Amazon.com Inc. AMZN Employees will soon be able to use their company stock as collateral when buying their own home, under an agreement with an online mortgage lender Better.com.

What happened: Better.com has partnered with the e-commerce giant to offer an arrangement that would allow employees of the company to use their stock as collateral for home purchases.

See also: Everything you need to know about Amazon stocks

The program called “Equity Unlocker” will be launched in New York, Washington And Florida. Eligible individuals include current and former Amazon employees who have an equity interest in the company.

The program allows employees to pawn their shares for loans for down payments instead of having to sell them to raise cash, Better says.

With a norm mortgage, cash must be used as a deposit. Under the Equity Unlocker program, homebuyers’ equity is assessed at a 50% advance rate, which means that if they have $200,000 worth of Amazon stock, they can pledge to save $100,000 for it to cover the deposit, Better.com said.

The mortgage program will charge a higher interest rate of 0.25 to 2.5 percentage points above the normal market rate depending on how the employee makes the down payment under a report in the Wall Street Journal.

Why it matters: Although the program comes with a higher interest rate, it offers employees an alternative financing option without having to sell stock, which can be beneficial for those who want to keep ownership.

According to Better CEO and Founder Vishal Gargthe loan agreements remain secure even if the share price falls, WSJ reported.

The program is consistent with Amazon’s benefits program for its employees, which prioritizes their financial, mental and physical well-being, an Amazon spokesman told WSJ. Earlier in January Amazon Pharmacy has launched RxPass in select US states as a Prime membership benefit that gives patients affordable access to…