Accrue 401K GTM FAQs
Discover how new customers can easily sign up for Accrue's 401(k) plans and benefits.
How will net new customers be able to discover Accrue? What pathways do they have within each to become a prospect/sign up with Accrue?
For net new Accrue customers:
- (Ideal Path) From Partner marketplace (iFrame experience)
- Click on Accrue ‘Get Started’ button from Partner marketplace page
- Accept Check permissions modal to share data with Accrue
- Go to account creation page (at this point a connection will be created and connected, the remaining steps outline how to complete setup entirely)
- Finish account creation
- Complete Plan Setup (“PSU”) process
- Go to ‘Sponsor Dashboard’ and complete remaining tasks to get plan to ready state
- From Accrue public site
- Go through Accrue’s ‘Get Started’ flow and select Check partner in ‘Who do you use for payroll’ question
- Complete Plan Setup (“PSU”) process
- Go to ‘Sponsor Dashboard’; there will be a task to ‘Connect payroll’
- Click within task to be taken to Check partner marketplace page and follow task instructions
- Click on Accrue ‘Get Started’ button from Partner marketplace page
- Accept Check permissions modal to share data with Accrue
- It is important to note that if a customer does not perform a secondary action (authenticate the connection, schedule a demo, etc) on the iFrame page they will not become a Accrue prospect. Simply landing on or viewing the page does not create a prospect.
For customers who have a different 401(k) plan and are new to Accrue:
- Accrue does not support conversion plans at this time.
For existing Accrue customers that payroll switch to a Check Partner Company:
- The partner needs to surface this Accrue Help Center article to the customer to guide them on how to change payroll providers within Accrue’s system
- The customer will log into Accrue and follow these steps. Once done, they will be prompted in Accrue’s product to connect their Accrue account to the partner system. This will link out to the Accrue component in your product, where the customer will authenticate Check to share information
- Note that during initial Accrue Integration, Accrue will notify any existing Partner customers that their parent payroll provider has integrated with Accrue and they are now able to become an integrated user. They’ll be given instructions on how this process will work.
What marketing campaigns does Accrue send for prospects and customers? Please provide screenshots of the content / sequences sent in the following scenarios:
Once a prospect is created, they have a few different avenues to sign a plan and become a customer. We’ve outlined each below along with any campaigns we send to customers in each.
- Self Sign: Prospects have the ability to navigate through the plan setup (PSU) experience without engaging a sales rep.
- Marketing: When a prospect enters PSU but does not complete it we send them an email with next steps on how they can complete their plan set up. (Slide 1)
- Via Sales:
- If a prospect does not self sign they are placed in our funnel. Partner Company customers will automatically bypass the Marketing Working stage and move to Marketing Qualified to be vetted by an SDR to ensure we have all necessary information and that the prospect is interested in moving forward.
- Marketing:
- SDRs enroll them in a 8-part email series while simultaneously working to qualify them and pass to AEs. (Slides 5-8)
- If a prospect cannot be qualified and does not engage with us for 30 days they are moved to Nurture and sent a 5-part re-engagement email series. (Slide 3)
- Once a prospect lead is qualified they are moved to our opportunity pipeline and serviced by an AE.
- For ongoing customers
- Existing customers receive a quarterly newsletter that highlights upcoming compliance deadlines, shares educational blog posts and product updates, key dates & FAQs. (Slide 4)
If a prospect is in the flow / on the phone with a Partner Sales Rep and wants to speak with a Retirement Specialist from Accrue, what options do they have?
Please provide the details of each contact type.
They can reach the Accrue sales team in one of two ways:
- By phone: (888) 228-3491
- By email: support@accrue401k.com
Are there any hot handoff lines that we can use to send interested prospects directly to a Retirement Specialist to discuss plan-related questions?
We recommend they use the options noted above. If in the future we have a partner that sees greater success via hot handoffs we can consider creating a process for them.
What can the Partner Sales Reps say about the expected benefits of using Accrue vs. other retirement solutions (e.g. price reduction, plan options, etc.)?
- Accrue plans are easy to set up. Customers can set up a 401(k) plan in 20 minutes. From there, it’s pretty hands off. Accrue takes care of plan administration, recordkeeping, government filing, and more.
- Accrue offers affordable plans for businesses of all sizes. All of Accrue’s plans have low monthly costs and no transaction fees. For employees, our asset fees start at 0.15%, which is 7x lower than the industry average.
- Intelligent investing can help support your employees. Accrue can help participants select a diversified investment portfolio—with low-cost funds across asset classes—that rebalances automatically to stay on track.
- Our integration with Accrue makes 401(k) management seamless. Accrue will securely sync with your payroll data so any updates or changes will be reflected in both places automatically, saving you time and hassle.
What are regulatory points that Partner Sales Reps can’t discuss?
Regarding the two topics below, our advice is to keep it high level and ultimately let the Accrue team to discuss in more depth. We don’t want these reps to be misconstrued as giving legal or tax advice.
- Investment options (fund menu)
- Specifics on tax credits (whether or not they are qualified, amount they qualify for, etc)
When does Accrue create benefits in Check on behalf of the employer?
Benefits are created at the following times:
- For new plans, this happens approximately 10 days before the first pay date after the plan start date.
- For plans converting to a new payroll provider, 3 days after the last pay date with the old provider.
How will the customer contact Accrue when they have a support ticket or have general questions? Is this a general line or do they have a dedicated account manager?
Contact information for existing Accrue customers will be on their dashboards. They can reach Accrue from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday.
Main Line | |
Sponsors | |
Participants | |
Onboarding Plans |
Note: Customers on our Enterprise plans will have a dedicated account manager listed in their dashboard.
How does Accrue handle ERISA reporting?
Accrue automates the compliance testing process, freeing employers up to focus on their business and employees.
The Accrue system system helps each plan remain compliant by using data the plan provides us to generate projected non-discrimination testing results. These test results are made available to sponsors via the Compliance section of their Accrue dashboard, where they can actively monitor the plan’s current compliance status at any given time throughout the year.
Please note these reports will only provide projections. The actual test results will be known after the end of the plan year when all contributions are made and full plan year compensation and final census data is known. For this reason, it is critical for sponsors to provide Accrue with employee compensation so these tests can be calculated timely.
Throughout the year, sponsors should review their Compliance dashboard to monitor their risk of falling outside IRS compliance limits. If they have any questions, Accrue specialists can discuss their options with them.
Additionally, Accrue includes the preparation and electronic filing of the Form 5500 at no added cost for all assets that reside within the Accrue plan. For example, if a plan started with Accrue this year, Accrue will not prepare or file the previous year’s Form 5500.
If a plan transferred to Accrue earlier this year, and needs to file the Form 5500 for the previous plan year, the plan should work with their prior administrator to file their form. Likewise, if a plan transfers from Accrue to another service provider before the end of the filing year, the plan should work with their new provider to file their form.
New Accrue Pricing as of 10/2/23
- Introducing Starter, a basic 401(k) with simplified features, built for businesses that previously wouldn't consider a 401(k) because they couldn't afford a match or plan costs (or both). We view this as a massive and underserved segment.
- Price: $39/month + $4/mo per active participant
- Core, our most popular tier is new and improved. This foundational 401(k) now has more plan design options like employer contributions, vesting, and profit sharing.
- Price: $89/month + $8/mo per active participant
- Enterprise, our most custom tier with exclusive pricing options and premium support, now offers Participant Perks: special offers on financial wellness tools and services.
- Price: Starting at $149/month + a per active participant fee
- $8/participant (with 0.08% account fee)
- $6/participant (with 0.25% account fee)
- $4/participant (with 0.35% account fee)
How does Accrue satisfy state mandates?
Many states are rolling out mandatory employer-sponsored retirement savings programs to help more people save for retirement. All plans that Accrue offers satisfy all current state mandates for employer retirement plans. More information can be found here.
Accrue recommended naming: “Retirement Plans for Small Businesses” and “401k Plans for Small Businesses”.
We’d recommend sticking with retirement vs 401(k) and growing vs small since you’ll likely have a mix of both. Something like: “Easy, affordable retirement plans for growing businesses”
Last updated on June 6, 2025