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SurePayroll is an in-depth payroll solution for small businesses. The company is backed by Paychex, one of the largest payroll providers in the nation, and it can handle all your payroll processing and tax needs from an intuitive platform that’s accessible anywhere. That means your employees can view relevant payroll information, like their paystubs or year-end tax forms, at any time.
We think SurePayroll is a strong fit for small businesses and household employers that want predictable, affordable payroll without a lot of features they’ll never use. In addition to payroll, the company offers other small business services like retirement plans, workers’ compensation insurance and health insurance. If you’re weighing your options, it’s worth comparing SurePayroll against our other picks for the best online payroll services.
We chose to highlight SurePayroll because it delivers reliable, full-service payroll at a below-average starting price, which makes it ideal for very small businesses. We appreciate that SurePayroll charges a flat monthly rate rather than billing per payroll, so you can run payroll — including off-cycle runs for bonuses or corrections — as often as you need without watching the meter.
We were also impressed by the flat $9.99-per-month multi-state fee: unlike many competitors that charge $10 to $15 for each additional state, SurePayroll’s single flat fee provides savings for businesses that pay employees across state lines. Since SurePayroll is backed by Paychex, it pairs small business simplicity with the compliance infrastructure of one of the largest payroll companies in the country. Where it stands out most though is its nanny and caregiver payroll processing, which handles Schedule H and household employment taxes that platforms like Square Payroll do not offer. [See our Square review]
SurePayroll includes the core features very small businesses look for in a payroll service, plus a few that help it stand out.
SurePayroll handles household employment taxes and produces a signature-ready Schedule H, something that not all general-purpose payroll providers provide. We think this makes SurePayroll an obvious first stop for families employing nannies, caregivers or other household staff.
SurePayroll handles all payroll tax obligations. On the Full-Service plan, the service calculates, files and pays your federal, state and local payroll taxes to the proper agencies. This comes with a tax-penalty guarantee: if SurePayroll makes a filing error that results in a penalty, it will correct the error and cover the fine.
Because SurePayroll bills monthly rather than per run, you can process payroll as often as you like, including off-cycle runs, at no extra cost. Employees can be paid by direct deposit or by paper checks you print yourself; note that SurePayroll does not sign, stuff or mail paper checks for you.
SurePayroll handles new-hire reporting on your behalf. Most states require businesses to report each new hire, including the employee’s name, address and Social Security number, and SurePayroll takes care of these filings automatically.
SurePayroll integrates with popular accounting software so you can import payroll data after each pay period. Supported accounting tools include QuickBooks Online, Xero, Sage 50, Zoho Books, AccountEdge, Kashoo and Less Accounting; accounting integration is a $4.99-per-month add-on. SurePayroll also connects with several time and attendance systems, with timeclock integration starting at $5 per month plus $3 per employee. [Read our Quickbooks Online review]
SurePayroll is built for small employers without a dedicated HR team, and its interface shows that focus. The platform is cloud-hosted and accessible from any internet-connected device, and running payroll takes just three steps: you enter employees’ hours or salaries along with any deductions and paid time off, preview the taxes being withheld, then approve the run. We found this streamlined flow perfect for small business owners who don’t want additional features they’ll never use.
A mobile app for iOS and Android lets you run, review and approve payroll from anywhere with full functionality rather than a stripped-down mobile view, and you can set payroll to run automatically on your schedule. Employees get their own self-service access to paystubs and year-end tax documents through the website or app, which cuts down on back-and-forth. [Read more about doing payroll for a small business]
SurePayroll charges monthly, not per payroll, so you can run payroll whenever you want for the same monthly cost. The service is organized into two business plans plus a separate plan for household employers, each combining a base monthly fee with a per-employee charge. We appreciate that SurePayroll publishes its pricing openly, which isn’t always the case with payroll providers.
Several add-on costs may apply. Year-end W-2 and 1099-NEC forms are billed annually — not monthly — at a $50 base fee plus $5 per form. Multi-state payroll is a flat $9.99 per month, and local tax filing, where applicable, is also $9.99 per month. There are no contracts; you can cancel at any time with no penalty. Compared with rivals, SurePayroll’s starting price sits below average, though buyers who need year-end forms should factor in that annual cost.
Getting started with SurePayroll is designed to be self-guided. You answer a few questions to create an account, then add your company, employee, bank and tax information. SurePayroll includes onboarding support at no extra charge, and the software setup itself takes roughly an hour. We like that free onboarding assistance is standard rather than a paid tier, which lowers the barrier for first-time payroll administrators.
As with any payroll service, some of the timeline is outside the vendor’s control: obtaining an EIN from the IRS takes about 15 minutes online, but state tax accounts can take one to two weeks, and bank verification for direct deposit adds one to two business days. SurePayroll recommends running a test payroll before your first live pay date.
We were pleased with the customer support from SurePayroll. To test the level of service, we contacted the company multiple times by phone, posing as a customer interested in payroll services. Each time, our calls were answered by friendly, helpful representatives. SurePayroll offers U.S.-based live phone and chat support Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. CT.
Beyond live support, SurePayroll maintains a library of self-service resources — help articles, how-to guides, videos and payroll calculators — available online 24/7. SurePayroll is also an accredited member of the Better Business Bureau with an A+ rating, although their customer review rating is 2.1. One caveat worth flagging for readers: because live support isn’t available around the clock, businesses that value 24/7 phone access may prefer a competitor that offers it.
The most notable limitation is SurePayroll’s extra charge for year-end tax forms, billed annually on top of your monthly plan. Several services we’ve evaluated include these forms in their monthly cost.
SurePayroll also lacks built-in time tracking. Businesses that need to capture employee hours will have to pay for a timeclock integration. Additionally, the company won’t sign and stuff paper checks for you. If you want physical checks for employees, you’ll need to print them yourself, which may be inconvenient for businesses that still rely on paper.
To evaluate SurePayroll, we reviewed the vendor’s pricing, plans, features and support options directly from its official materials, and we contacted customer support by phone while posing as a prospective customer to gauge responsiveness. We considered factors including cost transparency, per-employee pricing, tax-filing capabilities, integrations, mobile access and the availability of support. We paid particular attention to how well SurePayroll serves the smallest businesses and household employers, since that is where the service is most competitive, and we compared its pricing and feature set against other payroll providers we’ve reviewed.
We recommend SurePayroll for:
We do not recommend SurePayroll for:
