If you need help making payroll due to unexpected cash flow fluctuations, Payroll Bridge is available to eligible Gusto customers to ensure your employees are paid on time and in full—giving you peace of mind when you need it most.1
Payroll Bridge is a line of credit designed to provide small businesses with timely access to capital for running payroll.2
Through this program, if approved by Parafin, you can access a line of credit to fund payroll and pay for it over time, helping you manage cash flow more easily. Unlike traditional loans that accrue interest or have variable rates, Payroll Bridge offers one fixed, transparent fee communicated upfront, so you always know your exact cost.
Payroll Bridge is powered by Parafin, whose focus is providing small businesses with fast, easy access to capital.
Step 1: Run payroll
Start by running payroll as you normally would. If you need help, more information on how to run a regular payroll can be found here.
After selecting Submit payroll, you’ll see funding method options. Choose Payroll Bridge line of credit as your funding method.
Note: Clicking Submit payroll does not complete the payroll process.
Step 2: Apply
After clicking Submit Payroll, you’ll be routed to a new application page hosted by Parafin. Select the Check eligibility button to continue.
Step 3: Review and accept your offer
If approved, review and accept your line of credit offer.
Choose the repayment plan that works best for you.
Step 4: Submit payroll
Once you accept your offer and choose to fund payroll, you’ll be redirected to the payroll confirmation screen.
Your payroll has now been funded through the line of credit and submitted. The first installment will be debited from your account.
Step 5: Repay your line of credit
Repayment for the line of credit will begin based on your selected plan.
Here are some frequently asked questions about Payroll Bridge.
Does it cost anything to open a line of credit?
No, opening a line of credit is completely free. You’ll only incur costs if you draw funds from the line.
Does Payroll Bridge affect my credit score?
No. Applying for, or using, Payroll Bridge will not affect your credit score. Parafin does not require a credit check or report to credit agencies.
How is my available credit determined?
Parafin reviews and makes the determination on your application. Your available credit is determined by Parafin based on several factors, including your tenure and payroll history with Gusto. Some factors include, but are not limited to:
Consistency – Steady, month-over-month sales with minimal large dips
Growth – Increases in your company’s overall revenue over time
Tenure – A longer history on Gusto provides more data for evaluation
Payment history – Staying current on payments and avoiding missed payments due to insufficient funds
Linked account revenue – Your business revenue in the connected bank account
What if my bank isn’t listed in Plaid?
Your bank must be supported by Plaid to use the Payroll Bridge line of credit. If your financial institution isn’t available on Plaid, you will not be able to use Payroll Bridge at this time. Plaid is continuously expanding its network of supported financial institutions. If your bank isn’t supported yet, we recommend checking back regularly as new banks are added.
Why isn’t bank linking working?
If you’re having trouble linking your account, please make sure your bank is supported by Plaid and that you’re linking an account you use for sending and receiving business payments. If you still have issues, please contact Parafin’s Support Team with screenshots of any errors.
You can contact Parafin’s support team directly at [email protected] or at (855) 508-5045.
Parafin support hours of operation: Monday–Friday 9am–5pm PT (excluding bank holidays).
Why do I need to verify my bank account?
Bank verification is required by Parafin for security, compliance, and underwriting purposes. The linked account will also be used for automatic payments if you accept a payment plan.
Does it matter which bank account I link?
Yes. You must link a business account that reflects your company’s cash flow, as this data is used in the underwriting process. The account will also be used for automatic repayments by Parafin.
Why do I need to provide personal and business information?
Federal law requires financial institutions to obtain and verify information about the account owner to help prevent money laundering and terrorism financing.
Why was my application denied?
Parafin may deny an application for Payroll Bridge on account of various factors. If your application is denied, you will receive an Adverse Action Notice via email from Parafin with more details.
If you'd like more information about your application status, please contact Parafin’s support team directly at [email protected] or at (855) 508-5045.
Parafin support hours of operation: Monday–Friday 9am–5pm PT (excluding bank holidays).
How can I use the funds?
Payroll Bridge funds are limited to your regular Gusto payroll only. At this time, Payroll Bridge cannot be used to process payroll for contractors. The funds cannot be used for bonuses, off-cycle payrolls, or non-payroll business expenses. Payroll Bridge also may not be used for personal, family, or household expenses.
Who has permissions to use funds?
Only Primary and Global admins are able to use funds at this time.
Where are the funds sent?
Funds are sent directly to Gusto to fund your regular Gusto payroll. They cannot be sent to personal bank accounts.
How long does it take to receive the funds?
If approved by Parafin, the line of credit will be available immediately to fund payroll.
What is the financing fee?
Each payment plan includes a financing fee. This fee is calculated upfront by Parafin based on a variety of factors, including the draw amount, repayment term, and business performance. The fee is fixed (meaning it will not change over the life of the plan) and is paid back across scheduled payments.
Is there any interest charged on payment plans?
No, Parafin does not charge interest for Payroll Bridge. You’ll pay Parafin a single fixed financing fee, which is displayed upfront. This fee is divided evenly across your installment payments.
When is my first payment?
Your first repayment is automatically debited from your linked bank account as soon as you fund payroll using your line of credit.
When are repayments charged?
After the first repayment, payments are debited every two weeks according to the repayment plan selected at the time of the draw.
Are there late fees?
No, Parafin does not charge late fees.
What happens if I miss a payment?
If a repayment fails due to insufficient funds, Parafin will attempt to debit the account up to three times. Parafin will notify you by email each time a payment fails.
If payments continue to fail, Parafin will contact you via email or phone to resolve the issue.
Can I repay my draw early?
Yes. Parafin permits early repayment, and there are no penalties or fees for paying early.
How do I view my credit agreements?
You can view your agreements in your Payroll Bridge dashboard.
Sign in to your Gusto account.
Open the Pay tab in the left-hand navigation bar.
Navigate to your Payroll Bridge dashboard.
Click the View link in the top right-hand corner of your payment plan.
Scroll to the Documents section. Your agreement will be available for you to view.
How do I view my statement?
Sign in to your Gusto account.
Open the Pay tab in the left-hand navigation bar.
Navigate to your Payroll Bridge dashboard.
Click the View link in the top right-hand corner of your payment plan.
Scroll to the Documents section. Your statement will be available for you to view.
What is available credit?
Your available credit is the remaining balance on your Payroll Bridge line of credit. This is determined by Parafin based on business performance, sales, payroll history, and other data. It is re-evaluated by Parafin every two weeks.
Why did my available credit change?
Available credit can change as Parafin receives updated business data, such as payroll, sales, payment history, and account balance fluctuations.
How do I access more money?
To increase your available credit, focus on enhancing business performance (e.g. consistent sales, strong payment history, and longer tenure with Gusto). Available credit is reviewed by Parafin every two weeks.
What’s the difference between a line of credit and a payment plan/draw with Parafin?
A line of credit is your total pre-approved borrowing capacity.
A payment plan/draw is each time you actually use part of your line of credit — each draw corresponds to its own payment plan.
Can I have multiple payment plans/draws at once?
Yes. Multiple draws can be active at the same time and they will each have their own payment plan.
Can I get another line of credit from Parafin?
No. You may only have one Payroll Bridge line of credit at a time, but you can make multiple draws as long as you have available credit remaining. Each draw corresponds to its own payment plan.
How do I cancel a payroll?
To cancel a payroll funded by Payroll Bridge, follow the same cancellation steps as you would for a regular payroll.
For detailed instructions, please refer to this article.
How do I reverse a payroll?
To reverse a payroll funded by Payroll Bridge, follow the same reversal steps as you would for a regular payroll.
For detailed instructions, please refer to this article.
After a payroll is reversed, any recoverable funds will be returned to the employer. The employer remains responsible for repaying the line of credit.
How do I cancel my payment plan?
If you are selling or closing your business, please contact Parafin for assistance.
If you cancel your payroll before it is processed, the associated payment plan will be canceled as well.
Otherwise, payment plans cannot be canceled while there is an outstanding balance. However, you may repay the full remaining balance at any time to close out your plan early. Please note that manual payments cannot be canceled.
For additional help, you can contact Parafin’s support team directly at [email protected] or at (855) 508-5045.
Parafin support hours of operation: Monday–Friday 9am–5pm PT (excluding bank holidays).
How do I get a refund?
If you need a refund, please contact Parafin’s support team directly at [email protected] or at (855) 508-5045.
Parafin support hours of operation: Monday–Friday 9am–5pm PT (excluding bank holidays).
How do I dispute a transaction?
To dispute a transaction:
Sign in to your Gusto account.
Open the Pay tab in the left-hand navigation bar.
Go to your Payroll Bridge dashboard.
Click the View link in the top right-hand corner of your payment plan.
Scroll to the bottom and click Dispute this transaction.
Follow the prompts to submit any supporting documents. A representative will contact you within 1–2 business days. (Note that disputes may take up to 30 days to resolve.)
For more help, contact Parafin’s support team directly at [email protected] or at (855) 508-5045.
Parafin support hours of operation: Monday–Friday 9am–5pm PT (excluding bank holidays).
How does the three-day grace period work?
With Payroll Bridge, you have a three-calendar-day grace period3 after accepting your repayment plan with Parafin to pay your full balance and have your financing fee waived.
To take advantage of the grace period, you must initiate a manual payment to Parafin of the full repayment plan (excluding the financing fee) by 11:59 PM PST on the third calendar day after accepting the plan via the Payroll Bridge Dashboard.3
If you have one Parafin repayment plan open, here’s how it works:
Review and accept your repayment plan. When you accept, your first installment is automatically charged. This includes the first portion of your financing fee, which is split up equally across each scheduled installment.
Repay the full Line of Credit amount within three days. If you repay the remaining line of credit balance (excluding the financing fee) manually within the grace period, the financing fee is waived in full. (See below if you have multiple Payroll Bridge credit lines.)
How to repay
Payments must be initiated manually via Parafin's dashboard (next-day ACH only) before the 11:59 PM PST deadline on the third day. Steps to make a manual payment:
Go to your Payroll Bridge Dashboard.
Select your payment plan to pay manually.
Select Make a payment.
To take advantage of the grace period, select outstanding balance.
Select Make a payment to confirm manual payment.
Example: Let’s say you take out a $1,000 4-installment repayment plan with a $100 financing fee on Friday morning.
You’ll pay your first installment on Friday morning which will be $275 ($250 principal + $25 financing fee). To take advantage of the grace period, you’ll need to successfully initiate a manual payment of $725 (which Parafin will display as "outstanding balance") by Monday at 11:59 PM PST.
What if I have multiple payment plans?
If you have multiple outstanding repayment plans, older plans must be repaid first before any new plans are eligible for the Grace Period, per the Advance Agreement. Any manual payments made will go towards the oldest payment plan first. Please note that only one repayment plan may be eligible for the Grace Period.
What if my manual payment doesn’t go through?
If your repayment plan is eligible for the grace period, but your manual ACH payment is returned or doesn’t settle (on any of your Parafin repayment plans), your plan will no longer qualify for the grace period.
In that case:
The financing fee will be added back to your repayment plan,
Scheduled debits per your repayment plan will resume as normal, and
Parafin reserves the right to apply received payments to older outstanding plans first.
For any questions or issues about Payroll Bridge, contact Parafin directly at [email protected] or (855) 508-5045.
Parafin support hours of operation: Monday–Friday 9am–5pm PT (excluding bank holidays).
THIS IS A LOAN SOLICITATION ONLY. GUSTO, INC. IS NOT THE LENDER. INFORMATION RECEIVED WILL BE SHARED WITH ONE OR MORE THIRD PARTIES IN CONNECTION WITH YOUR LOAN INQUIRY. THE LENDER MAY NOT BE SUBJECT TO ALL VERMONT LENDING LAWS. THE LENDER MAY BE SUBJECT TO FEDERAL LENDING LAWS.
1. Gusto provides access to Payroll Bridge through our partnership with Parafin. Payroll Bridge is offered by Parafin, not Gusto. Gusto does not review applications, make credit or lending decisions, provide credit, service loans, or collect repayments.
All lines of credit are issued by Celtic Bank. All lines of credit and offers are subject to credit approval, identity verification, and are subject to periodic review and may change without notice.
Lines of credit are governed by the Line of Credit Agreement and Parafin’s Privacy Policy. Bank transfers are subject to review.
2 All lines of credit are subject to application completion and review. Please also see Gusto’s terms.
3 The Payroll Bridge grace period (the "Grace Period") waives the financing fee for eligible customers who repay their line of credit in full within three (3) calendar days of accepting the repayment plan by initiating an ACH transfer through Parafin by 11:59 pm PST and as required by the Advance Agreement Terms of Service with Parafin ("Advance Agreement"). Parafin's offer will indicate if the line of credit qualifies for the Grace Period. While the first payment includes that installment’s portion of the financing fee, the entire financing fee will be waived if the plan is repaid in full within the Grace Period, subject to the Advance Agreement terms. Payments must be initiated manually via Parafin's dashboard (next-day ACH only), with each repayment plan requiring a separate manual payment. If a customer has multiple outstanding repayment plans, older plans must be repaid first before any line eligible for the Grace Period, per the Advance Agreement, and only one line may be eligible for the Grace Period. If any ACH payment isn't received within the Grace Period on the eligible line or any older outstanding repayment plans, the line of credit will be ineligible for the Grace Period, all financing fees apply per the accepted repayment plan(s), repayments resume as originally agreed, and Parafin reserves the right to apply received payments to older outstanding repayment plans first.