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Paychex Flex Review

Review Updated
Dana George
By: Dana George
Dana George
Dana George
Writer

Dana George has a BA in Management and Organization Development from Spring Arbor University. For more than 25 years, she has written and reported on business and finance, and she's still passionate about her work. Dana and her husband recently moved to Champaign, Illinois, home of the Fighting Illini. And though she finds the color orange unflattering on most people, she thinks they'll enjoy Champaign tremendously.

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You're sinking everything you have into your small business and have big dreams about what it will someday become. Paychex Flex is a payroll application that promises to grow alongside your enterprise. Here, we dive into what makes Paychex Flex unique and whether it can deliver on its promises.

Ratings Methodology
Paychex Flex
Learn More for Paychex Flex
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4.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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Bottom Line: Paychex Flex may be a good fit for businesses needing a full-bodied payroll system that can expand as the company grows. With three plans to choose from, you can customize the solution for you.

Pricing:

Plans start at $39/month, with a $5 fee per employee. Your price will depend on the features you're looking for, the number of employees your company employs, where your business is located, and other factors. The company suggests requesting a quote directly through its website.

  • Ease Of use
    Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
    4.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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    Support
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    4.50/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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    Pricing
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    3.50/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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    Features
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    4.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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    • Scalable to grow along with your business
    • Assists you in switching over from your current payroll provider
    • Outstanding mobile app
    • Each of the three plans offers payroll tax administration
    • Employees can log in to view pay and tax information and stay informed
    • 24/7 support available
    • Occasional glitches reported as employees attempt to clock in
    • Only the top two plans offer garnishment payment services
    • May be expensive for a small business

Who is Paychex Flex for?

Paychex Flex is designed for small businesses seeking an easy-to-use payroll platform with robust features normally reserved for larger companies. As both a payroll and human resource platform, Paychex Flex is involved with everything, from recordkeeping to benefits administration. Equally impressive, its excellent mobile app makes it easy for employers and employees to conduct business on the go.

With more than 740,000 customers, Paychex Flex is a popular option among small businesses of all kinds.

Paychex Flex product features

It's the wide range of features that helps Paychex Flex stand out from the crowd. Here are some of the most useful.

Mobile app

Paychex Flex's mobile app is one of the most popular features the payroll application has to offer. You can access employee records to view everything from employee benefits to your last payroll. Employees can use the mobile app to punch in and out, request time off, transfer between assignments, or view schedules. In short, everyone has access to a host of information without ever having to visit a payroll department or human resources.

Paychex Flex

Multiple pay options

All three of the Paychex Flex plans offer free direct deposit for employee paychecks. However, you also have the option to pay employees with a pay card. In short, you can pick the payment method that best suits your business and employees.

Paychex Flex

Payroll tax administration

Calculating, filing, and paying payroll taxes can be a chore. All Paychex Flex plans offer complete payroll tax administration. You can rest easy knowing that federal, state, and local payroll taxes will be accurately calculated and filed on your behalf.

Paychex Flex

Employee self-service portal

Giving employees easy access to the self-service portal saves you time and gives your employees a much-needed sense of autonomy. Rather than go to the payroll or human resources department to find the information they need, they can bring it up on their mobile app or the website. Through the self-service portal, employees can find their tax documents, manage their vacation time, and even swap shifts with co-workers.

Paychex Flex

Streamlined onboarding process

Onboarding a new employee can be time-consuming and, frankly, boring for everyone involved. The Paychex Flex onboarding layout gets new employees started by allowing them to fill out new-hire paperwork, including Form W-4 and a confidentiality agreement (if your business requires employees to sign such an agreement). It's through onboarding that new employees are also introduced to company policies, such as sexual harassment and paid sick leave. The goal is to ensure a smooth transition into the new employee's first day of work.

Paychex Flex

Reporting and analytics

Paychex Flex gives you access to more than 160 standard reports and allows you to investigate specific issues with multiple date and filter options. Together, these reports give you the tools you need to convert raw data into real-life insights you can act on.

Paychex Flex

Paychex Flex ease of use

One selling point for Paychex Flex is its ease of use. The self-guided program has a simple interface that allows users to perform key functions with a few clicks. That means tasks like updating benefits or adding a new employee take little effort. What's more, Paychex Flex easily integrates with existing business applications.

Paychex Flex pricing

Paychex Flex plans start at $39/month, and a $5 fee per employee is assessed. Ultimately, the price you pay depends on factors such as the features you're looking for, the number of people you employ, and where your business is located. Because pricing is so individualized, the company suggests requesting a quote directly through its website.

This table will give you an idea of what each plan offers and possibly help you narrow down which plan you'd be most interested in.

Paychex Flex

Pros

Scalable to grow along with your business

If you have only one or two employees, there's no reason to pay for the same application you will someday need when you have 10 times as many. Starting small not only allows you to save money, but also gives you time to learn the ins and outs of the payroll application.

Assists you in switching over from your current payroll provider

If you already have a payroll system in place, it may be exhausting to think about all the work involved in switching over to a new system. Fortunately, Paychex Flex will help you collect any necessary information and process your first few payroll runs for a smooth transition.

Outstanding mobile app

The Paychex Flex mobile app is a real star, with excellent ratings provided by iOS and Android users alike.

Cons

Occasional glitches reported as employees attempt to clock in

Online reviewers share that they sometimes find clock-in attempts troublesome. While this may be an issue Paychex is working on, it's worth looking out for.

Only the top two plans offer garnishment payment services

Garnishing an employee's wages due to a court order takes extra time and attention. Unfortunately, garnishment services are only included in Pro and Enterprise plans, although Select plan users can pay extra for the service.

May be expensive for a small business

Depending on how many bells and whistles you're looking for, the final annual cost of Paychex Flex may drain more money from your business bank account than you would like.

Is Paychex Flex the solution for your small business?

Paychex Flex could be a great right payroll application for your business. All four pricing plans offer easy online payroll preparation, free direct deposit, and complete payroll tax administration.

There is also a long list of add-on options available for businesses to choose from, and support options are solid. However, Paychex Flex's a-la-carte menu can become very expensive very quickly, so smaller businesses with tighter budgets may want to look at a more inclusive application.

How Paychex Flex Compares

Online access Direct deposit Prepares federal tax forms Employee access to payroll documents
Paychex Flex Yes Yes Yes Yes
Gusto Yes Yes Yes Yes
QuickBooks Payroll Yes Yes Yes Yes
OnPay Yes Yes Yes Yes
Payroll Mate Yes Yes

FAQs

  • Yes, all Paychex Flex plans include complete calculation, filing, and tax remittance service.

  • Yes. Paychex Flex offers payroll services for all 50 states.

  • Paychex Flex's mobile app is one of the best to be found in payroll applications, allowing you to enter payroll information and review and run payroll directly from your smartphone.