How the CSA’s Fintech Platform Powers Employee Financial Wellness

A Fintech-Enabled Financial Wellness and Sustainability Benefit

At its core, the CSA functions much like a health savings account (HSA)—but instead of covering healthcare costs, the CSA helps employees invest in home efficiency and transportation upgrades that reduce their cost of living and carbon footprint. CSA-eligible upgrades include

• Energy-efficient appliances
• Smart plugs and LED lighting
• Water-saving devices
• Heating and cooling upgrades
• Residential solar and clean energy
• Electric vehicles and EV chargers
• And more!

Through employer and employee contributions, workers build a balance in their CSA. When they make eligible purchases, they simply shop and submit receipts directly within the Scope Zero platform for fast, secure reimbursement.

A Closer Look: Fintech that Powers Financial Wellness

Scope Zero’s CSA is more than just a savings account—it’s a fully integrated fintech platform designed to make participation seamless, scalable, and impactful for employers and employees alike. Key capabilities are highlighted below:

Integrate with payroll systems for contributions and reimbursements

Connect CSA contributions and reimbursements to your existing payroll and HR platforms to reduce administrative burden and eliminate manual work. Automate employee and employer contributions to support regular savings, just like with 401(k)s or HSAs. This same functionality enables employees to submit receipts directly through the CSA platform, ensuring fast and transparent reimbursements with no paperwork.

[Read more about the power of our integrations here.]

Sync employee data with automated HRIS integrations

Streamline eligibility management by syncing census data — such as employee status, eligibility, and demographic changes — directly from your HRIS. Keep records secure, accurate, and up to date in real-time, so the right employees always have access to the CSA without manual updates.

Track engagement and participation in real time

Monitor employee enrollment, participation rates, and contribution activity automatically through the employer platform. Gain real-time insights without any of the heavy lifting, allowing HR teams to evaluate adoption, spot trends, and identify ways to boost involvement.

Verify purchase eligibility for impact-driven spending

Ensure CSA funds are used for approved, high-impact upgrades by automating the verification of purchase eligibility. Rely on the platform to confirm submissions meet program criteria—maintaining accountability, building trust, and maximizing climate impact.

The CSA Cash Flow Model: Simple, Transparent, Impactful

1. Employer provides funds towards employees’ CSA purchases.
2. Employees use funds to purchase eligible home or transportation upgrades.
3. Scope Zero verifies purchases and reports impact to the employer.

The CSA creates triple-bottom-line savings — financial, environmental, and social — while giving employees direct control over their benefits.

Financial Wellness with Measurable Impact

The CSA is designed to increase employee financial well-being, especially for employees who may not otherwise be able to afford high-impact home and transportation upgrades. In fact, the average U.S.-based employee can save over $5,000 per year by making CSA-eligible upgrades.

Equitable and Scalable

• Global reach: Offer the CSA to employees worldwide with no minimum company size or enrollment threshold
• Flexible contribution models: Use creative, budget-friendly matching strategies to make the benefit accessible for every organization
• Built-in equity: Help employees at all income levels reduce recurring costs like utility bills and fuel spend

Why Now is the Time for the CSA

Between record-high inflation, rising energy costs, and urgent climate targets, the time to provide effective financial wellness solutions is now. The CSA offers a low-cost, high-impact solution with meaningful outcomes:

• $300B in potential annual savings across U.S. utility and fuel costs
• Stronger ESG performance through measurable employee-level actions
• Improved employee retention and engagement by supporting real-life needs

The CSA is not just a benefit—it’s a strategy for financial resilience, climate action, and workforce empowerment.

Want to see what else the Carbon Savings Account can do? These articles break down the core features that make it a comprehensive solution for engaging employees in climate action.

• Under the Hood: How Scope Zero’s Marketplace Powers Affordable, Sustainable Upgrades
• Unlock Thousands in Savings: A Deep Dive Into Scope Zero’s Incentives Portal
• The Power of Integrations: Unlocking the Full Potential of the CSA

Ready to power up your people?

Whether you’re a sustainability leader, an HR innovator, or a CFO looking to do more with less, the CSA helps you meet your goals while delivering lasting value to your workforce. Let’s talk about how the CSA can work for your team.

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