell offering: practical financial tools for workers, including earned wage access, savings, financial education and free credit score checks, all through WhatsApp.

Jem serves more than 250,000 frontline workers, such as security guards, factory staff and retail and fast-food workers, across more than 200 employers. The software is free for employers, and Jem makes its money from the financial services workers use through it.

Jem's financial wellness page sets out the full range of products available to deskless teams. Pantry Club describes its employee stores as a way to give workers easier access to essentials even when cash flow is tight in the middle of the month. We covered Jem's model when it launched Jem 2.0, and its recent win at the Future of HR Awards.

For many workers, the hardest stretch of the month is the week before payday, and groceries are the cost that cannot wait. Combining earned pay with cheaper groceries tackles that directly: workers spend money they have already earned on essentials that cost less, instead of borrowing at high rates to cover the gap.

For employers, it is a benefit built around a cost their staff face every week, rather than one they may never use. One thing worth keeping in mind is that drawing earned pay early still means a smaller payslip at month-end, so the benefit depends on the discounts being real and on workers buying what they need.

The pilot will likely show both.

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