> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.zebec.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.zebec.io/zebec-application-suite/enterprise-payroll/payee-guide.md).

# Payee guide

This guide is for employees and contractors who receive pay through Zebec Enterprise Payroll.

## I got an invite — what now?

You received an email from your employer with a Zebec invite code. Here is what happens:

1. **Click the join link** in the email — your invite code is pre-filled.
2. **Verify your email** with a 6-digit code Zebec sends to you.
3. **Connect a wallet** (do not have one? See "What's a wallet?" below).
4. **You are set.** Your pay starts accruing once your employer activates you and/or a new payroll cycle starts.

The whole process takes about 2 minutes.

The first step is confirming your invite code. The "Your Employer" panel on the right will populate with your employer's name once you enter a valid code. If the company shown does not match who you expected, stop and double-check with your contact before continuing.

After your invite code is accepted, you will get a 6-digit code by email. Enter it on the verification screen. The code expires in 10 minutes; hit **Resend** if you need a new one.

## What's a wallet?

A **wallet** is software that holds your crypto. Think of it as an account where stablecoins get sent, except that instead of a bank holding it for you, you hold it directly.

| Bank account                            | Crypto wallet                                |
| --------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| The bank holds your money               | You hold your money directly                 |
| Log in with username + password         | Log in with a seed phrase or biometrics      |
| Recoverable if you forget your password | Not recoverable if you lose your seed phrase |
| Slow international transfers, fees      | Instant transfers, near-zero fees            |
| Working hours                           | 24/7                                         |

Two important things:

1. **You control your wallet.** Zebec never holds your keys. Your employer cannot freeze it, and neither can Zebec.
2. **Write down your seed phrase.** This is the 12 or 24 words your wallet shows you when you first set it up. Without these words, no one can recover your wallet if you lose your phone. Write them on paper and store them somewhere safe. Do not take a screenshot, and do not email them to yourself.

New to wallets? Phantom on Solana or Freighter on Stellar are good starting points.

## Connecting your wallet

During the join step, you will be asked to connect a wallet. Zebec supports the most popular wallets on each chain.

Connecting a wallet is **not** the same as logging in with a username and password. You are authorizing Zebec to:

* Send pay to your wallet address.
* Read your balance.

Zebec cannot move money out of your wallet, cannot see your seed phrase, and cannot see your other crypto.

You will be asked to **sign a message** to prove ownership of the wallet. This is just a cryptographic signature: there is no gas fee, no transaction, and no risk.

## Getting paid

Your employer sets the cadence and selects the **payout token**. You choose how to use it: hold it in your wallet, withdraw it to another wallet, or spend it in fiat via a Zebec card.

If your employer enabled **streaming payroll**, your balance accrues in real time from the moment the cycle starts, and you can withdraw any portion at any time.

To withdraw, go to your dashboard, click **Withdraw**, and choose:

* **To wallet** — moves funds to a wallet of your choice.
* **To Zebec card** — loads funds onto your card for fiat spending.

## Wallet or Zebec card?

Both work. It comes down to what you want to do with your pay.

**Pick the wallet route if you:**

* Want to hold crypto / save in stablecoins.
* Plan to send pay to family or other wallets.
* Are comfortable with self-custody.
* Live somewhere with strong crypto-to-fiat off-ramps.

**Pick the Zebec card route if you:**

* Want to spend your pay like normal money.
* Do not want to think about crypto, exchanges, or off-ramps.
* Need a card for things that do not accept crypto.
* Live somewhere with limited banking access.

You can use both. Most employees and contractors take part of their pay to a wallet and part to a card. Configure the split from your dashboard. You can change it at any time.

## If you lose access to your wallet

This is the downside of self-custody: if you lose your seed phrase and your device, no one can recover your wallet. Zebec cannot, your employer cannot, and the wallet developer cannot.

**If you still have your seed phrase:**

1. Install the wallet app on a new device.
2. Choose "Restore wallet" or "Import seed phrase."
3. Enter the 12 or 24 words.
4. Your wallet is back, with all funds intact.

**If you have lost the seed phrase but still have access on one device:**

1. Open your wallet on the device you can still access.
2. Go to Settings → Backup / Show seed phrase.
3. Write the phrase down somewhere safe immediately.
4. From now on, treat that paper like cash.

**If you have lost both seed phrase and device:**

Unfortunately, funds in that wallet are gone. Connect a *new* wallet to your Zebec account from **Settings → Wallet**, and future pay will go to the new address. Past pay already settled in the old wallet is unrecoverable.

This is why we say: **write down your seed phrase the first time you set up a wallet, and store it somewhere safe.**