Verify a company bank account (for admins)
This article is for admins who need to verify a company bank account. Once verified, learn how to manage all company bank account settings here.
When you add a new company bank account to Gusto, you need to verify it before you can use it. You can verify your account in two ways:
Instantly through Plaid
Plaid encrypts all your bank credentials — we do not store your bank account’s username and password.
Manually through test transactions
Team members can learn how to add or change their bank details in this article.
Millions of people trust Plaid to connect their bank accounts to apps like Gusto.
When you verify with Plaid, you’ll enter your bank username and password, and then select the account you want to use.
Note: In some cases, we may ask you to enter your account and routing number to confirm the details Plaid sends us — some banks require this extra step as an added layer of security.
Advantages of verifying with Plaid
Plaid instantly verifies your bank and makes it ready to use — manual verification takes a few business days and requires extra steps before you can use the account.
We can help you resolve bank issues sooner — with real-time account information, we can alert you to issues and help you fix them quickly (Example: You have insufficient funds but need to pay your employees on time).
Connect to Plaid
To connect to Plaid:
In the left menu, click your company name.
Under Settings, click Plan & billing.
If you cannot find Plan & billing, work with your primary administrator to get the access (or permissions) you need.
Under Bank accounts, next to each bank account, you'll find a status and any action you can take.
Work through each Plaid prompt.
Click Connect to Plaid.
If we connect successfully, the Bank Connection will show a status of Connected.
If you need to disconnect the bank from Plaid, sign in to your account on the bank's website and remove Gusto as a third-party connection.
When you verify manually, you’ll enter your account and routing number, and we’ll send test transactions. Once the amounts appear in your bank account, return to Gusto and enter them to finish the account verification.
Manual verification takes longer and has more risks
Test transactions take 2 – 3 business days to clear. After they clear, you’ll need to enter the amounts in Gusto. If the amounts are incorrect, you’ll have to start over.
Without access to your bank account information, we cannot protect you from debit failures. Debits can fail if there are insufficient funds, your bank blocks our debits, your account is frozen, or other bank issues occur.
Each debit failure costs you a $100 fee each day our debits fail and may block your payroll and restrict your direct deposit speeds (you may not be eligible for 2-day or next-day payroll if you have repeated debit failures).
Enter the two test transaction amounts in Gusto
To enter the two test transaction amounts in Gusto:
In the left menu, click your company name.
Under Settings, click Plan & billing.
If you cannot find Plan & billing, work with your primary administrator to get the access (or permissions) you need.
Under Bank accounts, find the bank you need to verify.
From the Status column, click Confirm test transactions to enter the two test deposit amounts we sent.
Here’s a quick guide to each bank status and any actions you may need to take. You can manage your bank accounts by going to Settings, then clicking Plan & billing.
Note: If you cannot find Plan & billing, work with your primary administrator to get the access (or permissions) you need.
You can use active accounts, but not inactive ones.
Status
Description
Connected
Active, connected to Plaid
Verified
Active, Plaid connection recommended
Unverified
Inactive, re-verify the account
In progress
Inactive, test transactions are in progress
Disconnected
Active, no longer connected to Plaid
Deactivated
Unusable account
If you’re having trouble with your bank connection, follow the steps below.
Step 1: Try basic troubleshooting
Clear your browser’s cache and cookies.
Make sure your browser is up to date.
Step 2: Check for Plaid or bank issues
Your bank or Plaid sometimes causes connection issues. Contact your bank or Plaid to check if they’re experiencing any current issues.
Common Plaid issues and what to do
You used Plaid, but your connection stopped working.
You may need to verify your account again using Plaid or by making a manual deposit.
Plaid does not list your bank.
You’ll need to manually verify your account.
Your username or password for your bank account does not work.
Go to your bank’s website, reset your login info, then try again in Gusto.
You cannot find the test deposits.
You may have entered the wrong account info. Remove the account and add it again with the correct routing and account number.
Your printed checks show the wrong account number.
Some banks hide (encrypt) account numbers for security. If this happens:
Delete the Plaid-connected version in Gusto.
Step 3: Start over if nothing works
If you’re still stuck, we can help you start fresh:
Contact us to deactivate the old bank account. To contact us, sign in to your Gusto account and click the help icon
in the top-right corner of the page.Then, add the account again in the app.
Bank of America is updating how it connects to apps like Gusto through Plaid. Because of this change, some Bank of America (BofA / BoA) bank connections in Gusto will need to be reconnected.
When: March 13, 2026 to October 23, 2026
What you’ll see: a “Reconnect” or “Reverify Bank of America” message in Gusto (and sometimes an email)
What you need to do: Reconnect your Bank of America account in Gusto when prompted (usually takes about 1 minute)
What’s changing (in simple terms)
Gusto uses Plaid to securely connect to your bank. Bank of America is switching to a new connection method. As they switch, the old connection may stop working until you refresh (reconnect/reverify) it.
Your payroll history and pay info are still safe.
This only affects the live bank connection we use for things like bank verification and balance/transaction checks.
What you need to do
When you see a prompt in Gusto that says Reconnect or Reverify Bank of America, follow the steps below:
Choose your company (if you manage more than one).
Go to Settings (click your company name in the left menu) → Plan & billing → Bank accounts.
Find your Bank of America account.
Click Reconnect / Reverify (or follow the prompt on your Home dashboard/to‑do).
Complete the Plaid steps:
Sign in to Bank of America
Complete any 2‑step verification (2FA)
Confirm the correct funding account
Bank of America connection update FAQ
Q: Why am I seeing reconnect or reverify Bank of America in Gusto?
A: Because Bank of America is moving everyone to a new Plaid connection during the migration window (March 13, 2026–October 23, 2026). This is expected during the update. It usually is not a problem with your specific account.
Q: Is this a Gusto outage?
A: No. This is a planned update by Bank of America and Plaid that is rolling out over several months.
Q: Will payroll stop if I do not reconnect right away?
A: In many cases, payroll can still run, but reconnecting is strongly recommended. If you do not reconnect:
The live connection may stop working
We may not be able to do certain balance/transaction checks
That can increase the chance of payment issues later. Best practice is to reconnect as soon as you see the prompt.
Q: Is it safe to reconnect through Plaid?
A: Yes. When you reconnect:
You sign in through Plaid
Gusto does not see or store your Bank of America username or password
Plaid is designed to securely encrypt the connection
Q: Where will I see the reconnect request?
A: You may see it in one or more places:
A Home page to‑do in Gusto
A banner on your dashboard or Bank settings page.
An email from Gusto about reconnecting Bank of America
Q: What if my accountant manages payroll for me?
A: If your company is accountant-managed, your accountant may help guide you, but each affected company still needs to reconnect the Bank of America account in Gusto when prompted.
Q: I reverified, but Gusto still shows "Reconnect". What should I do?
A: Try these quick checks:
Wait 15–30 minutes, then refresh the page (sometimes it takes a short time to update).
Make sure you:
Finished the full Plaid flow (including 2FA)
Selected the correct Bank of America account
Confirm you’re in the right company in Gusto (if you manage multiple companies).
Go back to Settings → Plan & billing → Bank accounts and check the same Bank of America account.
If it still shows Reconnect after you’ve completed Plaid and waited a bit, contact Gusto Support and tell them:
You completed Plaid reconnect
The message did not clear
Any error text you saw (copy/paste is ideal)
To contact us, sign in to your Gusto account and click the help icon in the top-right corner of the page.