OnPay Review

OnPay
Product:
Vendor:
Founded:
Headquarters:
OnPay
OnPay
2012
Atlanta, GA
Ownership:
Customers:
Deployment Model:
Free Trial:
Private
15,000
Cloud
Yes
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OnPay At A Glance

Good: Automated onboarding workflows, searchable organization charts, all-inclusive pricing.
Bad: While software is optimized for mobile responsive web browsers, a dedicated app isn't offered.
Bottom Line: Cloud-based software with robust payroll and HR features for small businesses.

Product Overview

OnPay is a payroll software solution that helps small businesses streamline their HR tasks. It includes automated payroll, benefits and HR features, so organizations can focus on growing their business. Administrators can send offer letters and set up onboarding tasks for new hires, while employees can access the self-service portal to easily find their colleagues within the company directory, access their paystubs and request time off.

The software has numerous benefits, such as:

  • Customizable features
  • Robust benefits offerings
  • All-inclusive pricing
  • Integration with time-tracking and accounting solutions
  • Flexible customer support

Features

Here are some key features of OnPay:

Onboarding – With the onboarding feature, administrators can customize and send offer letters to new hires directly from the software, and they can also set up and track onboarding workflows. New hires can fill out and sign important paperwork like Forms I-9 and W-4 electronically, as well as set up their employee profiles. Once the paperwork is completed, OnPay automatically sends new-hire reporting data to the employer’s state.

Organizational charts – Each employee has their own profile within OnPay with their title, contact information and their role within the company hierarchy. They can also add a photo or some fun facts to their profiles. There’s a visual organizational chart that displays the reporting structure and can be organized by location, department or team. And there’s a searchable company directory so employees can easily find their colleagues’ contact information. Finally, any updates the employee makes to their profile are automatically added to the organizational chart.

Paid time off (PTO) management – Companies can set up custom PTO policies based on different criteria. Employees can track their PTO balance and send time-off requests to their manager. Once time off is approved, the hours are deducted from the employee’s PTO balance. Managers can see employees’ upcoming PTO days via a dashboard.

Full-service payroll – OnPay is available for all 50 states. Employers can process unlimited monthly payroll runs from any device by simply pulling in employee hours from their time-tracking software or by manual data entry. They can pay their W-2 employees and 1099 contractors within the same payroll run via direct deposit, printed checks or debit cards. The software supports custom pay items (e.g., cash tips, one-time bonus, garnishments), and employers can also set up multiple pay schedules or different pay rates for individual employees.

OnPay automatically withholds federal and state payroll taxes, including unemployment insurance, at each payroll run, pays those taxes directly, and files Forms 941 and 940 quarterly and annually.

Self-service – Employees can access the OnPay app to see their paystubs, update their banking information, review their withholding information, request time off and download their W-2 or 1099 forms. If an employee leaves the company, they’ll still have access to their paystubs or tax documents within OnPay.

Benefits management – OnPay’s in-house license brokers can help companies provide health care, life insurance and disability benefits to their employees. The brokers can pull employee census data from the employer’s OnPay account for insurance quotes. OnPay supports health and dental plans in all 50 states from Aetna, BlueCross BlueShield, Humana and other major providers.

In addition, the vendor offers integrated 401(k) plans via the Vestwell, Guideline or America’s Best 401(k) providers. It also handles workers’ compensation administration with pay-as-you-go policies.

COVID-19 compliance – Employers can stay in compliance with COVID-19 regulations via a dedicated dashboard, including tracking Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan forgiveness statuses and Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) emergency sick leave.

Document management – OnPay has document management features such as a HR resource library and built-in document templates. Administrators can create personnel checklists and track non-HR tasks. There’s also a direct messaging feature that lets employees and managers share notes, feedback and announcements.

Integration – OnPay integrates with several accounting and time and attendance software solutions, such as QuickBooks, Xero and When I Work. Once a payroll run is completed, the data automatically syncs to the general ledger within the client’s QuickBooks and Xero accounts.

Target Market

OnPay serves small businesses with up to 500 employees within the U.S. (and the accountants and bookkeepers who advise them).

It’s the only premium provider that’s flexible enough to handle the unique payroll taxes for any industry (e.g., agriculture, construction, restaurants, churches, nonprofits). The only types of payroll it can’t accommodate are household payroll (e.g., nannies, babysitters) or businesses in the cannabis industry.

We’ve listed 10 of OnPay’s customers below.

  • Montgomery Soccer Inc.
  • Oberon Falls
  • Allegheney Yukon Partners LLC
  • Gymlete Inc.
  • Growers Collective
  • British Swim School - Coral Springs
  • Promising Projects
  • Northern Colorado Therapy Services
  • ArtCloud
  • The Hazel Room

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Implementation/Integration

New clients can sign up for a 30-day free trial via OnPay’s website.

After a new client shares some basic information about its business, OnPay handles all the setup and account migration for free. It typically takes about a week for the onboarding team to enter a new client’s employee information and prior wages.

Customer Service & Support

OnPay offers phone, email, and live chat support Monday to Friday (9 a.m. – 8 p.m. EST), and clients have 24/7 access to a detailed knowledge base. Its highly-trained team also offers periodic trainings about product features and compliance issues.

Pricing

Once the 30-day free trial ends, OnPay has an all-inclusive pricing plan (e.g., features, onboarding, support) that costs $40 per month, plus $6 per person. Note that the client is billed for only the employees paid in a particular month.

Even though its pricing is all inclusive, OnPay has a few exceptions. First, it charges a small fee for printing and mailing W-2 and 1099 forms to employees (although clients can print and distribute those forms themselves for free). Also, OnPay charges a fee if the employer’s account has insufficient funds to cover a payroll run.

Clients are expected to pay the premiums for any benefits policies (e.g., retirement, health care) they choose, but OnPay doesn’t charge any service fees.

Shortcomings

On other user review sites, OnPay has received feedback about its lack of a mobile app.

However, the software has a modern responsive design that’s optimized for mobile web browsers. Since running payroll doesn’t require users to access any native mobile functionality (e.g., geolocation), the vendor feels it’s a better and more convenient experience to deliver OnPay only as a web-based app. OnPay has also never received customer feedback about lacking a mobile app, so it’s unlikely to add one.

Screenshots

OnPay Screenshot 1
OnPay Screenshot 2
OnPay Screenshot 3

About

OnPay grew out of a traditional payroll service that was in business for more than 30 years. It combined that experience with the latest technology to develop payroll software that’s fast, intuitive and designed to help small business owners do what they do best. And OnPay backs everything up with a staff of payroll experts who are passionate about clients’ success.

Fair pricing without hidden costs has always been one of the vendor’s hallmarks. While the software may have gotten more powerful over the years, its clients still get unlimited pay runs for hourly, salaried and tipped workers, and contractors for one low fee.

Headquartered in Atlanta, OnPay has received several accolades such as Forbes’ Best Overall Payroll Service for Small Business for 2023,  Motley Fool’s Ascent Top Payroll Software for Small Business for 2022 and The U.S. News & World Report‘s 2021 Top Payroll Software for Small Businesses.

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