SurePayroll review

SurePayroll is a US-based online payroll service for small businesses. It provides full-service payroll, tax support, employee benefits management and a range of HR tools.

This guide examines the services SurePayroll offers, its pricing, and its pros and cons to help you decide whether SurePayroll is right for your business.

About SurePayroll

Established in 2000, SurePayroll offers online payroll and tax filing services for small businesses across the United States. Headquartered in Glenview, Illinois, the provider was acquired by Paychex in 2011.

How does SurePayroll work?

To get started with SurePayroll, you'll need to apply for a free quote on the provider's website. If the quote and features on offer are to your liking, you can then enroll with SurePayroll.

The platform features a sign-up wizard to guide you through this setup process.

You'll need to provide a wide range of information to open your account, including:

• Your name and contact details
• Your company's name, type and EIN
• Your company bank account details
• Your payroll schedule
• Details of your payroll history (if you've previously paid any employees in the current year)

Then you can start adding your employees to the platform, including providing their contact details, pay rate, tax information and specifying what information each employee will be able to access (such as their pay stubs and their accrued time off).

You can also arrange benefits for your employees, such as health insurance, 401(k) plans and workers' compensation.

What features does SurePayroll offer?

SurePayroll offers the following features and services for small businesses:

• Payroll. SurePayroll's full-service offering includes the ability to run unlimited payrolls, two-day payroll processing, tax filing and payment, and the filing of quarterly and year-end reports. Customer service is available six days a week when you need assistance.
• Additional payroll tools. SurePayroll also provides a range of resources to help businesses manage their payroll more effectively, including information on state laws, payroll and tax calculators, and a glossary of key terms.
• Integrations. SurePayroll can sync with a number of other accounting and timekeeping software providers, including QuickBooks Online and Xero.
  401(k) plans. The range of retirement plans on offer includes traditional, safe-harbor and Solo(k) plans. Plan deductions can then be integrated into your payroll for easy management.
• Health insurance. Through its partnership with Paychex Insurance Agency, SurePayroll can help you find health insurance plans designed to suit businesses of different sizes.
• Workers' compensation. SurePayroll also relies on its partnership with Paychex Insurance Agency to allow you to integrate pay-as-you-go workers' compensation insurance. Premiums are calculated based on your payroll numbers and automatically deducted. Other types of cover, including general liability and commercial auto insurance, are also available.
• Employee screening. SurePayroll also offers pre-employment screening services including background checks, skills testing, drug screening and more.

How much does SurePayroll cost?

SurePayroll doesn't provide pricing information on its website. To find out how much it'll cost for your business, you can apply for an online quote by providing:

• The type of business you run
• Your name
• Your email address
• Your phone number

You can then compare the cost of SurePayroll to other online payroll platforms.

Pros and cons

Pros

• One-month free trial
• Offers everything you need for payroll processing and filing payroll taxes
• Can be easily tailored to suit the needs of your business
• Handy wizard to guide you through the setup process
• Online and mobile access available
• Customer support available in evenings and on weekends (US time)

Cons

• Pricing info not provided upfront — you'll need to request a quote
• Site design not as easy on the eye as some other platforms
• Android app has mixed reviews from employers and employees

Is SurePayroll right for me?

SurePayroll offers a comprehensive payroll processing solution for small businesses. It was also established in the year 2000, so it's been around a lot longer than some of its competitors.

However, whether or not it's right for you will depend on factors like pricing, user-friendliness and personal preferences. If you like the range of features and the cost of SurePayroll, you may want to sign up for a free trial to see whether the platform will be easy to use on a day-to-day basis.

Alternatives to SurePayroll

QuickBooks Payroll

Designed to help any business manage payroll more efficiently.

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Square Payroll

Square offers simple ways for businesses to integrate payroll, along with a range of other services including accepting card payments.

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Bottom line

SurePayroll is a well-established platform and a major player in the world of payroll. However, it also faces stiff competition from a number of other providers. All offer a wide range of payroll and HR services, so compare the leading contenders to find the most user-friendly and cost-effective option for your business.