Integrate Google Workspace with Gusto

You can buy a flexible (monthly) Google Workspace plan through Gusto.

Before you start, you need a primary domain (you can buy one through many providers), a bank account, and a company address in Gusto.

Step 1: Sign up in Gusto

To sign up for Google Workspace in Gusto:

1. Sign in to Gusto.

2. Go to the App directory.

3. Use the search bar to find Google Workspace.

4. Click Learn more.

5. Click Connect.

6. Find your desired plan and click Choose plan.

7. Enter your primary domain name.

   • If you do not have a domain yet, you can buy one through many providers.

8. Click Continue.

9. Check the domain name you entered and click Continue.

   • If you get an error message, click here for domain error messages and next steps.

10. Create an administrator account for your Google Workspace subscription.

    • Admin account email: Create the username for this Google Workspace account. This becomes your Google Workspace admin account email address.

    • Full name

    • Current email: Google sends your onboarding email here.

    • Company address: Choose the address you want to link to the Google account.

11. Click Continue.

12. Review your plan info and click Continue.

13. Keep your Gusto page open in your browser. After you create your admin password in Google, you’ll return to Gusto to complete step 3.

Step 2: Activate your admin account in Google

Google sends your onboarding email to the current email address you entered in Gusto.

To activate your admin account:

1. Go to your current email inbox (this link expires within 48 hours).

2. Find the email from Google with the subject: “[Action Required] You’ve signed up for a Google product: What’s next?” Follow the instructions to accept the Google Workspace terms and conditions and create your password.

3. If Google sent you a second email with more terms of service, follow the prompts in that email.

If the activation email expired, follow these instructions under Option 2 to renew it.

Step 3: Verify your domain with Google

You need to verify your domain with Google so no one else can use it. If you have not bought the domain yet, reach out to your web hosting provider.

To verify your domain:

1. In the yellow box towards the top of your Google Admin console, select the Verify Domain link.

2. On the next page, select Verify on the first step.

3. Follow the instructions to add your verification code to your domain host.

4. Return to Gusto and select Check now to check whether your domain is verified.

Need help? On the top right of the Google Admin console, click the question mark to get help from a Google support team member.

After your domain is verified, follow Step 4 to start managing your team’s accounts from Gusto.

We add Google Workspace as a line item on your monthly Gusto bill. Your first month’s bill will be prorated to the day you created your account in Gusto.

Step 4: Connect Google Workspace to Gusto

Connect Google Workspace to your Gusto App directory to manage your team members’ access to their Google Workspace accounts from Gusto.

To connect Google Workspace to Gusto:

1. Click Connect.

2. Google redirects you to sign in with your Google Workspace credentials. Allow Gusto to access your Google account to continue.

3. After you connect, Google redirects you back to Gusto and opens the Accounts tab, where you can create accounts for your team members in Step 5.

Step 5: Create Google Workspace accounts for your team

1. On the Accounts tab, find the person you want to create an account for and click the three dots icon.

2. Click Create account.

Step 6: Activate your Gmail account

After your Google Workspace plan begins, you can send emails right away. To receive emails, you need to follow these steps to activate your Gmail account. After you activate Gmail, you can start getting emails in about an hour.

If your company already has a Google Workspace account, you can transfer your billing to Gusto. We’ll bill you for your Google Workspace subscription on your monthly invoice.

We support Google Workspace Flexible plans. You pay Gusto monthly with no annual commitment. If you have an Annual/Fixed Term plan, refer to the Eligibility section below. We do not charge a fee to transfer Google Workspace billing to Gusto.

Check eligibility and timing for your transfer

Eligibility requirements

• Check your billing details in Google Workspace. If you have an Annual/Fixed Term plan payment plan, you cannot transfer your account to Gusto until 30 days before your renewal date.

• If you have a legacy G Suite or Google Apps account, you need to convert it to a Google Workspace Business or Enterprise plan before transferring it.

• Eligible plan types: Any Google Workspace Business plan (Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, and Enterprise)

When to transfer your plan

You can transfer your account to Gusto within 30 days of your renewal date with no extra charge. If you transfer your account outside the renewal window, you will not get a refund for any prepaid service period.

Flexible plan holders can transfer an account at any time (as long as you meet the eligibility requirements above).

Transfer your Google Workspace account to Gusto

If your company already has a Google Workspace account, follow these steps to connect your billing to Gusto.

After you transfer, we bill you for Google Workspace on your monthly Gusto bill at a 15% discount for the first 3 months.

Admin permissions needed: You need to be a Gusto Full Access admin or an admin with the Apps & IT permission. In Google, you need to be a super admin.

Step 1: Connect to Google Workspace through the Gusto app directory

Follow these steps if you have not yet connected Google Workspace to your Gusto app directory. If you already connected Google Workspace to your Gusto app directory, skip to Step 2.

To connect Google Workspace to Gusto:

1. Sign in to Gusto.

2. Go to the App directory.

3. Click Provisioning apps.

4. Choose Google Workspace.

5. If your company already has an account, click Connect.

   • If your company does not have an account yet, click Get Google Workspace.

6. Click Continue in the pop-up.

7. Choose the account you use for your company’s workspace.

   • If yours is not listed, click Use another account.

8. Enter your admin password and click Next.

   • If the next page shows a 400 error, you need to set Gusto as a trusted app in Google Workspace. Then return to step 1 to resume connecting your company’s accounts.

9. Click Allow.

10. Google redirects you to Gusto.

After you connect Google Workspace to Gusto, go to Step 2.

Step 2 (existing Google users only): Integrate your Google Workspace billing with Gusto

After you connect Google Workspace to your Gusto app directory, follow these steps to integrate your billing.

To consolidate your billing:

1. Open the Transfer Authorization page in the Google Admin console as a super administrator.

2. Next to the purchased subscription, click Transfer.

3. Click Copy Code. Paste it into the field labeled Enter Reseller’s Public Identifier in your Google Admin console.

4. Click Continue.

5. Select all subscriptions to transfer to Gusto in your Google Admin console, then click Continue.

6. Check that the domain name and business name match Gusto.

7. Click Generate Transfer Authorization.

   • This authorizes Gusto to transfer your subscriptions. Authorization expires 30 days after it’s generated. If your authorization expires, sign in again and repeat the steps above.

8. Click Continue.

If you’re connecting to Google Workspace for the first time, you can now start matching or creating your team members’ email accounts. This lets you track and manage your team members’ access to their Google Workspace accounts from Gusto.

Click the Billing tab to view your Google Workspace invoice info in Gusto. We add Google Workspace as a line item on your monthly Gusto bill. You pay Gusto directly for your subscription.

When you first transfer your billing, we prorate it for that month. If you transfer your billing to Gusto on the first of the month, we invoice your next Google Workspace bill in full. If you transfer your billing after the first, you get two prorated bills for that month: one from your previous billing method for the first part of the month, up to your transfer, and one from Gusto for the rest of the month after your transfer.

You can upgrade or downgrade your Google Workspace plan from Gusto at any time. We prorate your bill to the day.

You can choose from any of these plans:

• Business Starter

• Business Standard

• Business Plus

• Enterprise plans (Contact us for pricing. To contact us, sign in to your Gusto account and click the help icon in the top-right corner of the page.)

Click here to compare plans and pricing. Business plans allow up to 300 licenses. More than 300 licenses require an Enterprise plan.

To upgrade or downgrade your Google Workspace plan:

1. Sign in to Gusto.

2. Go to the App directory.

3. Select Google Workspace.

4. Click the Billing tab.

5. Select Change plan.

6. Choose your desired plan.

7. Review the terms and click Submit.

We’ll update your plan immediately and prorate your billing to the day.

If you no longer want Gusto to bill you for Google Workspace, you can transfer your billing back to Google. Gusto and Google will then bill you separately for each account.

The Google Workspace integration will stay connected to Gusto to manage employee accounts, unless you disconnect the integration or cancel Google Workspace.

To transfer your Google Workspace back to Google:

1. Sign in to Gusto.

2. Go to the App directory.

3. Select Google Workspace.

4. Click the Billing tab.

5. Next to Billing Provider, click the i icon.

6. Select Transfer billing to Google.

7. Fill out your reason for transferring.

8. Click Continue.

9. Click Transfer my billing.

If you transfer your billing to Google on the first of the month, Google invoices your next Google Workspace bill in full. If you transfer your billing after the first, you’ll get two prorated bills for that month: one from Gusto for the first part of the month until your transfer, and one from Google for the rest of the month after your transfer.

You have 30 days from the day you transfer to set up your payment details in Google. Your account stays active during this time, and you can manage your subscription in the Google Admin console.

Canceling your Gusto account

If you cancel your Gusto account, we transfer your Google Workspace billing management to Google at the end of your Gusto billing cycle.

Having trouble with your Google Workspace integration? Try these troubleshooting steps to fix common connection issues.

Check your Google settings

If you have trouble connecting Gusto to Google Workspace, check the settings in your Google Admin console.

You need to turn on Reseller access and API. If you turn off either setting, the connection will not work.

Check reseller access

Go to Google’s how-to if you get stuck.

To check reseller status:

1. Sign in to your Google Workspace Admin console.

2. Go to Account.

3. Click Account Settings.

4. Choose Account Management.

5. Find Reseller Access and make sure the checkbox is checked.

6. Click Save changes.

Check API access

Go to Google’s how-to if you get stuck.

To check API access:

1. Sign in to your Google Workspace Admin console.

2. Go to Menu.

3. Click Security.

4. Click Access and data control.

5. Click API controls.

If you turn off either setting, the connection will not work, and we cannot offer billing support. Google would transfer your account back to Google on its renewal date.

Google Workspace troubleshooting resources

Popular help articles from Google.

Account access

• Sign in to your Admin console

• Recovering administrator access to your account

• Username and Password Guidelines

• Can’t sign in to your Google Account

• Set up Google Workspace on an iOS device

Admin permissions

• Who is my administrator?

• Administrator privilege definitions

Gmail, Calendar, and Groups

• Manage your Gmail Account

• Gmail sending limits in Google Workspace

• Gmail messages are missing

• Check Gmail through other email platforms

• Getting started with Google Calendar

• Migrate mail, contacts, and calendars

• Create a group in your organization

Support

• How to contact support

If you no longer want to use Google Workspace for your company, here’s how to cancel your subscription:

1. First, transfer your Google Workspace billing from Gusto to Google. Follow the steps in the Transfer your Google Workspace billing back to Google section of the article.

2. Follow Google’s steps to cancel your subscription.

Contact us for help with your Google Workspace app in Gusto, including transferring billing to Gusto, managing accounts, or billing questions. To contact us, sign in to your Gusto account and click the help icon in the top-right corner of the page.