Previous Provider Complexity Guide
Classify previous payroll providers to streamline setup timelines and improve migration efficiency.
A company's prior payroll provider can have a huge impact on how easy it is for Check to set them up. Providers with more robust reporting, like Paylocity, make it easier to migrate while providers that have legacy reporting, like Sage 300, or companies that run their payroll manually, can make setups dramatically more difficult.
We’ve classified previous payroll providers into Easy, Medium, or Hard, which helps determine the expected setup timeline:
- Easy/Medium Providers: Eligible for our Standard timeline (10 business days) if the company has <50 employees and provides access to their prior provider.
- Hard Providers: Fall under our Enterprise (Custom) timeline—typically 6+ weeks—due to data limitations or manual migration requirements.
Previous Provider Complexity Table
Previous Provider | Complexity | Typical Setup Timeline |
Paycor, Paylocity, Proliant, Restaurant365 | Easy | Standard, 10 Days |
ADP Workforce Now, Gusto, Heartland, isolved, Paychex Flex, QBO, RASI, Rippling, Square, Toast | Medium | Standard, 10 Days |
ADP Totalsource, BambooHR, Evolution, OnPay, Patriot, Paychex Go, Paycom, PrismHR, SurePayroll, Trinet, Wave, Zeal, ADP RUN, Manual, QBD, Sage 100/300, Zenefits | Hard | Enterprise, Custom (6+ Weeks) |
Additional Setup Factors
Even with an "Easy" or "Medium" provider, certain company traits can increase complexity and require a custom timeline. Below are common enterprise-specific factors that can affect setup:
1. Multi-State or Multi-Withholding Employees
- More time is required to configure state/local taxes properly.
- Employees with withholdings in multiple states per payroll require labor distribution mapping to attribute wages accurately—essential for correct tax calculations.
- Inaccuracies can lead to post-launch amendments.
2. State-Specific Requirements
- PA & OH: Local and school district taxes must be individually mapped.
- WA: Paid Family & Medical Leave and Labor & Industries taxes may require direct agency coordination.
- OR: Labor distribution is common and critical to build correctly.
3. Live-in / Work-in State Differences
- Special configurations are often needed when employees live in one state and work in another.
- Check may request documentation to ensure compliant tax handling.
4. Custom Deduction and Benefit Codes
- Companies with industry- or role-specific deductions may use a high volume of unique codes.
- Check will request a mapping key to clarify deduction purpose and tax treatment (pre- or post-tax).
5. Multiple Prior Providers or Multi-FEIN Setups
- Complexity increases if a company has:
- Multiple FEINs with different providers.
- Inconsistent payroll practices across business units.
- Aligning this data may require extra time and change management.
6. Unsupported Features
- If a company uses features not currently supported by Check, we’ll work to identify alternatives.
- Early alignment on limitations helps avoid confusion post-launch.
7. PDF-Based Reporting
- PDF-only data can delay setup, especially if manual entry is needed.
- Providing data in Excel format significantly speeds up onboarding.
Last updated on July 16, 2025