Expedite your payroll

Payroll must be run by 4pm PT four business days before payday in order to pay your employees on time through direct deposit. If you missed this deadline you may be able to expedite your payroll to pay your employees on time.

Keep in mind: If you're on 2-day or next-day payroll and you missed the deadline to run payroll, you cannot expedite the payroll. Expediting contractor payments is also not supported.

Important: Regular payrolls will always default to pay out on the regular check date. Even if your company is on 2-day and payroll is processed early, regular payrolls will not pay out early. Example: Your company pay schedule is set up to have check dates of the 1st and 15th of the month. You process payroll on the 10th—payroll will pay out on the 15th per the company pay schedule.

This option will be available after you miss the deadline up until 2 business days before payday. View the timeline below for expediting your payroll for more details.

Click the Payroll section and select Run payroll.
Click the Run Payroll box.
Under the check date, click Need it sooner?
- This is only offered for regular payrolls. You won't see the option if you're running an off-cycle or bonus payroll.
  - For off-cycle payrolls and bonuses, go to the Help section of your account to contact us so we can assist with an expedite.
Click Upload Screenshot to upload a screenshot that contains the following information:
- Last 4 digits of your company's bank account
- Remaining balance in your company's bank account
- Timestamp showing today's date
- Note: We recommend using Google Chrome as your browser to upload the screenshot. The tool does not work in Internet Explorer.
Click Save and Continue.
Finish running payroll.
Our team will review your screenshot to ensure there are enough funds in your bank account to cover your payroll. You should receive a response from them within 1 business day. If you're approved, the check date will update in your Gusto account to reflect the expedited payday.

How to take a screenshot

To take a screenshot on a Mac, press Shift + Command + 4. Then drag your cursor to fit the image you'd like to capture.

To take a screenshot on a PC, press PrtScn in the upper right side of your keyboard to take a screenshot of your whole screen or press Alt + PrtScn to take a screenshot of one window only.

Timeline for expediting payroll

The option to expedite will be available until 2 days before payday at 4pm PT. After this deadline, you can still ensure your employees are paid on time by paying them with a physical check. Once you submit the request through your account, we'll respond to the request by the end of the business day to let you know if your expedite is approved.

Example timeline if your employees are paid on Friday:

Monday: Deadline to run payroll is 4pm PT. After 4pm PT, click I need it sooner to expedite your payroll and pay employees through direct deposit on Friday.
Tuesday: Option to expedite your payroll is still available.
Wednesday: Option to expedite your payroll ends at 4pm PT. After 4pm PT, click I need it sooner to pay your employees with a check on Friday.
Thursday: Option to pay your employees with a check on Friday is still available.
Friday: Option to pay your employees with a check on Friday is still available.

Run a reverse wire payroll

Definition of a reverse wire debit

A reverse wire debit is a way for us to withdraw money from your bank account using a wire transfer. If you've been asked to set up reverse wire and were running next-day payroll, you'll be moved to 2-day payroll ongoing.

Please note, some banks do not support reverse wires, so this feature is not available for all customers.

How to activate the reverse wire feature

Click the Payroll section and select Payroll settings.
Under the Settings section, select Enable under Reverse Wire.
From the setup page, click Start setup.
Contact your bank
- Make sure your bank supports reverse wire debits.
- Download Gusto’s bank information to provide to your bank.
- Ask your bank to authorize Gusto to use a reverse wire to debit from your bank account.
- Ask your bank for their address and wire transfer routing number for reverse wire transfers.
- Click I’ve completed all steps.
Enter the info you just collected, including your bank’s wire transfer routing number and address. Click Save & Continue.
Enter your signature and click Sign if you agree to authorize us to reverse wire debit your account.

How to process a reverse wire payroll

Once you have activated the reverse wire feature in your account, navigate to the Run Payroll section and run payroll as normal. If we are going to use a reverse wire to debit your bank account we will notify you before you submit the payroll.

Cost of a reverse wire

Your bank may charge a fee for the reverse wire transfer, the fee amount varies by bank but is usually $15-$30. Contact your bank for exact pricing - Gusto is not responsible for any fee your bank charges.