NEW: Relay Payroll is available by invitation while it's in beta. Running payroll is the final step, after your company, team, and taxes are set up.
To run payroll in Relay, review each person's hours and earnings, review the totals, and submit before the payment deadline. Relay confirms your run and pays your team on the check date, with funds from your Relay account. Make sure everyone's added and your balance covers the run first.
What you'll need
Before you run payroll, make sure:
Everyone you're paying is added your W-2 employees and 1099 contractors.
Your Relay balance covers net pay plus all taxes transfer funds a few days ahead so they're ready.
There are no holds or freezes on your Relay account.
Your signatory has signed your payroll forms.
How to run an on-cycle payroll
An on-cycle payroll is your regular, scheduled run:
Open payroll in Relay and start your scheduled run.
Review each person's hours and earnings, and fix anything that's off.
Review the totals net pay, taxes, and the amount Relay will debit from your account.
Submit the payroll before the funding deadline.
Look for your confirmation. Relay confirms the run and shows the check date.
Relay debits the total from your Relay account and pays your team on the check date. Regular payrolls never pay early.
Running an off-cycle payroll
An off-cycle payroll pays your team outside your regular schedule for a correction, a missed payment, or a one-off at no extra fee, and without disturbing your regular run. You set the work period and the payment date, then review and submit it like a regular run.
Cancelling before the deadline
A run finishes processing at a set cutoff on its process day. Before that cutoff, you can cancel it and to change a run you've already submitted, cancel it and run it again.
After a run processes, you can't cancel it. To fix it, make an adjustment or a reversal instead. A direct-deposit reversal is only possible within 5 business days of the check date, and you get one attempt.
HEADS UP: Cancelling is only possible before a run processes. Double-check hours, amounts, and the check date before the cutoff.
If something goes wrong
Here's how to handle the most common snags:
You missed the funding deadline. Your team may not be paid on the scheduled check date. See How to fund payroll from your Relay account for deadlines.
Your balance won't cover the run. Your debit has to cover net pay plus all taxes. Add funds to your Relay account to cover the full amount.
Your payroll is blocked. Something like unsigned forms or an open information request can block a run. See Payroll status and troubleshooting in Relay to find the cause and clear it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I cancel a payroll after I submit it?
Yes, but only before it finishes processing on its process day. Before that cutoff, cancel the run and, if you need to, run it again. After it processes, you can't cancel it. You'll have to make an adjustment or reversal instead, and a direct-deposit reversal is only possible within 5 business days of the check date, with one attempt.
What is an off-cycle payroll?
An off-cycle payroll is a run outside your regular schedule for a correction, a missed payment, or a one-off. There's no extra fee, and it doesn't affect your regular run. You set the work period and payment date yourself.
When do my employees get paid?
Your team is paid on the check date, with funds debited from your Relay account. Regular payrolls never pay early. If a payday lands on a weekend or bank holiday, the check date moves to the prior business day.
Related articles
Talk to our Customer Experience team
If this article did not fully answer your question, our Customer Experience team is here to help.