Turn on and manage Auto Payroll
Auto Payroll is a feature that allows you to process your payroll automatically without logging in to QuickBooks Online Payroll. You can save the planning and time it takes to pay your employees by using Auto Payroll. You can now choose which employees should get paid automatically - one employee, some employees, or all of your employees.
Note: Auto Payroll does not exist for contractor payments. Please continue the regular workflow for Contractor payments.
Criteria for Auto Payroll
Make sure your QuickBooks Online Payroll meets following criteria:
o You have Full Service (available for most companies), Core, Premium or Elite payroll
o Employees are either salaried or have default hours set
o All employees are on a single pay schedule
o Payroll setup is fully complete
o First payroll has been run
Enable Auto Payroll
If above criteria is met, you will be able to enable Auto Payroll
- Select Gear ⚙ icon on top right, and go to Payroll Settings
- In the Auto Payroll box, turn on Auto Payroll
- Select one or more people from your employee list. You can only select employees that are eligible for Auto Payroll.
- Select Save Changes
Note: You can also enable Auto Payroll from the Overview page or after running payroll from the Finish Payroll page.
Here's how it works:
To understand how Auto Payroll will work, there are couple important items to remember:
- Pay date: This is the day when your employees will get paid
- Money movement lead time: This is the number of days before pay date net pay funds will be debited from your bank account by Intuit. Money movement lead time could be the same day (day of pay date) or 5 days depending on your specific situation. If your employees are not set up with Direct Deposit, you will need to log into QuickBooks Online Payroll to print the checks.
Every pay period:
- You will receive a preview summary of your payroll early in the pay period (please see the Welcome email sent by Auto Payroll to know your exact first time dates. After the first time, the timeline will remain consistent).
- After you receive the preview summary, you will have 1-2 business days to review and make any changes to your payroll (exact cut-off time for changes to be submitted will be stated in the preview summary email)
- For employees not enrolled in Auto Payroll, run payroll manually
- Paychecks will be created by Auto Payroll after the cut-off time.
- Funds, for your employees on Direct Deposit, will be debited from your account according to your money movement lead time (please see what your lead time is in Payroll Settings).
- On Payday, your employees on Direct Deposit will get paid automatically. You will have to log in to QuickBooks Online Payroll and print checks for those of your employees getting paid using paper checks.
Manage your Auto Payroll
Once you have turned on your Auto Payroll, there are few things to keep in mind before payroll runs.
If one of your employees leaves the company or takes some time off, or something changes with your company, you'll need to make changes to your payroll.
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Note: You can find your lead time and deadline to edit your payroll in your brief payroll summary email
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Make a one-time change
- Select Run Payroll
- Select Make an Update
- Edit any fields to update the paycheck.
- Select Done.
Updating your employees' payroll (recurring change)
- Make the change before the cut off deadline
- Go to Employees, select he employee
- Edit any fields such as salary, default hours, deductions, etc.
- Select Done.
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Pay an employee manually
If you need to pay your employee with an off schedule payroll, you can pause Auto Payroll for a pay period and pay your employee manually. Auto Payroll will start again with your next pay run.
- Select Run Payroll,
- Employees who will be paid automatically appear with a status of "Enrolled". For each employee enrolled, select Pay manually this pay period. The employee status will change to reflect "Enrolled. Manual Run". To change an employee back to pay automatically, select Manual Run, then Pay automatically this period.
- For each employee, edit any pay items for this payroll.
- Select Preview and then Submit.
Turn off Auto Payroll for an employee or altogether
Ensure that you turn off Auto Payroll before the paychecks are created for the current pay cycle (which happens after the cut-off date, stated in the preview email)
If you want to stop paying an employee via Auto Payroll, you need to unenroll them.
If you unenroll all your employees, Auto Payroll will be turned off completely.
- Select the Gear icon, and go to Payroll Settings.
- In the Auto Payroll section, select the Edit icon.
- In the Setup Auto Payroll section, select Manage Auto Payroll.
- Select the enrolled employees. Their status will change to "Not Enrolled".
- Select Save Changes.
- Review the confirmation of how many employees are enrolled in Auto Payroll as well as when automatic payments will process.
- Select Done.
Be on the lookout for emails and text messages
If something needs to be updated and addressed with your Auto Payroll, you'll receive an email and text messages from Intuit.
If you subscribed to text messages for Auto Payroll and wish to unsubscribe, please text STOP to 87027. For additional customer support, choose Help in QuickBooks for more targeted support or 1-800-4Intuit.
Important Notes:
- As the employer, you will be responsible for making any changes before the edit deadline should any of your employees go on vacation, leave the company, or if anything else changes with your business. This helps us make sure we automatically withdraw the correct amount to pay your team and can keep you from mistakenly overpaying your employees.
- Updating Auto Payroll is not permanent. For example, if you update Auto Payroll for a reimbursement or deduction, the amount is only for that pay run. If you update a reimbursement or deduction when editing the Employee, that change is permanent for all future pay runs.
- Reminder emails go to the Payroll Admin. To change this, go to Gear icon > Payroll Settings > Email and make changes there.
- Changes which will make Auto Payroll inactive: Creating Hourly employee without Default Hours, or adding a new payroll schedule. If your account changes and are no longer eligible for Auto Payroll, the Payroll Admin will receive an email, and you are responsible for all subsequent payrolls.
