Square Payroll Review
If you already use Square POS, then Square Payroll is an easy and perfect next step. However, it may not be suitable for all businesses.
Square Payroll
Total Rating | 4.1 |
---|---|
Pricing3.5 | |
Ease Of Use3.9 | |
Features4.6 | |
Customer Service3.7 | |
User Reviews4.4 |
Payroll Processing Time
Same-day to four-dayPricing
$6/contractor or $35/month +$6/employee paidBusiness Size
Any business paying 1+ workersSquare Payroll At A Glance
- Square Payroll is cloud-based software offering full-service payroll tools, including garnishments, direct deposit, a mobile app, benefits, PTO, and tax support.
- For businesses already using Square POS, integrating Square’s payroll system is simple and quick and a logical choice for streamlining your sales, payroll, and timecards.
- Square Payroll’s ease of use and pricing compared to similar software makes the software best suited for small to mid-sized businesses.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Good tax support
- Valid in all 50 states
- Direct deposit
- Numerous integrations
- Good mobile app
Cons
- No demo available
- Customer service complaints
Table of Contents
What Is Square Payroll?
Square payroll is full-service payroll processing software that includes benefits administration, tax support, a Square point of sale (POS) integration, and much more. Square is best for small to mid-sized businesses, 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
Pricing3.5 |
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Software Plans 4.4 |
Pricing Transparency 5.0 |
Pricing Customization 3.0 |
Square Payroll’s 3.5/5 star rating in the pricing category is one of the higher scores compared to other payroll software. Square’s score came down to its affordability and pricing transparency. Ultimately, Square Payroll is a cheap payroll software with potentially costly add-ons.
Square Payroll has two different plans, depending on your type of employee and payroll needs.
Here’s a look at Square Payroll’s pricing:
Square Payroll Plans | Price | When To Use |
---|---|---|
Pay Contractors Only | $6/contractor | If your business needs affordable payroll for contractors |
Pay Employees & Contractors | $35/month + $6/employee paid | If your business needs affordable, basic payroll for both employees and contractors |
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/employee per month and includes:
- Unlimited payroll runs
- Pay contractors
- Direct deposit, checks, and Cash App payments
- Contractor ‘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 Payroll Extra Costs | Price |
---|---|
Health Benefits | Starting at $190/month |
401(k) Retirement Plan | $49/month + $8/employee |
Worker's Compensation | Variable |
Pre-Tax Spending Account | Variable |
HR Support (Bambee) | Starting at $199/month |
Square Team Plus | $35/location |
Square Shifts Plus | $2.50-$4.00/ employee per month |
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, such as SimplyInsured and Guideline, 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?
Ease Of Use3.9 |
---|
Set Up 3.9 |
Software Reliability 5.0 |
Everyday Use 5.0 |
Integrations 2.9 |
With a 3.9/5 rating in the category, Square Payroll is easy to use, but could do with more integration options, an API, and stronger new-hire onboarding features.
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
Features4.6 |
---|
Payroll Processing 5.0 |
Employee Management & PTO 5.0 |
Time Tracking 3.8 |
Payroll Tax Support 4.5 |
Reporting & Tax Forms 5.0 |
Onboarding & HR 4.3 |
Benefits Administration 4.3 |
Niche Features 3.0 |
Square Payroll rated an excellent 4.6/5 star rating in the features category by offering essential payroll features, plus some advanced options such as HR resources, time tracking support, full-service payroll tax support, and benefits administration.
Square’s features encompass everything you’ll need to run payroll for your business, 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 makes for an impressive suite of tools working seamlessly with one another.
Square Payroll Customer Service
Customer Service3.7 |
---|
Personal Support 3.1 |
Self-Service 4.2 |
Square Payroll’s 3.7/5 star rating in the customer service category was driven down by its low customer reviews, limited support hours, lack of personalized training, and limited selection of in-depth tutorial videos.
However, Square Payroll offers many support options and helpful video tutorials. Real human support is available Monday through Friday from 6 AM-6 PM (PST).
Here’s a deeper look at Square Payroll’s customer service options:
Square Payroll Support | Availability |
---|---|
Phone Support | |
Email Support | |
Support Tickets | |
Live Chat | |
Dedicated Support Representative | |
Knowledge Base or Help Center | |
Videos & Tutorials | |
Company Blog | |
Social Media |
Unfortunately, Square Payroll users commonly complain about the software’s customer service. Users are unhappy with the lack of payroll knowledge their call center representatives had and that it takes a while to get in touch with someone who can actually solve the problem.
Square Payroll Integrations
Square Payroll integrates directly with other Square products, such as Square POS. While Square Payroll will work best and have peak functionality if you’re using other Square applications, programs outside the Square brand integrate well with Square.
Square offers a robust selection of accounting integrations, but could do with more HR and time and attendance software integrations. Notable Square integrations include QuickBooks, QuickBooks Time, Xero, Homebase, Deputy, and ZipRecruiter.
Square Payroll Reviews
User Reviews4.4 |
---|
Customer Feedback 4.0 |
Review Site Aggregate 4.6 |
Square Payroll earned a solid 4.4/5 star rating in the user review categories, a score that was drawn entirely from the software’s generally positive user reception.
Overall, people are happy with Square. The software receives high praise and is a popular choice. The software earned an average 4.6/5 stars across hundreds of user reviews. Business owners who need a simple and streamlined service find that Square has all the necessary features 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
- Stifled navigation
- Not suitable for large businesses
- Hard to find a Square Payroll expert
Positive Square Payroll Reviews
- Easy to use
- Saves time
- Best for contractors
- Transparent pricing
- Tax support
Is Square Payroll Secure?
Security matters when it comes to financial matters and the personal information Square holds on its site. While Square does have some solid security features, it could be more transparent about the security tools and protocols it uses to protect customer data.
- IRS certification
- HIPAA compliance
- PCI compliance
- Transaction encryption
The Final Verdict: Is Square Payroll Worth It?
Square Payroll Review Summary | |
---|---|
Pricing | $6/contractor or $35/month + $6/employee paid |
Choose If You Need |
|
If you have a Square POS and timekeeping system already in use for your company, then Square Payroll is an easy and perfect next step. It was made for people already happy with their Square system — it will integrate perfectly, and you deserve a nice pat on the back for all your hard work.
The price is competitive and has no hidden fees. Square makes it easy for your employees to fill out their information online and streamline the onboarding process.
Square doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles, but it has exactly what you need to be compliant and stay on top of payroll. It’s on par with the other cloud-based systems for small-medium businesses.
If you are not already embedded with the Square brand, you can take a look at competitor options by reading our Gusto review and Paychex review.
Payroll Software Review Methodology
We research, evaluate, and test each payroll software app that we review at Merchant Maverick, placing special emphasis on key characteristics to generate granular ratings.
Our exhaustive, 76-point rubric guides the star rating of each payroll provider we review, examining pricing, ease of use, features, customer service, and user reviews. Each section is weighted differently.
- Pricing (10% of the overall rating)
- Ease of Use (20% of the overall rating)
- Features (40% of the overall rating)
- Customer Service (20% of the overall rating)
- User Reviews (10% of the overall rating)
When rating payroll software, we are looking for very specific qualities. The speed and cost of payroll runs and the availability of tax filing services are given high weight, as are the quality and availability of accounting, time-tracking, HR integrations, and user onboarding services. We also look for the presence of client and employee portals, benefits administration, PTO and time management tools, and many more vital features.
Learn more about how we rate payroll software providers.
The Merchant Maverick Seal of Approval 🏆
Square Payroll |
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After hours of in-depth research and evaluation, we can confidently recommend this brand to our readers. Get started today and see Square Payroll for yourself.
The Merchant Maverick Seal of Approval 🏆
Square Payroll |
---|
After hours of in-depth research and evaluation, we can confidently recommend this brand to our readers. Get started today and see Square Payroll for yourself.