The Gusto Partner Program rewards accounting firms for bringing clients onto Gusto. As your firm adds clients, you move up through partner tiers and unlock additional benefits, including revenue share, dedicated support, and marketing tools. This article explains how the program works, what each tier includes, and how to get started.
Your firm’s tier is based on the number of reward-eligible clients you have on Gusto. As you add clients, you move up to the next tier and gain access to more benefits. You can view your firm’s current tier, track your earnings, and update your payment method in your Partner dashboard at any time.
For each client, you can choose to either pass your firm’s discount along to the client or keep it as revenue share for your firm. You make this choice individually for each client you add.
Gusto has four partner tiers: Starter, Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Your firm’s tier is determined by the number of reward-eligible clients on Gusto.
Starter: 1 – 2 clients
Bronze: 3 – 14 clients
Silver: 15 – 49 clients
Gold: 50 or more clients
Adding a client to your dashboard gives you full access to your client's payroll account, including the ability to run payroll and view reports. New Gusto clients added from this page will count towards the Partner program.
A client counts toward your partner tier and rewards only if you add them through your Partner dashboard. If a client's account is created outside this flow, for example, if they sign up on their own and later add you as an accountant administrator, the account will not be reward eligible, even though it appears in your dashboard.
Note: If you are only referring a client and will not manage their payroll, that client will not count toward your tier or rewards. Go to Add and refer clients to your partner dashboard for referral-only steps.
Pro tip: If you need to add several clients at once, select Add multiple clients to upload a spreadsheet instead of entering each client individually. If your client already has a Gusto account, select Send a request to ask to be added as their accountant, rather than creating a new account for them.
Select Add clients in the top right of your Home or Clients page.
Enter your client's business's legal name.
Enter your client's email address, first and last name, and we'll invite them to create an admin account.
Do not use a temporary email address, or use your email to create the account. If you do, make sure you go back and change it to the client's email address.
Choose when you want us to send your client their invite:
Invite now: We’ll send your client their invite immediately.
Invite after I’ve finished setting up their payroll: We’ll send the invite once you complete their payroll setup.
For firm billed accounts, your client cannot edit or see plan and billing details.
Select Save & continue.
Choose a billing option for your client. Select Manage default if you want to change your firm's default option:
Client with revenue sharing for your firm (default): We'll bill your client at the standard rate, and you'll get money every month based on the cost of your client's plan.
Client with a discount: We'll bill your client at your discounted partner rate.
Firm billed with a discount: We'll bill your firm at your discounted partner rate. Select Verify a bank account to use this option.
Note: If your client only pays contractors, they do not qualify for a partner discount, no matter your tier. You can choose whether your firm or your client is billed at the standard rate:
The firm will pay: We'll bill your firm at the standard rate. Select Verify a bank account to choose this option.
The client will pay: We'll bill your client at the standard rate.
Select Add client to Gusto. By selecting this, you agree to Gusto's terms and conditions.
You'll see a confirmation that your client's Gusto account was created. Select who will regularly run payroll for this client. This determines which payroll emails you'll receive and does not impact your access.
I will run payroll for this client
Someone else at my firm will run payroll for this client
My client will run payroll
Other
Select Save and continue.
Continue through payroll setup, where you'll enter details about your client’s business and select the best plan for your client’s business.
Every tier includes free Gusto Payroll and free Gusto Complete HR tools for your own firm. Free firm payroll is contingent upon adding at least one reward-eligible client every year.
Free firm payroll applies to the Simple or Plus plan and does not apply to the Premium plan. It also does not include an additional discount or revenue share on your firm's own account.
Every tier includes support from a Partner Advisor for sales-related needs like partnership growth, team training, and onboarding new clients. Gold partners are always assigned a named advisor.
Starter, Bronze, and Silver partners receive priority support from our Accountant Care team, meaning you’ll skip the queue and connect with the next available agent by phone or email. Gold partners are assigned a Premium account partner (AP), a single, exclusive point of contact for support, available by phone, email, or scheduled call.
To reach your account partner or your Partner Advisor, follow these steps:
Select your name in the top right corner.
Select Help.
At the top of the panel, you’ll see your account partner’s name, with options to schedule a call, call, or email them. If they’re unavailable, you can leave a voicemail or connect with another account partner.
For sales-related needs, like partnership growth or onboarding a new client, go to For sales questions and select Schedule a sales video call to connect with your Partner Advisor.
Every tier includes co-branded dashboards and referral tools, flexible payment options for you and your clients, and free Gusto marketing collateral. Bronze, Silver, and Gold partners also receive a Gusto Partner badge for their website and a listing in Gusto’s Partner Directory. Silver and Gold partners get a featured profile in the Partner Directory, giving small businesses greater visibility into your firm.
Each tier comes with a discount that you can pass along to your clients or keep as revenue share for your firm:
Starter: 0%
Bronze: 10%
Silver: 15%
Gold: 20%
This discount or revenue share only applies to clients who are reward eligible. A client that is not reward eligible, like one added outside your Partner dashboard, will not generate a discount or revenue share for your firm, no matter your tier.
You can update your client’s billing at any time.
Becoming a Gusto partner is free, and there’s no minimum client requirement to join.
To become a Gusto partner, follow these steps:
Go to the Gusto Partner signup page and create your free Partner account.
A Partner Advisor will reach out to guide you through bringing your firm and clients onto Gusto.
Add your first client to start earning Starter tier benefits, then keep adding clients to advance through Bronze, Silver, and Gold.