The card programme will perform a dual function, enabling employers to pay directly on to the NorthgateArinso Essential Prepaid MasterCard and to support compliance with immigration legislation.

With over 20 million employees administered worldwide by NorthgateArinso, being able to offer the Essential Prepaid MasterCard will solve a massive logistical challenge at pay day. Foreign seasonal workers will benefit from the card, as well as employees migrating to the United Kingdom. As cards will only be issued to employees that can prove they have a valid work permit, employers will be encouraged to carry out 'right to work checks' on foreign workers.

By providing employees with a prepaid card, NorthgateArinso is able to load employee's wages within minutes, efficiently and cost effectively. And since no credit history is required when issuing a prepaid card, the Essential Prepaid MasterCard will also be available to UK residents with poor credit ratings.

Altair CEO, Lee Britton said, "We're delighted to deliver this programme for NorthgateArinso, a distinguished leader in global Human Resources software and services, which already offers innovative HR business solutions to employers which include 20% of Global Fortune 500 companies and many Public Sector organisations. Great care was taken by Altair to ensure that the card programme matched the needs of NorthgateArinso, its clients and clients' employees. Above all, we aimed to ensure that the prepaid card programme was easy to implement for their existing payroll services.

"The result is the Essential Prepaid Card, which provides a quick fund distribution method to help streamline the payroll administration processes, reduce the associated costs and time-consuming paperwork."

Due to the costs associated with processing cash and cheque payments, the Essential Card provides a more cost effective solution for employers, and is also less of an administrative burden.

Employees receive the funds on an Essential Card rather than having to cash a cheque and it gives them access to shopping on the Internet or through the traditional retail environment. Employees using the card receive their salaries on the same day as other colleagues and the card also provides a secure alternative to storing cash. For the non-banked, this solution removes the inconvenience and cost of exchanging cheques for cash, whilst providing the benefits of a Debit Card such as access to the online world of payments.

"NorthgateArinso continues to invest in innovation to lead the market through smarter processes and more efficient technology, supporting key HR areas like workforce administration and payroll," said Malcolm Aldis, Managing director at NorthgateArinso. "The Essential Prepaid MasterCard is a prime example of this innovation and we believe the prepaid card solution will hugely benefit our clients and their staff.

"Employers can reduce costs, particularly when paying short-term seasonal and foreign workers. Salaries can be paid directly onto the Essential Card, which then allows employees to withdraw cash and pay for goods anywhere in the world where a MasterCard® acceptance mark is displayed*."

To sign up for the card, both parties need to go through secure background checks, which NorthgateArinso's PeopleChecking service can facilitate, ensuring employees have the right visas to work and employers are complying with employee screening guidelines.

The Essential Prepaid MasterCard is issued by Newcastle Building Society which has over 90 live prepaid and debit card programmes in several markets.

* The Essential Prepaid MasterCard cards can be used for purchases at over 25 million merchant locations globally and to access cash at over 1.2 million ATMs wherever cardholders see the MasterCard Acceptance Mark.