Employee payment methods

Add a bank account 

If you're set up for a check payment method, you can change this to direct deposit from your Gusto account. 

You'll be prompted to sign a Direct Deposit Authorization form. You can find this form for future reference in the Documents section of your account.

1. Sign into your Gusto account.
2. Click the Job & Pay tab on the left-hand side.
3. Under Payment Method: Check, click Add Method.
4. Enter your routing number, account number, account type, and display name—make sure all information is accurate.
   • We'll send a test transaction to the account number entered—if we receive an error, the information may need to be updated and verified. This may take a few days.
5. Click Save.

Once the account has been verified, you'll be paid via direct deposit on future payrolls that haven't already been processed. 

Change your bank account

1. Sign in to Gusto.
2. Click the Job & Pay tab.
   • If you don't see the Job & Pay tab, you might be in your admin account—reference this article to switch between accounts.
3. Scroll to the "Payment Method" headline, and click edit near the right-side of the page.
4. Enter your new direct deposit information–make sure all the information is accurate.
   
   • We'll send a test deposit to the account number entered–if we receive an error, the information may need to be updated and verified. This may take a few days.
   • If you're interested in using a Gusto spending account and debit card, learn more here. 
5. Click Save.

Once the bank account has been verified, you'll be paid to the new account.

If you changed your bank account after a payment has already been processed, it may go to the previous account. Reach out to your administrator if you were not paid in the right account.

Employees can add up to 5 bank accounts for direct deposit—follow the steps below to add accounts. At this time, we don't support multiple bank accounts for contractor payments.

1. Sign into your Gusto account.
2. Click the Job & Pay tab on the left-hand side.
3. Under the first listed bank account, click Add Method. 
4. Enter the new account's routing number, account number, account type, and display name.
5. Click Save.
6. Under Payment Method: Direct Deposit, click Split Paycheck.
7. Split funds into the different accounts by percentage or flat dollar amounts.
8. Click Save.

1. Sign in to your Gusto account.
2. Click the Job & Pay tab on the left-hand side.
3. Under the Payment Methods section, click edit next to the bank account you wish to delete. 
4. Select Remove Account at the bottom.

If your payment method is set to direct deposit, you can change this to check directly from your personal Gusto account.

1. Go to the Job & pay section of your employee account.
2. Next to the bank account you're using for direct deposit, click Edit.
3. Click Remove Account.
4. If you're an employee, repeat this process if you have multiple bank accounts set up for direct deposit.
   • At this time, contractors cannot have multiple bank accounts set up. 

You'll now be paid by check on future payrolls. Your employer is responsible for distributing the check to you. 

In Gusto, employees can be paid through payroll cards, also known as prepaid debit cards. At this time, payroll cards are not supported for contractors and we do not offer Gusto-specific payroll cards.

How to use a payroll card with Gusto

Have your employee enter their payroll card's routing number and account number in their Gusto profile, and we'll deposit funds directly on the card every pay period. If their card is lost or stolen, have them add a new card or bank account information and delete the old card.

Where to get a payroll card

A good payroll card is Serve card by American Express. They have a lower fee structure and better user experience relative to other payroll cards. 

Learn more or sign up on their website.

Gusto Spending Account—an alternative option

Gusto does not offer payroll cards (prepaid debit cards), but we do offer the option for employees to apply for a Gusto Spending Account¹—a personal checking account—which comes with a debit card².

Unlike a payroll card, a Gusto Spending Account is a personal bank account that an employee must apply for directly. There are several benefits to this type of account, but approval is not guaranteed.

_{1. The Gusto Cash Account, savings goals, and spending account are issued by nbkc bank, Member FDIC.}

_{2. The Gusto Debit Card is issued by nbkc bank pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc.}

After you've entered your account and routing number for direct deposit payments, we'll verify your bank account with a one cent test transaction.

• Verification can take a few days—payments may not go through on payday unless the specific account has been verified.
• Bank errors—if we receive a bank error at any point, the bank information may need to be updated and verified. Update the information as soon as possible.
  
  • You and your administrator will be notified we couldn't process the test transaction, and both of you will get additional reminder emails every three business days.
  • If no action is taken within 12 business days, we'll return any direct deposit payments back to the company's bank account.
• Account number formatting—Gusto accepts alphanumeric routing and account numbers but does not support account numbers with dashes, semicolons, commas, questions marks, etc.

Once the bank account information is updated, we'll automatically resend any payments to the updated direct deposit account in the next few business days.

Ultimately, when you get paid depends on when your employer ran payroll (for employees) or processed your payment (for contractors). Gusto cannot share in-flight payment details with employees or contractors before the pay date–you must reach out to your employer with questions if there is not a paystub already in your Gusto account for the payment in question.

Once you've confirmed with your employer that they've run the payroll/payment through Gusto, use the information below to help troubleshoot missing payments. 

• If you're an international contractor with payment issues, have your employer reach out to us from the Help or Priority support section of their Gusto account.

For direct deposits

After your employer submits payroll, we’ll electronically send any payments processed as direct deposit—on payday, you'll get an email from Gusto and your paystub will be available in your account. After the banks receive our electronic payment, they have until 5 pm local to make funds available to you in your bank account.

• Payment processing speed is unique to each employer—contact your admin directly for questions about your specific check date. Gusto cannot answer questions about in-flight payments until the actual payday (check date). 

For check payments

Your employer is responsible for sending or manually distributing the check to you—check your paystub in Gusto to determine how your employer processed the payment (via direct deposit or check).

Troubleshooting payment issues

If you don't see the money in your account on the pay date and believe there’s a delay with your payment, follow the steps below to troubleshoot:

1. Make sure you're in the correct account.
   • If you have multiple Gusto accounts you can easily switch to a different profile.
2. Check if your payment method is set to direct deposit. 
   • If you’re set up for a check payment method, your employer should issue you a check for your net pay (the money won't appear in your bank account if you were set to be paid by check). 
   • Even when direct deposit information is set up in your profile, your employer has the option to process the payment as a check—view your paystub in Gusto to determine if your employer processed the payment as direct deposit or as a check.
3. Verify that your bank account information is correct.
   • Check your bank account transactions and look for the $0.01 test credit from Gusto.
     • If you don’t see the test credit within 1-2 business days after adding your bank information, your bank information may have been entered incorrectly.
   • If the bank routing or account number is incorrect:
     • [Employees] Update your bank info.
       • If you decide to delete the bank account (rather than update the existing one), you’ll need to add a new bank account and then contact us from the Help section of your account in order to resend the payment.
     • [Contractors] Update your bank info.
       • If you decide to delete the bank account (rather than update the existing one), you’ll need to add a new bank account and then contact us from the Help section of your account in order to resend the payment.
   • If you recently changed your bank account, your payment may have been sent to the previous account. 
     • Check your previous bank account’s transaction history to see if funds were deposited there.
       • If you no longer have access to the old account, first contact us to obtain the ACH trace ID for the payment, then contact your bank to have them track down the payment.
4. Sign in to your bank account or contact the bank directly to check if there are any pending payments (credits) incoming.

Still need help?

Contact your administrator with any questions or issues. 

• Ask about the expected payment date.
• Ask them to confirm the payment method (direct deposit or check).
• Review bank account details.
• Review payment details (as needed).

If your employer is unable to help, they can contact us from the Help or Priority support section of their admin account—our team is able to provide more explicit details about in-flight payments or any errors to admins.