Deluxe Corporation: Discontinued US Payroll

Overview of Deluxe Corporation's Payroll Solutions

Deluxe Corporation, which is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, offers many diverse services that include digital payment exchange, merchant services, and marketing among their wide suite of solutions. W.R. Hotchkiss started Deluxe Corporation over 100 years ago with a $300 loan. The company changed how people and organizations manage their money after inventing the checkbook, having started out life as Deluxe Check Printers. Today, Deluxe is a leading provider of trusted payment solutions, analytics-based marketing campaigns, lockbox, and customer engagement services.

They have offered their payroll services since the middle of the twentieth century but have now decided to exit this market in the US. While it is unclear if Paychex has acquired those business operations, it is clear that Paychex will officially migrate existing US-based Deluxe payroll clients over to their company's services. Deluxe will stop in-house payroll processing on March 15, 2024, with reporting being available until April 1, 2024.

Deluxe Corporation will continue to provide Canadian clients with an array of payroll software solutions that cater to the changing needs of enterprises. These solutions assist in automating calculations, ensuring compliance, and guaranteeing timely and accurate payments to employees. They serve companies of all sizes, whether small to medium-sized (SMB) or large, and cater their solutions to the industries of financial institutions, retail, professional services, wholesale, education, restaurants, technology and SaaS providers, government, and insurance. They even have special tools and APIs for developers. The company fosters a culture that prioritizes creativity, innovation, and unwavering quality. Deluxe understands that its employees are its greatest asset and invests heavily in their development and well-being. This people-centric approach has resulted in a high-performance team committed to achieving the best possible outcomes.

Deluxe Corporation states that they value individuality and promote a workplace where everyone feels included. They reward Deluxe Corporation employees who donate their time to community organizations and have awarded over $110 million in grants via the Deluxe Corporation Foundation since 1954. Their employees average over 20,000 volunteer hours annually and have raised over $228,000 for local non-profits since 2020. The company is accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB), which gives it an A+ rating.

Deluxe Corporation's Payroll Offerings

Deluxe Corporation’s payroll services strove to go beyond software solutions. In Canada, the company still offers a wide range of additional benefits to enhance payroll efficiency, including:

• Payroll processing and HRIS: Deluxe offers customizable dashboards to track, analyze, and develop team skills, providing an overview of your business performance for better decision-making. This human resource information system (HRIS) software integrates with their payroll and time & attendance solutions, and their payroll processing tool simplifies complex payroll operations with automatic processes, ensuring speed, accuracy, and compatibility with accounting software
• Tax filing and compliance: They ensure you remain compliant with federal, state, and local payroll tax regulations, relieving you of the burden of staying updated with tax policies. They ensure timely remittance of government source deductions, produce T4's and T4A's, create Records of Employment, file monthly deductions, provide updated tax tables for free, and stay current with tax regulations
• Direct deposit: The company offers easy direct deposit options with various benefits, including up to 3 bank accounts per employee, no third-party involvement, no extra charges, and the ability for employees to use any bank or credit union. This is meant to ensure your employees are paid their salaries at appropriate times and in the desired way
• E-stubs: These are password-protected pay stubs that can be sent to your employees via email. This is perfect for remote employees and eliminates courier fees. Alternatively, they can produce self-sealed pay stubs that are couriered to your company each pay day
• Administration assistance: They provide HR and employee benefits administration services, allowing firms to efficiently run employee records, benefits enrollment, and leave tracking. Their system can streamline employee management through personal information management, absence and overtime tracking, training and development planning, workplace accident tracking, performance evaluations, and disciplinary records
• Time and attendance tracking: The company’s time and attendance tracking solutions allow firms to record employees’ work time, making payroll calculations more accurate and workforce management easier
• Reporting and analytics: They offer advanced reporting and analytics features, enabling businesses to analyze payroll data, identify trends, and make informed choices. They offer a wide selection of payroll reports available in PDF format. All reports are accessible online once your payroll is processed, eliminating the need for printed reports to be couriered. Your electronic payroll data is downloadable into Microsoft Excel. Reports available include Time Cards, Payroll Register, WCB Report, and more
• Check services: This company offers business check printing services, as well as the convenience of depositing checks at any time and from any location using a scanner and an internet connection. They have an automated endorsement process, which eliminates the need for manual endorsements on checks
• Risk mitigation: Their services minimize the risk of check mismanagement and loss via bank runoffs

Deluxe Payroll: Pricing & Plans

Deluxe Corporation offered two payroll and HR packages: Payroll + HR Essentials and Payroll + HR Enhanced. Both packages had a specialized customer support team and were focused on modernizing payroll and HR procedures in a paperless, technology-driven, and people-centric direction.

• Payroll + HR Essentials: This solution was priced at $45 per month plus $7 per employee per month. It is great for businesses that need an easy way to digitize documents, automate hiring and onboarding, manage payroll, and streamline HR operations. Features include complete payrolls and state form filings, digital hiring and onboarding, accounting integrations, and 24/7 expert support
• Payroll + HR Enhanced: This solution was priced at $45 per month plus $14 per employee per month. It includes HR technology and all the features of the Essentials package. It's ideal for automating hiring, management, and retention of employees. Additional features include unlimited workflow automation, custom reporting fields, inter-company collaboration, and digitization of every employee document

Though their Canadian plans and prices are not advertised, they generally aim to provide competitive pricing and plans for payroll and HR solutions. Their packages cater to businesses of different sizes and needs. The Essentials package was suitable for small business customers, while the Enhanced package was better for businesses that need sophisticated HR technologies. Both packages offer scalability and various modules.

The Benefits of Deluxe Corp Payroll Services

• Accuracy and compliance: Their main responsibility is to ensure accurate and timely calculation of paychecks in compliance with tax and payroll laws. Their automated tax calculation system eliminates the possibility of errors and penalties. Additionally, they frequently update their system to keep up with the constantly changing tax laws and regulations, ensuring that you are always in compliance with them
• Streamlined payroll process: With a user-friendly interface and intuitive software design, navigation is made easy. Payroll preparation is effective, improving manual processing efficiencies. The centralized payroll system eliminates multiple spreadsheets and complicated mathematical calculations
• Comprehensive features: Their payroll system offers a variety of functions to cater to your needs. You can choose to have direct deposit, paycheck distribution, and tax filing as per your requirements. The reporting features are robust and help you easily create payroll reports and summaries. The system is also easy to integrate with accounting software and HR systems, making it easier for you to transfer data smoothly
• Exceptional customer support: There is a team of customer support specialists who can assist with payroll-related inquiries and issues. They strive to respond promptly and offer tailored solutions to ensure customer satisfaction. Additionally, there are online resources such as tutorials and frequently asked questions (FAQs) available for customers to access and troubleshoot on their own
• Security and confidentiality: Confidential payroll information is protected by strong security processes that maintain privacy. Data is transmitted and stored with encryption to reduce the likelihood of data leakage. We follow data protection standards and regulations set by industries

Disadvantages of the Deluxe Payroll Services

• Leaving US market: Not only will this be inconvenient for existing US customers having to migrate over to another platform, but even prospective Canadian clients might think twice about the stability of their services
• May be pricey: Payroll services offered by Deluxe Corporation may be more expensive when compared to some of their competitors. The fees for additional special features or services, such as personalized reports or connections, may also apply. That being said, the cost of the services would depend on the size of your organization and the number of employees
• Limited customization: You may find that the payroll software has limited options for customization. It can be challenging to tailor the software to meet your specific business needs, including those related to payroll processing. Developing specialized calculations or deductions may require additional programming or manual intervention
• Technical glitches: Payroll processing may sometimes be interrupted due to technical issues or software updates, and such downtime or server issues can adversely affect payroll accuracy and timely delivery of paychecks. During these periods, you may experience difficulties accessing the payroll system due to delays or glitches in access
• Integration challenges: Integrating their payroll service may require a relatively high level of technical knowledge, though it can be an efficient payroll management solution if done correctly. Compatibility issues or data transfer errors may occur if not implemented properly. A smooth implementation could require time, effort, and resources from both Deluxe Corporation and your organization's IT team
• Reporting limitations: Generating detailed or customized reports may require additional data manipulation or manual reporting to achieve desired insights. This process could slow down extensive payroll analysis or specialized reporting needs

The Deluxe Payroll Customer Experience

Deluxe Corporation’s payroll services, when reviewed separately from the rest of the company's offerings, garner primarily positive feedback. They get a 4.4 out of 5 on Capterra and a 4.1 out of 5 on G2. They receive a much lower 1 out of 5 score on the BBB, with a moderate amount of complaints, but the great majority of that feedback involves other services— like check printing.

Users have overwhelmingly praised Deluxe Corporation's payroll services for their user-friendly interface, simplified onboarding process, and diverse payroll features catering to various needs. The implementation of drag-and-drop functionality, automated tax calculations, and seamless integration with time-tracking systems has been particularly well-received. Many users have awarded Deluxe a five-star rating, expressing satisfaction with the comprehensive services provided. The flexibility of Deluxe in responding to concerns and adapting to the dynamic nature of businesses has garnered appreciation. One user commended the team for their exceptional communication and talent.

Additionally, Deluxe's commitment to resolving issues and ensuring customer satisfaction is evident in instances where they went above and beyond, such as redirecting cheque deliveries to a new address. Overall, Deluxe is highly recommended for its top-notch services, effective communication, and problem-solving approach. Users also appreciate the simplicity of the onboarding process and the platform's ease of use, which makes payroll processing straightforward. The dedicated representative adds value to the services, and customers appreciate the prompt resolution of issues. The platform solves the problem of in-house payroll processing, allowing users to efficiently process payroll with just a few clicks, ensuring accuracy and relieving them of additional tasks

However, some users were more critical and expressed some concerns. One user appreciated the comprehensive HR services but found the numerous configurations challenging and the reports section not user-friendly. Another user mentioned that Deluxe is a "complete" payroll solution but highlighted issues with customer support, especially in tax and payroll matters. In fact, a few users expressed disappointment in the declining quality of customer support. They cite longer wait times on the phone, delayed email responses, and less helpful interactions when seeking assistance with payroll-related matters. Additionally, some pointed out limitations in reporting, such as the lack of detailed cost breakdowns per employee. One user noted that Deluxe may be more suitable for basic needs and small businesses due to limitations in functionalities like calculating PTO, high turnover, and limited business hours.

When a user complained on the BBB about a payroll issue, they responded quickly and issued the applicable refund.

Customer Support & Resources

There are many ways to get in touch with Deluxe's customer services. You can do so by logging in to their system, through their employee portal or their administrator employer portal, wherein you can access live chat and documentation help. You can find other resources on their support page, where they have other numbers and email addresses for their other services but not payroll. Of course, if you migrate your account over to Paychex, you would request support directly from them.

You may also request general support by filling out this form.

Conclusion

This review delved into the features that were once offered by Deluxe Payroll and continue to be available in Canada. It explores the company's payroll offerings, pricing plans, and the benefits users enjoyed, such as accuracy, streamlined processes, and exceptional customer support. While the platform receives positive feedback for its user-friendly interface, onboarding simplicity, and comprehensive services, some users express concerns about limited customization, technical glitches, and reporting limitations.

Navigating the complexities of payroll management is a crucial aspect of business operations, and Deluxe Corporation, with its rich history and legacy in payment solutions, has played a significant role. However, the recent decision to discontinue payroll services in the United States, effective March 15, 2024, leaves many wondering about the reasons behind this strategic shift. Despite the withdrawal from the U.S. market, Deluxe remains committed to serving Canadian clients with a range of payroll software solutions, emphasizing automation, compliance, and precision in payments.

Wherever you may be, it is important to realize that no company's solution is universally applicable. Therefore, you must do your own research to decide which payroll service provider will suit your unique needs by closely assessing your business requirements, budget, and preferences. Start by reading about the top payroll processors, then use our comparison tool to compare those that stand out to you. Also, for articles that could help you select the best payroll software, please refer to our payroll blog. Armed with so much information, we think your choice of provider will be easier to make than ever.

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