Many businesses today need payroll services, rather than in-house payroll, to run efficiently. One of the most popular online, automated payroll service providers is Paychex. Explore the Paychex payroll service, including functions, features, integrations, customer support, and pros and cons.
Related: 10 Questions to Ask When Choosing a Payroll Service
What is Paychex?
Paychex is a full-fledged digital payroll service that is widely used for businesses of all types and sizes to manage payroll processing and tax obligations. In fact, Paychex is likely the most popular online payroll service used by businesses today in the U.S. One of the reasons for this is that Paychex offers flexible solutions for businesses with varying payroll needs:
- Choose a payroll schedule (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, semi-monthly)
- Pay a variety of employees (full-time, part-time, salary, contractors, freelancers)
- Pick and choose add-ons and integrations (such as HR, health benefits, and accounting software integrations)
- Customize your online dashboards for quick and easy payroll management
Paychex and other payroll services can be used as a replacement to payroll run internally by your HR team. There are 3 main plan structures offered by Paychex, designed to suit small, medium, large and enterprise level businesses. Plans run from base-level payroll needs to complicated enterprise level payroll needs. However, you can talk to a representative and customize a plan that suits your business’s specific payroll and/or HR needs.
Functions and Features
The Paychex payroll service has a robust list of functions and features, including just about everything a business could want when it comes to payroll management. They offer everything from automatic online payroll processing and tax administration to full-fledged HR services. Below we have listed Paychex’s most notable features.
Note: keep in mind that these offerings are included conditionally based on the pricing plan your business selects.
| Complete payroll processing (including flexible payroll schedule) | Online payroll |
| Paycheck delivery options (direct deposit, check, pay cards) | HR administration |
| Payroll tax administration (including tax form processing and liability for any errors) | Employee self-service portal (including online pay stubs) |
| Payroll reports (standard and custom options) | Employee background screening |
| New hire reporting | Customizable dashboards |
| Onboarding | Employee financial wellness tools |
Integrations and Add-ons
In addition to Paychex’s main features and functions, they also offer additional integrations and add-on services. These integrations help businesses cover all their bases when it comes to payroll and HR necessities. Take a look at some of the ways Paychex can help you create the most robust payroll and HR system:
- Integrations with accounting software, such as Quickbooks and Sage
- Time and attendance tracking
- Digital marketing services
- Workers’ compensation
- Unemployment insurance
- Health benefits (including group health insurance, HSA’s, dental, vision, and more)
- 401k options
- Cyber liability insurance
Feel free to peruse Paychex’s employee benefit options, time and attendance solutions, and available software integrations.
Pricing and Plans
As we mentioned, Paychex includes three main pricing plans for businesses. Paychex Go is suited towards businesses with basic payroll needs and who do require a complex payroll and HR system. Paychex Flex Select and Enterprise include more robust features and benefits. However, they will cost your business more money (they run on a custom quote system only, and pricing is not available online). Also keep in mind that if you require HR integrations, you will have to choose either Paychex Flex Select or Paychex Flex Enterprise.
Related: How Much does a Payroll Service cost?
1. Paychex Go
Best for: small businesses, basic payroll needs
Price: $59 per month + $4 per employee
| Features |
| Online payroll Payroll tax administration Time and attendance New hire reporting General ledger reports and analytics Accounting integrations Customer support service Automatic W-2s and 1099s HR and Business forms Labor compliance kit Paycheck delivery options |
2. Paychex Flex Select
Best for: small to midsize businesses
Price: Custom quotes only
| Features |
| All Paychex Go features plus: Mobile app Integrated HR, accounting, point of sales (PoS) Digital marketing services Dedicated payroll specialist Employee financial wellness program Employment and Income Verification Services Learning management system |
3. Paychex Flex Enterprise
Best for: large to enterprise businesses
Price: Custom quotes only
| Features |
| All Paychex Flex Select features plus: Workers’ compensation reports State unemployment insurance services Custom reporting Garnishment payment services Onboarding Employee screening HR administration |
Customer Support System
Because Paychex is a large company, they offer a robust U.S.-based customer support system with a team of customer support representatives.
- 24/7 phone support
- Email support
- Frequently asked questions
- Online knowledge center
- Webinars and podcasts
The Paychex payroll service also offers both client admin support as well as employee support. They also recently introduced a Covid-19 support system for customers.
However, it’s worth noting that many reviews online note that customer support can be slow, especially via email. Their support team is remote and widespread across the country. This means you may end up talking to a different representative each time you need assistance, so support can sometimes feel disconnected.
One thing to keep in mind is that you will only have access to a payroll specialist dedicated to your company if you choose Paychex Flex Select or Enterprise. This level of customer support is not available to businesses who use Paychex Go.
Paychex Summary: Pros and Cons
As with any payroll service, there will be pros and cons. It’s important to consider these advantages and disadvantages of the Paychex payroll service in order to make the smartest decision about your payroll needs.
| PROS | CONS |
| Automatic tax filing: Streamlined, complete tax filing system that saves you time and effort. | Pricing not available online: You will have to contact a sales representative to determine how much Paychex Flex Select and Flex Enterprise will cost. |
| Switching payroll services is easy: Paychex makes it easy to switch over to a different provider if you are unhappy with the service. | Customer support complaints: Some customers report slow or incomplete customer support |
| Robust employee self-service portal: Employees can easily access their payroll information remotely using an online portal. | Limited features on lower pricing tiers: If you want all that Paychex has to offer, you will have to choose higher pricing tiers. |
While this list of pros and cons is a good start, always make sure to ask follow up questions to a representative before making your final decision, instead of just relying on online research.
Next Steps
Paychex is one of the most popular payroll services. But keep in mind that there are many providers out there that offer comparable services for lower prices. Make sure not to miss this list of the 7 best payroll providers to compare different options.
You can also use 360Connect to match with the best payroll provider for your specific needs. Our service assesses your business’s needs and provides you with up to 5 competitive quotes from providers who deliver on those needs. Get started with our free online comparison tool!