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#6

Paychex Flex is ranked #6 in the Payroll Software product directory based on the latest available data collected by SelectHub. Compare the leaders with our In-Depth Report.

Paychex Flex Pricing

Based on our most recent analysis, Paychex Flex pricing starts at $39 (Monthly).

Price
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Starting From
$39
Pricing Model
Monthly
Free Trial
Yes, Request for Free

Training Resources

Paychex Flex is supported with the following types of training:

Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars

Support

The following support services are available for Paychex Flex:

Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Help Desk
Knowledge Base
Tickets
Training
24/7 Live Support

Paychex Flex Benefits and Insights

Why use Paychex Flex?

Key differentiators & advantages of Paychex Flex

  • Better Organization: Centralize important files and payroll data in one centralized location, making it easier to access. Assign user roles through administration; organizations control the dissemination of sensitive data.
  • Greater Accuracy: Run auto calculations for taxes and direct deposit and sync the general ledger making it easy to plug the information into an integrated accounting program. Creates a streamlined, easy way to manage all of the relevant data.
  • Increased Efficiency: Save time and work by decreasing the amount of manually input data. Record attendance within the application, making payment more straightforward. Auto-calculate local, state and federal taxes saving tons of manpower and time.
  • Better Scalability: Grow the platform as the company experiences exponential growth. Go from workplaces with as few as two employees to workforces that number in the thousands. Each level comes with more functionality and increased administrative and HR control over the processes.
  • More Open Communication: Use notifications, mass emails and electronic bulletin boards to promote an easy flow of information. Communicate enrollment reminders, announcements or company news seamlessly. Ensure employees, managers, executives, contractors, remote workers and other employees are all on the same page.

Industry Expertise

Paychex received many accolades in the industry over the years. The awards include a Stevie Award for Excellence in Customer Service, BIG Innovation Award, Brandon Hall Group award and many more. Ethisphere named it as one of the world’s most ethical companies in 2019. Many publications have recognized the company. It was seen in the HRExamine 2020 Watch List for AI, Selling Power’s “50 Best Companies to Sell For,” the World's Most Innovative Companies by Forbes, the Best HR Outsourcing Solution for Small Business from Inc. and is a Fortune Future 50 company.

Paychex Flex Reviews

Average customer reviews & user sentiment summary for Paychex Flex:

User satisfaction level icon: great

2205 reviews

83%

of users would recommend this product

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Based on an aggregate of Paychex Flex reviews taken from the sources above, the following pros & cons have been curated by a SelectHub Market Analyst.

Pros

  • User-Friendly: Just under 50% of reviews said the user experience was good and the interface worked well.
  • Good Support: Around 40% had good interactions with customer service and were happy with their level of care.
  • Proper Functionality: One-third of reviewers felt that the system was fully equipped with the tools they needed and especially liked the efficient payroll processing, benefits management, the transparency employees had on their payments and the PTO features.
  • Value for Price: Around 20% of reviews felt happy with the price and said it was well worth it.

Cons

  • Issues with Features: Just under 40% of reviewers felt the features were lacking. The biggest concerns were that the UI was difficult to learn initially and the reporting wasn’t sophisticated enough.
  • Time and Attendance Systems: Over 20% of users had problems with the punching system or the biometric clocks.
  • Poor Customer Service: While users felt that the customer service was helpful overall, they noted a high rate of turnover with their reps which often led to gaps in service.

Researcher's Summary:

Paychex Flex is a solid payroll processing system best liked for its ease of use, positive customer service interactions, fair price and useful functionality. However, it comes with several drawbacks as well. While it’s easy to use, the onboarding takes time and can be initially frustrating. The customer service is good but the high turnover with representatives can be trying. A small but significant percentage had problems with the time and attendance features, either having issues with their punches not being registered or issues with the physical biometric clocks. Overall, it seems best for small and medium businesses looking to automate their payroll. Any organization with multiple types of workers, complex pay rules or many different kinds of income to report should be sure to demo the system carefully and may want to find a more complex option.

Key Features

  • Online Payroll: Handle payroll management. Automatically calculate taxes, payments and files. View critical data, including the cash required for upcoming paydays. Use safeguards such as notifications to prevent errors. Employees can access direct deposit and pay stub information directly. Last, administrators can access documentation and records like cash requirements, the payroll journal and tax deposit notices.
  • Tax Administration: Calculate taxes, add hours to each pay period, file returns and set up direct deposit.
  • Mobile: Access information on W-2s, direct deposit and other important information. For organizations that want to use the solution’s attendance functionality, workers can easily punch in and out on the app. Run it on smartphones and tablets with iOS or Android. It requires iOS 12.0 or higher and an Android OS of 7.0 or higher to run.
  • Reporting: Comes with over 160 dashboards and reports. Access reporting for payroll journals, department summaries, notices of tax deposits and cash requirements. For businesses looking for more robust options, look into the workforce management options.
  • Multiple Versions: Choose from a variety of purchase options to select the option that best meets business needs. The packages include:
    • Small Business Payroll: Use for businesses with under 50 workers. Use payment processing and access to the mobile app. Calculate state, federal and local taxes. Finish onboarding, complete forms, edit personal info and see compensation data. Provide direct deposit, pay cards and paper check for payment options. For businesses with multiple worker types, offer payment hourly, by salary or by contract. Provide help with labor compliance, garnishment payments, new hire reporting and over 160 reports for analytics.
    • Mid-Sized Business Payroll: Use for businesses with 10 to 49 employees. Handle applicant tracking, attendance, recruiting, onboarding, hiring, health benefits, retirement, health insurance and other similar administrative tasks. Expand the platform HR capabilities by including HR record management, an events calendar and reporting and analytics for the department.
    • Enterprise Payroll Management: Use for 50 to over 1,000 workers. Provide more robust HR abilities in addition to compensation management. Works for hiring, recruiting, training, compliance, handling offboarding, applicant tracking, time and attendance, health benefits, HR record management, an events calendar, retirement and expanded HR analytics.
  • Benefits: Complete the benefits management process. Run enrollment and analyze data. Manage group health insurance, retirement, section 125 plans, FSAs, POPs, retirement and more. Update information in real time and change benefit data easily. Give employers more control over invoices, benefit costs and bill reconciliations. Work with financial advisers and educate staff about the retirement plan offerings.
  • Compliance: Keep up with new tax laws and determine the status of essential laws like the Affordable Care Act.
  • Workplace Analytics: Analyze data and create a staff and workforce strategy. Create reports for analytics, HR, payroll and benefits. Generate customized reports for more detail. Provide accountants, financial advisors or bookkeepers with the access they need. Access the quick answers function, giving info on total earnings, net pay, tax liability and hours without pulling a full report. View live reporting to see information as it happens. Export information in various file types, including CSV, fixed-width, PDF and XLS. Send data to third-party software where users can add fields, adjust formatting or even build graphs.
  • Time and Attendance: Provide several options for tracking time and clocking in and out. It integrates with other solutions to track labor costs.
    • Time Kiosk: Allow employers to turn a tablet into a time clock where employees can punch in and out, do job transfer and register lunches and breaks.
    • TrueShift: Offer a time clock that has automated tracking and reporting, making it easy to import to payroll. Use biometric technology to prevent buddy punching. Track up to 500 workers per clock and connect to up to 32 other clocks. Punch in via web or mobile and use a backup camera to verify punches and keep compliant. It can track overtime pay and other wage requirements. Print and email timecard reports and clock in or out with a fingerprint, proximity badge, web punch or PIN entry.
    • InVision Iris Recognition Time Clock: Use iris recognition to ensure employees are working. Integrate with the rest of the HR and time and attendance. Prevent rework and cut down on errors. It works with contacts, goggles, glasses and face masks up to 15 inches away. Track up to 50,000 workers. Unlike a retinal scanner, it doesn’t store images. Instead, encrypt templates to guarantee privacy.
  • Online Learning: Use the built-in learning system. Provide eight free courses to users and customize/build current training, classes, quizzes and videos. Promote skill acquisition, up-skilling and career development. Run classes for on and offsite students. Use the calendar to schedule an in-person training, track transcripts and create content. Access the additional content libraries for purchase and provide surveys so employers can get feedback. Subjects include business, HR compliance, leadership, management, sales, software and workplace safety.
  • Payment Options: Gives options for paying employees, including same-day ACH capability, direct deposit, paper checks and pay cards.
  • Accounting: Manage payment and HR data with the accounting-specific dashboard. Access a library of resources, including tax forms and CPE courses. Import files through the general ledger service and post payroll data through the enterprise solution. Integrate with Sage Intacct, QuickBooks and Xero. Upload or download many files for one or multiple companies from one location.
  • Workers Compensation: Handle workers’ compensation covering medical expenses and lost wages while still ensuring stable cash flow. Provide insurance plans from A-rated national carriers.
  • Onboarding: Give new employees paperwork to fill out online. Customize the experience with personalized messages, welcome videos or other information about the company culture.
  • Payroll Protection: Let managers extend funds from a bank account for up to seven days without services being interrupted or charges for insufficient funds. Process two same-day ACH requests for a last-minute payroll, correcting pay or adding an employee. Help build business credit, deal with fraud, gain small business loans and more.

Limitations

At the time of this review, these are the limitations of Paychex Flex, according to user feedback:

  • UI is hard to use; users can’t find forms
  • Unresponsive and difficult customer service

Suite Support

There are many ways to reach support depending on the product and the services used. Users can navigate through the website to find the number for the department they need. Otherwise, users can call (833) 299-0169 or fill out a form online. Everyone has a dedicated specialist and there’s a blog for industry information.

mail_outlineEmail: There’s no general-purpose email address listed on the site but users can fill out a form to help with specific problems.
phonePhone: It provides general support at (833) 299-0168 or gets login help specifically (888) 246-7500.
schoolTraining: A specialist walks new users through the implementation process. After that, employees will send demos and tutorials to help with learning the program.
local_offerTickets: It’s unclear if this software uses a ticketing system.
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