Square Payroll Review

Pros

• Easy to use
• Good tax support
• Valid in 50 states
• 20+ integrations
• Good mobile app

Cons

• Customer service complaints
• Limited customization

What Is Square Payroll?

Square Payroll is full-service payroll software that includes payroll tax support, Square POS integration, employee self-service, and access to benefits through partner providers. Square is best for small to midsize businesses with straightforward payroll needs, especially those already using Square POS.

The pricing is competitive among payroll systems for similar employee numbers. However, larger businesses may find that Square lacks advanced payroll features that would accommodate complex payroll needs.

Square Payroll Pricing

Square Payroll is strong on pricing because it publishes transparent plan costs and offers a low-cost contractor-only plan. However, add-ons can increase the total cost.

Square Payroll has two different plans, depending on your type of employee and payroll needs.

Here’s a look at Square Payroll’s pricing:

There are no contracts with Square, so you can cancel your plan at any time. Check out Square Payroll’s pricing plans:

Square Payroll Pay Contractors Only

Square Payroll’s Pay Contractors Only plan costs $6/per person and includes:

• Unlimited payroll runs
• Pay contractors
• Direct deposit, checks, and Cash App payments
• Contractor’s seasonal inactivity status
• Square Payroll app
• Online accounts for team members
• Reporting
• Integrations
• US-based phone support

Square Payroll Pay Employees & Contractors

Square Payroll’s Pay Employees and Contractors plan costs $35/month + $6/employee and includes everything from the Pay Contractors Only plan, plus:

• Pay employees
• Multistate payroll
• Automated payroll
• Create, file, and mail W-2 forms
• Automated federal and state tax filing and payment
• Off-cycle payments
• Tip calculation and importing
• New hire reporting
• New hire payment calculation
• Post-tax deductions
• Garnishments
• Reimbursements
• PTO and sick leave

Extra Costs

Square’s add-on costs are on par with those you’d find with other payroll software solutions. Services, such as benefits administration, worker’s compensation insurance, and 401(k) retirement plans, are available for purchase at an additional cost.

Similar to many of its competitors, Square partners with major benefits providers to offer health insurance coverage and retirement accounts, respectively. As a result, benefits pricing is similar, if not identical, across most major payroll software platforms.

That said, Square’s pricing is one of its most attractive features. If your business needs more robust employee management and HR features, you may find better value elsewhere with software solutions that roll those costs into their monthly pricing rather than à la carte. However, if your business’s payroll needs are simple, the pricing (even with add-ons) is hard to beat.

Is Square Payroll Easy To Use?

Square Payroll is easy to use, especially for businesses already using Square POS or other Square tools. However, it has fewer integration options than some competitors and limited onboarding depth.

Square Payroll’s cloud-based platform boasts a well-organized UI that is easy to use and understand. Square does not handle the implementation process for you, but the setup is as easy as entering your business name, address, and tax information.

The software’s dashboard is easy to navigate, with all your options listed on the left-hand side of the screen. These include team management, tax forms, benefits information, payroll history, and an option to integrate your payroll data and send it directly to Intuit QuickBooks if you use that program.

However, if you plan on integrating your Square Payroll account with your QuickBooks Online or Desktop account, it may be worth checking out our QuickBooks Payroll review to compare it with Square’s payroll solution.

Square Payroll Features

Square Payroll offers a strong feature set for small businesses, including full-service payroll tax support, automated payroll, time tracking support, benefits add-ons, and Square POS integrations.

Square’s features cover the core tools most small businesses need to run payroll, including garnishments, direct deposit, tax support, deductions, PTO, and much more. Square’s payroll features are easy to access and understand, even if you have never run payroll before.

As a standalone product, Square’s features are somewhat basic compared to other payroll software options. However, Square Payroll’s integration with the other software and POS hardware within the Square ecosystem creates a connected suite of payroll, POS, team management, and time tracking tools.

Square Payroll Customer Service

Square Payroll offers several support options, including help articles, tutorials, chat, phone, and email support. However, customer feedback about payroll-specific support is mixed.

Live support is generally available Monday through Friday from 6 AM to 6 PM PT, though phone support availability may vary by subscription.

Here’s a deeper look at Square Payroll’s customer service options:

Unfortunately, Square Payroll users commonly complain about the software’s customer service. Some users report difficulty reaching payroll-specific support or getting complex payroll issues resolved quickly.

Square Payroll Integrations

Square Payroll integrates directly with other Square products, such as Square POS. Square Payroll works best when paired with other Square tools.

Square Payroll also integrates with several third-party accounting, time tracking, hiring, and team management tools. Notable Square integrations include QuickBooks, QuickBooks Time, Xero, Homebase, Deputy, and ZipRecruiter.

There are 20+ integrations available.

Square Payroll Reviews

Square Payroll generally receives positive customer reviews. The software earned an average 4.6/5 stars across hundreds of user reviews. Business owners with straightforward payroll needs often find that Square has the core features needed to run payroll easily.

Negative reviews and complaints cite challenges with finding a payroll expert and limited customization with the software.

Negative Square Payroll Reviews & Complaints

• Limited reporting
• Limited navigation/customization
• Not suitable for large businesses
• Hard to find a Square Payroll expert

Positive Square Payroll Reviews

• Easy to use
• Saves time
• Good contractor-only option
• Transparent pricing
• Tax support

Is Square Payroll Secure?

Square Payroll handles sensitive employee, payroll, and tax information, so security is an important consideration. Square Payroll includes several security and compliance features, though Square could provide more detail about its payroll-specific security tools and protocols.

• IRS-certified reporting agent
• Privacy and security standards, including PCI compliance and HIPAA-related safeguards
• Transaction encryption

The Final Verdict: Is Square Payroll Worth It?

Square Payroll is a strong option for small businesses that already use Square. Its pricing is transparent, setup is straightforward, and payroll integrates naturally with Square’s broader ecosystem.

Square Payroll is best for businesses with straightforward payroll needs, especially restaurants, retailers, service businesses, and contractors already using Square tools. However, it may not be the best fit for larger businesses or companies that need advanced HR, deep reporting, or highly customizable payroll workflows.

If you’re not already using Square, compare other options, starting with our Gusto review and Paychex review.