GetPayroll is excited to announce a new Same Day Payroll feature designed with small businesses in mind. With this capability, you can process payroll and have employees’ direct deposits hit their bank accounts on the same day – no more waiting one or two days for paychecks. In today’s fast-moving world, paying your team quickly can boost satisfaction and give your business an edge. Same-day payroll leverages the banking ACH network’s Same Day ACH service, which can send funds within hours on any business day. In other words, when you run payroll through GetPayroll on payday, your employees can receive their wages by direct deposit that very same day

What is Same Day Payroll?

Same Day Payroll is simply the ability to process a payroll run and have funds delivered to employee bank accounts on the same business day you submit the payroll. Traditionally, ACH direct deposits take 1–2 business days: employers submit payroll in advance, and banks disburse funds on the scheduled payday. With Same Day Payroll, GetPayroll uses the ACH Network’s accelerated Same Day ACH processing. This means if you finalize and submit payroll before the daily cutoff (which is typically in the early morning hours), the payments travel through the ACH system and arrive in each employee’s bank account on that day.

Benefits of Same Day Payroll

  • Increased Employee Satisfaction: Employees truly appreciate getting paid promptly. With Same Day Payroll, your team never has to wait extra days for their wages, which improves morale and loyalty. Being paid immediately can reduce financial stress; by contrast, delayed paychecks have been shown to hurt trust and productivity. In essence, paying on time (or faster than usual) sends a message that you value your employees’ work, which fosters loyalty and can even reduce turnover.
  • Improved Cash Flow Management: Paying your team on the same day you process payroll means you hold onto your cash longer. In practice, you only move funds at the last responsible moment, which can ease short-term cash crunches. As one expert notes, same-day processing can “alleviate financial strain” and help businesses navigate tight cash flow situations. Moreover, because payroll is often a business’s largest expense, being able to wait until the day it’s due helps with budgeting and financial planning. In other words, you optimize cash on hand by delaying payment just enough, yet still honor your payday commitments.
  • Competitive Advantage: Offering same-day pay makes your company stand out when recruiting and retaining talent. In tight labor markets, unique perks like faster pay can attract job candidates and keep current employees satisfied. As one industry guide explains, businesses that pay on the same day can “distinguish a business from its competitors” and appear more responsive and caring to workers. This is especially true for younger, hourly, or gig workers who expect immediacy – providing fast pay may give you an edge over businesses that stick to slower payroll timelines.
  • Great for Hourly and On-Demand Workers: Same-day payroll is a big win for hourly staff, contractors, or gig workers who often live paycheck-to-paycheck. These workers “really need their money when they earn it” and can have funds deposited within hours when same-day payroll is used. This means your employees don’t have to scramble for emergency cash or wait weeks for a regular payday. By paying immediately after work, you support your team’s financial well-being and help them focus on their jobs instead of financial worries.

Best Practices for Same Day Payroll

To make the most of Same Day Payroll and avoid hiccups, follow these best practices:

  • Submit Payroll Before the Wire Cutoff: Every bank has a wire cutoff (often early in the business day) after which transactions are held until the next day. GetPayroll requires you to finalize and submit your payroll including sending the wire transfer before 12:00 PM EST. If payroll arrives after the cutoff, funds will not post until the next business day.
  • Ensure Direct Deposit is Set Up for All Employees: Same-day payments only work via electronic transfer. Before you try running same-day payroll, confirm that every employee has a valid bank account on file for direct deposit. Have employees enroll in direct deposit and double-check routing and account numbers for accuracy. Missing or incorrect bank details will delay payment, defeating the purpose.
  • Plan for Bank Holidays and Weekends: Remember that Same Day Payroll only works on business days. Banks do not process ACH or wire transactions on weekends or federal holidays. If your planned payday falls on a non-banking day, you’ll need to adjust. For example, either run payroll on the last banking day before a holiday/weekend or set the pay date to the next business day. GetPayroll will not process ACH or wire transactions on weekends/holidays. Please check your payroll calendar and plan accordingly.
  • Communicate Pay Schedules with Your Team: Let your employees know when paydays and payroll cutoffs occur. Encourage hourly staff to submit timesheets and reports well before cutoff. Clear communication ensures that everyone’s hours are accounted for in time. Giving yourself a small buffer between timesheet deadlines and the cutoff helps you catch any errors or missing information.
  • Confirm Bank’s Same-Day ACH Capability:Most U.S. banks and credit unions participate in Same Day ACH and can receive same-day payroll transfers. However, it’s wise to verify that your business’s bank account is enabled for same-day ACH. Sometimes a new account or a small local bank may need an explicit ACH agreement. If your bank does not support same-day ACH, you might have to use an alternate method (like a wire transfer, though that can be costly) or notify GetPayroll support for guidance

How to Activate Same Day Payroll on GetPayroll

Getting started with Same Day Payroll on GetPayroll is straightforward:

  1. Verify Employee Accounts: As mentioned, make sure each employee’s direct deposit information is entered and verified in GetPayroll. Encourage any unpaid employees to enroll in direct deposit through the employee portal so they can receive same day pay.
  2. Running a Same Day Payroll: Notify GetPayroll that you would like to process a same day payroll. You will submit the payroll as normal; we will process it and provide you with the total payroll amount that needs to be wired along with the wire instructions. Once the wire has been received, we will submit the ACH file for immediate processing. There are additional fees to process a same day payroll, and they are as follows: $50 wire fee plus $3 per transaction. Also, no single deposit can exceed $100,000
  3. Submit Before Cutoff: On your scheduled payday, finalize and submit the payroll run by GetPayroll’s same-day cutoff time (12:00 PM EST). You will be prompted to confirm; do so only if your bank funds are in place.
  4. Confirmation and Funding: Once the wire has been confirmed, GetPayroll will transmit the payroll file via the ACH network. Employees who bank with institutions that are a part of the FedNow system will receive funds within an hour. For institutions that do not participate in FedNow, employees should see funds by the end of the business or next business day.
  5. Monitor and Follow Up: Check your GetPayroll account for any alerts. If any transfers were returned or failed (e.g. due to bad account info), GetPayroll will notify you. Correct issues and, if needed, initiate a manual fix. Otherwise, enjoy knowing your team has been paid quickly!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

  • How fast do employees get paid?
    When you run a same-day payroll, funds are sent through the federal reserve system and typically arrive within hours of submission for banking institutions that participate in the FedNow system. Employees that bank with institutions that are not a part of the FedNow system will see the funds in their accounts by the end of the business day. This is much faster than standard ACH (which takes 2 days). In short, submit the payroll in the morning and your team gets paid that same afternoon or evening.
  • Who is eligible for Same Day Payroll?
    Any small business with GetPayroll’s payroll service that has enabled the Same Day Payroll feature can use it. It requires an active GetPayroll payroll subscription with direct deposit enabled. If you have been running payroll (at least a few times) and are in good standing (no recent NSF issues), you should be able to activate it. (Check your account or ask your GetPayroll rep to confirm your eligibility and to turn on the feature for your organization.)
  • Are there any extra fees?
    Same-day payroll involves a nominal fee. Keep in mind that any fee is often offset by the benefits of flexibility and employee satisfaction. Regardless, you should know about any fees before using the feature. Same day payroll fees are in addition to the normal payroll fee and are a $50 wire fee plus $3 per transaction.
  • Which banks or accounts work with Same Day Payroll?
    As more and more banking institutions are joining the FedNow system, same day payroll is available to almost everyone. In other words, almost any standard checking or savings account can receive a same-day direct deposit. There are rare cases of very small or specialized institutions that might not process ACH transfers quickly, but this is uncommon.
  • What happens if I miss the cutoff or run payroll late?
    If you finalize payroll after the required cutoff time, the ACH file will typically not be sent until the next business day. In that case, employees would receive payment on the following business day (i.e. it becomes a next-day direct deposit instead). Similarly, payrolls scheduled on weekends or federal holidays will defer to the next business day (banks don’t process ACH on non-business days). So, plan to run the payroll early and on a normal business day to ensure same-day delivery.
  • Can I still run payroll if an employee is terminated or leaves?
    Yes. In fact, Same Day Payroll is very useful for final paychecks. Many states require final wages to be paid quickly, sometimes on the same day an employee leaves. Using same-day payroll ensures compliance with these laws. Just be sure to mark the employee as terminated in GetPayroll before the payroll run so their final check is processed correctly.
  • Is Same Day Payroll available for all pay frequencies?
    Same Day Payroll can be used with any standard pay schedule (weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, etc.) as long as you process the payroll on the chosen pay date. The key is submitting by the cutoff on that day. (However, note that if you pay on a weekend, it effectively has to be processed on Friday to be same-day.) The feature is not limited by how often you pay, so you can use it as needed for any cycle.

Ready to Get Started?

Same Day Payroll is now part of GetPayroll’s toolkit for small businesses. By adopting faster payroll processing, you’ll make your employees happier and give your company a competitive edge – all while keeping better control over your cash flow. Contact your GetPayroll account representative or email us at info@getpayroll.com to enable Same Day Payroll on your account. We’ll help you set it up and answer any questions.

Don’t wait – empower your business with Same Day Payroll today and experience the difference of paying your team faster!