Yes, Admin. You can stop a direct deposit transaction if it has not been offloaded yet. I'll outline below how this process works and provide steps to delete it.
Once the payroll has been offloaded for processing by Intuit, we cannot stop the direct deposit.
Payroll offloading times vary based on your direct deposit payment speed, and cancellations must be made before the following cutoff times:
- Next-day model: 5:00 PM Pacific time the day before payday
- 2-day model: 5:00 PM Pacific time at least two business days before payday
- 5-day model: 5:00 PM Pacific time at least five business days before payday
For instance, with a 2-day model, if you have scheduled an employee's paycheque for direct deposit on Friday, you have until 5:00 PM (PT) on Wednesday to delete it.
If you miss this cutoff time, the funds will have already been transferred, and the transaction cannot be stopped. For more information, check out this article: Direct deposit processing timeline for QuickBooks Payroll.
If Intuit has not yet processed the paycheque, you can delete it, which will keep the funds in your account. Here are the steps to follow:
- Navigate to the Payroll menu and select Employees.
- Choose your preferred employee, then hit Paycheque List.
- Locate the cheque you wish to stop and click Delete.
- When prompted, confirm the action by selecting Yes.

In instances where the deposit has already been processed, consider creating an internal agreement with your employee to facilitate the return of the funds.
Furthermore, you can create a payroll summary report for future reference. It will provide detailed information on your employee's wages, taxes, deductions, and contributions.
Reviewing your payroll submissions by the cutoff times specific to your direct deposit model ensures you can stop or delete them. If you have any other concerns, let us know below. We're here to help ensure your payroll process runs smoothly, Admin.