Learn when to send your direct deposit payroll to pay your employees on time.
Getting paid on time is important for your employees. We help you understand when to send your payroll based on your direct deposit lead time.
Step 1: Determine what your direct deposit lead time is
Your direct deposit lead time depends on what payroll product you use.
QuickBooks Desktop Payroll
If you use QuickBooks Desktop Payroll, you have a 2-day funding time. This means your team members are paid 2 banking days after you send your payroll to us.
Step 2: Determine when to submit or approve payroll
Now that you know what your payroll lead time is, here are some examples of direct deposit submission for a Wednesday and Friday payday.
Note that direct deposits are processed only on banking days.
| Direct deposit funding time | If the payday is… | Submit payroll by |
| Same-day lead time | • Wednesday
• Friday | • Wednesday before 7:00 AM ET
• Friday before 7:00 AM ET |
| Next-day or 1-day lead time | • Wednesday
• Friday | • Tuesday before 5:00 PM ET
• Thursday before 5:00 PM ET |
| 2-day lead time | • Wednesday
• Friday | • Monday before 5:00 PM ET
• Wednesday before 5:00 PM ET |
| 5-day lead time | • Wednesday
• Friday | • Wednesday (a week prior) before 5:00 PM ET
• Friday (a week prior) before 5:00 PM ET |
When you’re ready to pay your employees, be sure you have funds in your account to cover the payroll on the day it’s submitted. Keep in mind, Intuit won’t process your payroll on weekends or on provincial or statutory holidays.
View or change your direct deposit funding time
QuickBooks Online Payroll
View direct deposit lead time
- Go to Settings ⚙️, then Payroll settings.
- Scroll to the Direct Deposit section. You'll see your funding time above your direct deposit limits.
Change direct deposit lead time
You can temporarily change your funding time to 5-day if you need to process a direct deposit payroll that’s higher than your direct deposit limit. Direct deposit limits don't apply, but you'll need to send your payroll 5 days in advance of your paycheque date.
Note that if you want to switch back to a faster funding after switching to a 5-day funding, you must wait at least 60 days and complete at least 4 payrolls from the time your 5-day funding became effective. Do this as a last resort and check out Get help if you’re over a direct deposit limit for other options.
To change your funding time to 5-days:
- Select Settings ⚙, then Payroll settings.
- Select Edit ✎ in the Direct deposit section.
- Select 5-day, the Required date, then Save.
- Select Done.
If you were placed on a 5-day funding time, and want to get a faster funding time
You can ask for a faster funding time online if it's been 6 months since you were placed on 5-day funding time by our underwriting team. You'll need to provide 6 months of your most recent bank statements and can upload them with your request. The amount of money you deposit via direct deposit may be adjusted as a result.
QuickBooks Desktop Payroll
If you’re using QuickBooks Desktop Payroll, you can’t view or change your funding time in your product.
