Welcome to Payroll and Onboarding

The guide provides an overview of the Payroll functionality in BambooHR, detailing the onboarding process and key resources for users. It emphasizes the streamlined payroll experience, reducing complexity through automatic data integration. Users are advised to prepare necessary documentation, including tax ID numbers and banking information, for effective onboarding. The guide also includes templates for introducing Payroll to employees and highlights the importance of timely payroll submission. Post-implementation resources are available to assist in maintaining compliance. For support, users can refer to a dedicated contact guide. This resource aims to facilitate a smooth transition to BambooHR Payroll.

  • Oct 20, 2025
  • Knowledge

Title
Welcome to Payroll and Onboarding
Article Text
Part of Payroll that is an add-on feature.

Purpose: This guide will provide an overview of the Payroll in BambooHR experience and what to expect during onboarding.

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Table of Contents

Payroll in BambooHR

Welcome to BambooHR Payroll! 

Instead of burdening our customers with the usual time-consuming and overly complex payroll process, BambooHR makes running payroll quick and stress-free. Information in BambooHR, like wages, hours, account numbers, benefits, deductions, and withholdings, automatically flows into payroll, so you can skip the double entry and feel confident your employee data is up to date. Then, with an intuitive payroll experience, federal and state tax filing, and exceptional customer support, you'll have more time to focus on strategic goals for your company. 

A few years ago, BambooHR acquired TRAXPayroll to provide a complete payroll experience. Today, most of our functionality lives in BambooHR, but a few key reports and actions still exist in the TRAXPayroll experience. You can learn more about Payroll in the BambooHR Marketplace. 

Curious about how your BambooHR account will look with Payroll? Click here to learn more about the changes.

Payroll Onboarding

Want to enroll in a learning course that will walk you through how to prepare your account for running payroll? Click here!

Once you are signed up, you will be responsible for completing Payroll Onboarding with the help of our Support team and your assigned payroll project manager. The video below will provide an overview of this process. To make your onboarding experience as smooth as possible, locate the following documents before you begin: 

  • Proof of Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) from the IRS: Registering an exact legal name and ID number to pay taxes on your behalf is required. View examples of acceptable proof: 940, 941, W-9, or SS-4 application.
  • State and local income tax ID numbers: Required for making appropriate tax payments.
  • Proof of State Unemployment Insurance (SUI) ID number and rate: Required from each state where the business operates for making appropriate tax payments. (i.e., Tax Rate Change Notice, recent State Return, a letter from the state.)
  • Company payroll banking information: Required for payroll services, must include bank name, account number, and routing number.
  • Regular payroll schedule

Heads up! BambooHR launched a newly refreshed UI, which means the product may appear differently in your account than what is shown in the video below. However, functionality will remain the same. Thank you for your patience as we continue to update our help content.

For a step-by-step guide on how to complete Payroll Onboarding, click here!

We require at least 20 business days before your first payroll run to get you implemented in the system to run and approve your first payroll out of BambooHR Payroll. Payroll will always be due at noon Pacific time, two business days before your pay date, so please be sure to plan accordingly. If you choose four-day ACH funding, payroll will be due four business days before your pay date.

Introduce Payroll to your employees

During the payroll onboarding experience, you'll grant employee access to the Pay Info tab and introduce Payroll to your employees. We recommend sending these templates through the Company Announcements feature, your company email, or within Employee Community.

Template:

Subject: Introducing BambooHR Payroll

Hi!

We are now using BambooHR Payroll to ensure you receive the money you’ve worked hard for! Moving forward, all of your payroll information will be stored in one place, BambooHR. How awesome is that? You can find all of your payroll-related information on the “Pay Info” tab, including:

  • Paystubs
  • Pay History
  • W2s
  • Direct Deposit
  • Deductions

You are also able to view payroll details easily via the mobile app. You’re going to love this! So, what are you waiting for? Go take a look at your “Pay Info” tab and let us know if you have any questions!

Post-implementation resources

You did it! You made it through implementation, but now what? Download the resource below for more information on how to maintain and manage a compliant payroll account. 

Payroll_Post Implementation.pdf
Where do I go for support?

To contact any of our payroll teams, visit this guide for specific contact information. 

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