Your Guide on Switching Payroll Providers (2021)

Trying to make the smooth transition from one payroll provider to another? We have been helping companies with our payroll expertise since 1993 and have learned many things in that time. We want to share that expertise with you through this comprehensive guide on switching payroll providers.

How to Make Sure Your New Payroll Service Provider is Right for You

Before you can start your transition from one payroll service provider to another you will need to ensure that this is the best choice for your company. Switching payroll companies does not present an issue, but having to make multiple changes because you switched to the wrong payroll provider can start to create issues with your record keeping.

Here are three of our top tips for choosing the right payroll service:

• Check Their Online Reputation: Looking at reviews from customers on Google is a great way to get to know the pros and cons of what their services will be like.
• Look into What Customer Service is Like: Make sure to see what their customer service hours are and decide if those fit into when you would need them as well as whether or not their customer support is knowledgeable about the services and can answer any question you might have. Do they have U.S.-based customer support or off-shore?
• Make Sure it is Easy to Use: Your payroll is something you want to be able to access easily, whether it be on your desktop or mobile device. Having an easy-to-use interface for both you and your employees makes the whole process easier.

For more useful tips, check out our full list of 7 tips here. These will allow you to be confident in your choice of switching payroll providers.

Payroll Transition Checklist

If you’re looking at switching payroll providers, you may be curious about what the steps are in this confusing process. To make it simple and to allow you a road map to follow, we put together this in-depth checklist:

1. Schedule your demo. This will solidify your decision in your new payroll company. To get a free demo, just fill out this quick form.
2. Go through your agreement with your current payroll service company. You may find that there are cancellation fees or restrictions on how long you can access data after you terminate their services. You may also see that some companies require a heads-up a certain amount of time before cancellation.
3. Review the contract from your new payroll provider and ensure that it meets your requirements.
4. Gather the necessary information:
   1. Your business’ Federal Employer Identification Number
   2. Your business’ ID number for state withholding and for state unemployment
   3. A blank check that shows the bank account and routing numbers for your company
   4. Both year-to-date and quarter-to-date payroll summaries
   5. Social Security numbers of your employees
   6. Bank account information for all of the employees that will be using direct deposit
5. Give notice to your current payroll provider. If applicable, this is when you can request any needed information.
6. Meet with your new payroll provider to begin onboarding. A good payroll company will be willing to meet with you face to face and work with you to set up a custom onboarding plan that fits your needs.

Here at G.E. Payroll we pride ourselves on working with you. That means that if you are unsure about any steps in this process, our team is happy to walk you through it.