Learn how to set up direct deposit and pay your employees.
With payroll, you can set up direct deposit and take the hassle out of paying employees with paper checks.
Before you can use direct deposit, you’ll need to set up your company's payroll bank account. Direct deposit requires a U.S. bank account that is set up for ACH transactions. And there are fees. To learn more about the monthly fees, check your subscription.
We’ll walk you through how to set up your bank account.
Learn how to set up your direct deposit with:
QuickBooks Online Payroll
Step 1: Connect your bank account
You may be able to connect your bank account through Instant Bank Verification and use direct deposit for your team right away.
Step 2: Verify your bank account (if you connected manually)
If you weren't able to connect your bank account instantly, we ping your account with a test debit of less than $1.00. You'll enter that amount to authorize your account for payroll transactions. It might be up to 2 days before you see that debit.
Learn how to verify test transactions for your account.
Step 3: Pay your employees
For details on how to add direct deposit to your employee’s, see Set up direct deposit for employees.
It’s time for payday. Now that you're setup, you're ready to create checks for your employees.
Need to pay contractors? Set up and manage direct deposit for your contractors.
QuickBooks Desktop Payroll
Step 1: Get your business, bank, and principal officer info
To set up direct deposit for your company, you’ll need the following info:
- Business name, address and EIN
- Principal officer social security number, birth date and home address
- Online bank credentials or bank routing and account numbers
Step 2: Connect your bank account
- Open QuickBooks and sign in with the QuickBooks admin username and password.
- Select Employees, and My Payroll Service, then Activate Direct Deposit.
- Select Get Started. If you don’t see the Get Started button:
- Select I’m the admin, and I’m the primary person who can… and enter the admin’s email address or user ID.
- Select Continue.
- Enter the email or user ID and password for your Intuit Account, then select Sign In. If you do not have an Intuit Account, select the Create an account link. Note: If you’ve already signed into your Intuit Account somewhere else in QuickBooks you won’t see this screen.
- Select Get Started.
- Select Start on the Business tab and fill in the info. Select Next.
- Fill in the Principal officer info. Select Next.
- Select Add new bank account.
- Enter the name of your bank and then enter your online bank credentials or if prompted, your bank routing and account numbers.
- Create a PIN. You’ll use this when sending your payroll to us each time. Confirm your PIN twice, then select Submit.
- Select Next, then Accept and Submit.
- If prompted, confirm the Principal officer’s full social security number. Select Submit.
You’ll see one of the following messages:
- Your bank account is connected. This means you are ready to pay your employees by direct deposit right away. See Step 4: Set up your employees’ bank account info
- Thank you for signing up for QuickBooks Direct Deposit. What’s next to activate Direct Deposit? This means you have a few more steps to connect your bank account. See Step 3: Verify your bank account.
Step 3: Verify your bank account (if your bank was not automatically connected)
- Check your bank account in 2 business days for a small debit amount of less than $1 from Intuit QuickBooks Payroll.
- Once you see the amount, open QuickBooks and sign in as the QuickBooks Admin.
- Select Employees, and My Payroll Service, then select Activate Direct Deposit.
- Sign in to your Intuit Account.
- Enter the debit amount twice, then select Verify.
- Enter your payroll PIN. Select Submit, then Ok.
Step 4: Set up your employees’ bank account info
For details on how to add direct deposit to your employee’s, see Set up direct deposit for employees.
Need to pay contractors? Set up and manage direct deposit for your contractors.
Step 5: Pay your employees
Wondering how to pay your employees once direct deposit is set up? Create paychecks as you normally would and then, send your direct deposit to Intuit. It takes 2 business days to deposit paychecks into employees’ bank accounts.
Intuit Online Payroll Full Service
For details on how to add direct deposit to your employee’s, see Set up direct deposit for employees.
Step 1: Connect your bank account
It can take 1-3 business days to set up a checking account for direct deposit. Once it's set up, you'll use this account to pay your employees and your payroll taxes. You may have already connected a bank account. If your bank account is not connected, learn how to connect and authorize your bank account.
Step 2: Verify your bank account
When you give us your initial bank account information, Intuit makes a small deposit into your account of less than $1.00. You can input that amount to authorize the account for payroll transactions. It might be up to 2 days before you see that test deposit. Learn how to verify test transactions for your account. Note: If you're using QuickBooks Online Payroll or Intuit Online Payroll and your employees' profiles show their direct deposit as “pending,” you can check the status of your account.
Step 3: Pay your employees and contractors
It’s time for payday. Now that you're setup, you're ready to create checks for your employees.
Intuit Online Payroll Enhanced
For details on how to add direct deposit to your employee’s, see Set up direct deposit for employees.
Step 1: Connect your bank account
It can take 1-3 business days to set up a checking account for direct deposit. Once it's set up, you'll use this account to pay your employees and your payroll taxes.
You may have already connected a bank account. If your bank account is not connected, learn how to connect and authorize your bank account.
Step 2: Verify your bank account
When you give us your initial bank account information, Intuit makes a small deposit into your account of less than $1.00. You can input that amount to authorize the account for payroll transactions. It might be up to 2 days before you see that test deposit.
Learn how to verify test transactions for your account.
Note: If you're using QuickBooks Online Payroll or Intuit Online Payroll and your employees' profiles show their direct deposit as “pending,” you can check the status of your account.
Step 3: Pay your employees and contractors
It’s time for payday. Now that you're setup, you're ready to create checks for your employees.
FAQ
Do direct deposits have limits?
To protect against fraud, your account does have a limit on the amount of money you can send with direct deposit.
If you’re planning on running a larger than normal payroll for things like bonuses or pay raises, you can request an increase.
Can I pay anything else with direct deposit?
You can only use Intuit’s direct deposit services to pay your employees or contractors. To pay any other company expenses, you will need to use another method of payment.
For contractors, you can only pay direct deposit into a single savings or checking account.