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You're sinking everything you have into your small business and have big dreams about what it will someday become. Paychex Flex is a payroll application that promises to grow alongside your enterprise. Here, we dive into what makes Paychex Flex unique and whether it can deliver on its promises.
Pricing:
Plans start at $39/month, with a $5 fee per employee. Your price will depend on the features you're looking for, the number of employees your company employs, where your business is located, and other factors. The company suggests requesting a quote directly through its website.
Paychex Flex is designed for small businesses seeking an easy-to-use payroll platform with robust features normally reserved for larger companies. As both a payroll and human resource platform, Paychex Flex is involved with everything, from recordkeeping to benefits administration. Equally impressive, its excellent mobile app makes it easy for employers and employees to conduct business on the go.
With more than 740,000 customers, Paychex Flex is a popular option among small businesses of all kinds.
It's the wide range of features that helps Paychex Flex stand out from the crowd. Here are some of the most useful.
Paychex Flex's mobile app is one of the most popular features the payroll application has to offer. You can access employee records to view everything from employee benefits to your last payroll. Employees can use the mobile app to punch in and out, request time off, transfer between assignments, or view schedules. In short, everyone has access to a host of information without ever having to visit a payroll department or human resources.
All three of the Paychex Flex plans offer free direct deposit for employee paychecks. However, you also have the option to pay employees with a pay card. In short, you can pick the payment method that best suits your business and employees.
Calculating, filing, and paying payroll taxes can be a chore. All Paychex Flex plans offer complete payroll tax administration. You can rest easy knowing that federal, state, and local payroll taxes will be accurately calculated and filed on your behalf.
Giving employees easy access to the self-service portal saves you time and gives your employees a much-needed sense of autonomy. Rather than go to the payroll or human resources department to find the information they need, they can bring it up on their mobile app or the website. Through the self-service portal, employees can find their tax documents, manage their vacation time, and even swap shifts with co-workers.
Onboarding a new employee can be time-consuming and, frankly, boring for everyone involved. The Paychex Flex onboarding layout gets new employees started by allowing them to fill out new-hire paperwork, including Form W-4 and a confidentiality agreement (if your business requires employees to sign such an agreement). It's through onboarding that new employees are also introduced to company policies, such as sexual harassment and paid sick leave. The goal is to ensure a smooth transition into the new employee's first day of work.
Paychex Flex gives you access to more than 160 standard reports and allows you to investigate specific issues with multiple date and filter options. Together, these reports give you the tools you need to convert raw data into real-life insights you can act on.
One selling point for Paychex Flex is its ease of use. The self-guided program has a simple interface that allows users to perform key functions with a few clicks. That means tasks like updating benefits or adding a new employee take little effort. What's more, Paychex Flex easily integrates with existing business applications.
Paychex Flex plans start at $39/month, and a $5 fee per employee is assessed. Ultimately, the price you pay depends on factors such as the features you're looking for, the number of people you employ, and where your business is located. Because pricing is so individualized, the company suggests requesting a quote directly through its website.
This table will give you an idea of what each plan offers and possibly help you narrow down which plan you'd be most interested in.
If you have only one or two employees, there's no reason to pay for the same application you will someday need when you have 10 times as many. Starting small not only allows you to save money, but also gives you time to learn the ins and outs of the payroll application.
If you already have a payroll system in place, it may be exhausting to think about all the work involved in switching over to a new system. Fortunately, Paychex Flex will help you collect any necessary information and process your first few payroll runs for a smooth transition.
The Paychex Flex mobile app is a real star, with excellent ratings provided by iOS and Android users alike.
Online reviewers share that they sometimes find clock-in attempts troublesome. While this may be an issue Paychex is working on, it's worth looking out for.
Garnishing an employee's wages due to a court order takes extra time and attention. Unfortunately, garnishment services are only included in Pro and Enterprise plans, although Select plan users can pay extra for the service.
Depending on how many bells and whistles you're looking for, the final annual cost of Paychex Flex may drain more money from your business bank account than you would like.
One way to decide if Paychex Flex is right for you is to list what you're looking for. Once you have that list in hand, compare it to the Paychex Flex product and service. If you're looking for an easy-to-use, scalable payroll system that allows employees to engage, you may find that Paychex Flex fits the bill.
As this table indicates, Paychex Flex's competition is fierce.
Online access | Direct deposit | Prepares federal tax forms | Employees have access to payroll documents | |
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Paychex Flex |
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Gusto |
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QuickBooks Payroll |
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OnPay |
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Payroll Mate |
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The first step is to contact Paychex Flex to let the company know what you hope to find in a payroll application. Once Paychex Flex understands your unique situation, it will provide you with a quote. We recommend gathering quotes from several different payroll providers before making a final decision.
With access to more than 160 standard reports and a wide range of services, Paychex Flex is definitely worth considering. However, as mentioned, we recommend that you compare several companies before making a final decision.
Yes, all Paychex Flex plans include complete calculation, filing, and tax remittance service.
Yes. Paychex Flex offers payroll services for all 50 states.
Paychex Flex's mobile app is one of the best to be found in payroll applications, allowing you to enter payroll information and review and run payroll directly from your smartphone.
While the price could be as low as $468 plus $60 per employee annually, a host of factors go into determining your price. You can only know for certain after receiving a quote.
Any type of business can benefit from a comprehensive payroll administration system.
No, there is no free trial, but the company does provide free demos.
Considering the number of reports the system runs and the wide range of services available, Paychex Flex is surprisingly easy to set up and use.
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