# Square Payroll Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Is Square Payroll the right Payroll solution for you? Explore 621 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/170266/Square-Payroll/reviews --- Square Payroll 4.7 (621) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/170266/Square-Payroll/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated May 4th, 2026 # Reviews of Square Payroll Ease of use 4.6 Customer Service 4.4 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews ES Emily S OwnerRetail, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “I like that staff can clock in and clock out for their shifts with Square Payroll, their tips are automatically added to their paycheck along with commission, and I receive test messages when a payroll run is about to happen so I can double check it.“ July 7, 2025 CC Carolyn Black-Coffey C Owner, PresidentConsumer Services, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “The transition was harder for me, as my former payroll company had a more manual system, and the formatting process was harder for me to understand than Square.“ June 10, 2025 CC Carolyn Black-Coffey C Owner, PresidentConsumer Services, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “Square has been immeasurably helpful with getting and keeping me organized in regard to payroll.“ June 10, 2025 Bb Blake b ownerRetail, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “At first it was a little hard to get used too.“ May 9, 2024 CA Christian A ManagerPrinting, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: Less than 6 months. “I liked their idea of only paying when you take a payment, so I tried Square Payroll.“ June 5, 2024 CS Cameron S PresidentEntertainment, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: Less than 6 months. “They have screwed up my tax filings every month since switching to Square Payroll. “ October 26, 2023 MS Michelle S OwnerRestaurants, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “I also love that they automatically withhold and remit Payroll Taxes.“ November 25, 2024 JD Jammi D ownerTransportation/Trucking/Railroad, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “it is a little pricey for a app compared to other payroll apps“ November 24, 2023 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 621 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Troy B. Marketing Manager Health, Wellness and Fitness Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Square Payroll makes Payroll easy" July 27, 2022 5.0 Pros The Direct Deposit feature of Square Payroll makes paying employees a very streamlined and simple procedure. The W-2 Preparation features makes tax season a breeze. Sending employees W2s is all within the app. Vacation/Leave Tracking has truly increased the productivity of payroll and bookkeeping. This is the ultimate feature for this application. Cons I feel as though with time Square Payroll will rollout a more aesthetically pleasing interface but I do not find any cons. Switched from [QuickBooks Online](https://www.capterra.com/p/190778/QuickBooks-Online/) The ease of the Square POS system is excellent with its integration with many different applications and tools. Customer Relationship Management and Payroll have become a much easier and simpler job. Review Source RP Ryan P. Owner Restaurants Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Square Payroll makes payroll simple" November 20, 2024 5.0 I've been utilizing Square Payroll for a number of years. It's very easy to onboard new staff, monitor hours and ultimately run payroll with very little effort. Pros It's turnkey, ready to roll with very little effort needed on my part to operate. Cons Waiting on upgrades to scheduling and availability. The incoming changes will have a significant positive impact on usability. Switched from [QuickBooks Payroll](https://www.capterra.com/p/174981/QuickBooks/) Price and capabilities weren't up to par and weren't being improved. Review Source LN Laura N. Owner Health, Wellness and Fitness Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great in some ways, very expensive in others" August 23, 2022 3.0 I loved this software, ease of use, money paid UNTIL I had a change in employee status and found out, after 3 months and 3 different customer service agents, that you cannot go from using payroll, to not using it without completely closing the account. And if you close the account, you won't get the tax forms. Pros The ease of paying employees when I want to and knowing all the tax forms are done for me is great! Cons Lack of flexibility. You cannot open/close your payroll account more than once. If you have part of the year you don't run payroll or have employees for, you must keep the account open the entire year, until January of the next year if you want your tax forms. If you then bring employees back, after closing the account, you cannot reactivate it. The second thing I have issue with is lack of customer service. They respond in 3-5 days, with a stock response, and it took me 3 agents before this was explained to me. I have no employees for 6 months, but I have to pay the $45/month if I want my tax forms at years end. Alternatives considered [Gusto](https://www.capterra.com/p/131882/Gusto/) Reason for choosing Square Payroll I use their cc processing Review Source PO Paola O. HR Manager Health, Wellness and Fitness Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "My Experience With Square Payroll" December 16, 2024 5.0 Pros I like this payroll product as it offers amazing payroll features. It is effortless to deploy and customization is easy too. It integrates well with other software we use. Cons Square Payroll has been very helpful and I have no complaints. Switched from [TrackSmart Attendance](https://www.capterra.com/p/120374/TrackSmart-Attendance/)[Youmanage](https://www.capterra.com/p/160449/Youmanage/) We made the switch as Square Payroll offers better features not to mention it comes at a manageable cost. Review Source AK Alexandria K. owner Retail Used the software for: 2+ years ### "easy to use and affordable!" November 20, 2024 5.0 I love it. I can't recommend it to enough people Pros easy to use! they handle filing all relevant information for me Cons Support sometimes doesn't understand the rare problem that pops up and it may talk speaking with a few people to get it resolved. I've never had an issue not resolved same day though. Alternatives considered [ADP GlobalView Payroll](https://www.capterra.com/p/209686/ADP-Globalview-Payroll/) Reason for choosing Square Payroll Cost was the biggest reason. The second biggest was that it directly integrates with my POS system Review Source BH Bryan H. Owner Arts and Crafts Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "The Perfect Solution for a Small Business Owner" June 15, 2021 5.0 We could not be happier with the Value of Square Payroll for our small business. It was exactly what our business needed and we love it. We were very nervous about taxes and getting folks paid correctly not being business owners before. Square Payroll made it incredibly easy to get setup, and then they just take care of it all. Then we get nice reports to get to my accountant, and all of the information you may need you can dowload at any time. It's an incredible value. Pros The ease of use and setup of Square Payroll was incredible. It honestly is a plug and play type of software. Being a new small business owner Square Payroll was exactly what we were looking for. It's also great to have a one stop shop. We use Square Point of Sale in our shop, and to be able to get all of the sales information as well as payroll information from the same place is incredibly convenient. Cons Our small business runs payroll once a month. We wanted to run payroll on the 15th of each month. Changing/customizing the date on the monthly payroll was not an option (monthly runs on the 1st of each month). Not a show stopper by any means. Alternatives considered [QuickBooks Payroll](https://www.capterra.com/p/174981/QuickBooks/)[Gusto](https://www.capterra.com/p/131882/Gusto/) Reason for choosing Square Payroll We went with Square Payroll for the value and also already using square for our Point of Sale system it made it super convenient to have all in one place. Review Source BM Barbara M. Owner Accounting Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Our 100% Go-To payroll software!" October 9, 2022 5.0 We have tried other payroll programs and always come back to Square! Pros So quick and easy to use. Set up is quick and easy! Reports are perfect! Payrolls are always timely and accurate. Agency reporting at state, local and federal level have always been accurate and timely Cons WE NEED AN ACCOUNTANT LOGIN FEATURE!!!!!!! Need a way to customize the weekly summary to load into the client bookkeeping! One sheet that explains the Federal and local withholdings for bookkeeping purposes. For example (a breakdown of EMPLOYER FICA and Employee Fica, Federal unemployment, State unemployment and state withholding need to be printed on the summary sheet) Reason for choosing Square Payroll We came BACK to Square from other payroll processors! Switched from [Gusto](https://www.capterra.com/p/131882/Gusto/) Square is so much quicker and easier to use. Review Source MJ Michelle J. Owner/Hairstylist Cosmetics Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Effecient and Timely" July 15, 2021 5.0 My overall experience with payroll has been amazing. Even when my account was compromised, Square still made sure that my employees got paid. Pros Square is the most effecient product that I have ever used. I can make my appointments, and the fact that my team can clock in and out, make appointments, and get paid in a timely manner, leaves alot of the stress off of me as the owner. I can work in one program, I don't believe that Square is missing any features as far as payroll is concerned. Payroll pays my taxes for me and it pays it in a timely fashion. Cons Nothing bad that I can really say about square payroll. Alternatives considered [ADP Workforce Now](https://www.capterra.com/p/155895/WorkforceNow/)[DaySmart Salon](https://www.capterra.com/p/9167/DaySmart-Salon/) Reason for choosing Square Payroll It gave me everything they had but at a more economical price. Switched from [Paychex Flex](https://www.capterra.com/p/119841/Paychex-Flex/) I heard that this product was better Review Source Mike F. Owner Sports Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Hassle Free Payroll Solution " April 30, 2021 5.0 I'm a big fan of anything that saves me time and headaches, and there is NONE larger that sending out tax forms or other financial obligations. Controlling payroll from on easy to use hub is a great value, and it only costs a small monthly fee per contractor. Pros I am a sole proprietor/ LLC, with independent contractors as opposed to full/part time employees. I absolutely love that Square Payroll manages every facet of fund transfer including submitting tax form to my contractors, essentially taking care of my responsibilities as an employer. Cons The employer dashboard and features are pretty basic and may take some to get used to what functionality is available. The users, my hires, have not experienced any problems or difficulty, so that's the most important pat. Alternatives considered [SurePayroll](https://www.capterra.com/p/225706/SurePayroll/) Reason for choosing Square Payroll I was already previously using SquareUp payment transactions so it made sense to keep everything on one platform Review Source VR Verified Reviewer President Entertainment Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Ignores problems and has terrible customer support" October 26, 2023 1.0 Terrible. Their customer service agents don't take the time to understand or resolve the problem. Pros Running payroll is simple and I could automate the entry of payroll data to avoid mistakes. Cons They have screwed up my tax filings every month since switching to Square Payroll. I've reported it to them every time. Now they want me to pay extra to have them amend my filings. Reason for choosing Square Payroll I could be in control of and automate the payroll data entry so it wouldn't get messed up. Other providers required manual data entry for every employee pay item. Switched from [Paychex Flex](https://www.capterra.com/p/119841/Paychex-Flex/) While I was extremely thorough in providing accurate and detailed payroll information to Paychex, their manual information entry by their agents always resulted in a mistake on my payroll and in some cases some employees wouldn't even get a paycheck. With Square I am able to automate my data entry so it doesn't get screwed up, but they have screwed up my employee tax filings on nearly every paycheck. Review Source MF Megan F. Owner Sports Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Love it, makes everything easy" June 16, 2025 4.0 Pros Makes paying employees super easy with no complex issues. Inputting new employees and setting up payroll is simple everytime Cons Honestly, no complaints. Square is the best payroll system I have had and did a lot of research to determine which system to use. Review Source JT Joseph T. CEO Real Estate Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Essential system to execute payroll payments in an automated way." February 1, 2023 5.0 Square managed to ensure that our employees could receive their salary at the right time and without any kind of delay, in addition, our company is of medium size, so the manual payroll process was quite complex, we had to spend a lot of time to inspect and make payments, plus we had to hire more people to run these payrolls, so Square has replaced all of that, with their automated Payroll system. I'm happy with the results obtained with the help of Square, I have been able to make unlimited payroll payments, I have been able to make deductions from salaries and many other things. Pros Square made the payroll process so much easier for our entire company. I loved the way this platform allows me to use the trip monitoring function, this function was very important to me since it works in real-time and allows me to monitor all the trips scheduled by our employees, I can see the amount spent on that trip and many more details. I also liked how accurate and without delays the payroll payments are executed, this way fantastic because it allowed our employees to be able to receive their payroll simultaneously, all payments are executed through this system on the same date and same time. I liked the automated service to send payment report to our employees mail, this helped a lot so that our employees could see what debits there were in their payroll, or any added bonus. Cons The only problem with Square is that it is difficult to correctly configure this service to integrate it with the time measurement service, it was so difficult that after a weed trying to do this integration, we were not successful. However, we currently export the time reports and import them into the Square platform to execute the corresponding payments, but it would be great if this integration was easier, so that we can enjoy it in our company. Review Source CA Christian A. Manager Printing Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "No setup fees to use the service but..." June 5, 2024 5.0 Pros I liked their idea of only paying when you take a payment, so I tried Square Payroll. It has a great interface, is simple to use, and includes tax filing and employee self-service, which are the features I need. You can also integrate with Square POS for more efficient payment processing. Cons Limited State Availability means that it is not available in all states, which may pose a challenge for businesses operating in areas where the software is not yet supported. Review Source Chandra D. Owner Cosmetics Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Payroll Basics Covered" August 28, 2021 5.0 Other than the additional Square account, I am/was super happy with the software. Perfect for startups and small businesses. I highly recommend! Pros I loved that this was plug and play ready, user friendly and made payroll less of a headache. Tracking hours, schedules and pay was extremely easy and they handled all the government paperwork after set up. Reminders were super helpful and I never missed payroll deadlines. Cons I didn't like that I couldn't activate previously canceled plans. Since the pandemic caused me to temporarily shutdown I had to cancel the service to save the monthly fee. I was super disappointed that I had to create a NEW Square account just to get access to the plan again. In doing so, I had two locations, two Square accounts and double the headache of managing. Honestly this was one the biggest reasons I decided to switch to Zenoti to streamline everything into one account and make management easier. Reason for choosing Square Payroll I was already using Square Appointments and POS for my solo practice. Since Square offered payroll is was an obvious add on. Review Source HU Harold U. Notary Public Legal Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Enjoying All the Benefits of Having a Reliable Payroll System, without the Headache " July 15, 2021 5.0 Pros Square payroll makes such a complicated and time consuming task or managing payroll a simple task . Cons Square Payroll actively build and design their software to be better on a quarterly basis. If something was missing, shortly later, they would have integrated it into their software. I have most of the features I need for my employees, i.e. commissions, PTO, Tips, etc. Review Source GH Gregory H. Owner Publishing Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Leave Payroll Processing to the Experts at Square and Focus on Front Line Business Management" July 15, 2021 4.0 I was an original beta client of Square when I opened my office in San Francisco many years ago. Now I live and work in Colorado and find the cross sector platforms of running a business so seamless and intuitive. Also in the age of remote working, now I do not fear hiring either 1099'ers or employees as Square Payroll serves as the HR master in compliance. Pros For decades I have used a variety of platforms to process payroll. Since I already use Square on the frontline as a merchant services platform, it makes sense to use the payroll application to keep transactions simple and easy. Cons The only con that I have experienced was with a third party vendor that offered insurance services as part of the add-ons. It was a short lived and minor crisis and we have found a solution. Switched from [ADP Workforce Now](https://www.capterra.com/p/155895/WorkforceNow/) Cost Review Source Christy Marie P. Manager of Web Development Telecommunications Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Square Payroll makes it easy to run my small business" May 20, 2021 5.0 Using Square Payroll saved me money by eliminating the need for me to hire a CPA. It was easy to set up and any initial questions I had were answered promptly and efficiently by Square. I've used Square to run a restaurant with 10+ 1099 employees and now I use it to run a small marketing firm that employs all 1099 contractors. It takes me less than 10 minutes to run payroll and get my employees paid and I am extremely satisfied with the service. Pros Square Payroll was is the easiest, least complicated system I have found to run payroll. I used it for four years while owning a restaurant and it was simple to add new hires and remove employees who left the company. Square files your quarterly taxes, unemployment insurance, and workers comp with each payroll run so you don't have to visit and file in all the different portals. I never had any issues with getting my employees paid on time and Square offers multiple payment options which can be customized to work with each employee. Cons There's nothing about Square payroll that I don't like. Square continues to add new features to help me grow my business and make payroll a breeze. Alternatives considered [QuickBooks Payroll](https://www.capterra.com/p/174981/QuickBooks/) Review Source OA Oluwatobiloba A. Manager Arts and Crafts Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Square payroll solutions " December 3, 2022 5.0 My experience with square payroll so far is very good in terms of payment and management Pros I sincerely like the comprehensive payroll system and it's solution that can help business grow both online and offline. It enables fast payment. Cons I have not found anything i like the least Reason for choosing Square Payroll It contain all the features i want and it met my needs Review Source BC Barbara C. Owner Fine Art Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best Payroll and Benefit Program for Small Business" July 17, 2021 5.0 Great customer support and ease of use. Pros Time tracking and tax reporting were invaluable Cons No complaints - everything worked as I hoped Alternatives considered [QuickBooks Enterprise](https://www.capterra.com/p/174984/QuickBooks-Enterprise/) Reason for choosing Square Payroll Ease of use and support Review Source ES Erica S. Office Manager Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Square has taken great care of us. Always there when we have questions. Simple to employees" December 6, 2017 5.0 1\. Self controlled payroll (i.e. I can edit punches, see everything behind everyone's payroll). 2. Much faster/more efficient punches (no longer writing it down, having employees punch in and out on the ipad is so much easier). 3. I can do payroll from anywhere. I once did it on the top of Haleakala in Hawaii. Efficient filing from payroll specialists, and being able to remove employees right away if they are no longer working for us. Pros 1\. The option to fix things right on your account. It makes accuracy and ease seamless. It is also very quick. 2. The customer support! Because I'm constantly on the go with my job, being able to send an email and receive an email response to my question makes it easy anytime and anywhere to get help. The responses are always knowledgable, patient, and consistent. 3. Being able to see the stats on our payroll is AMAZING. With previous payroll specialist it seemed like we didn't have the option to really see behind the scenes, but now we are able to see everything and every penny. Cons There are times that the software gets glitchy when people punch in and/or out (will say they punched in or out but didn't actually/will say they worked a different amount of hours than they actually worked). Employees can usually tell from the punch screen though if something went wrong. After letting me know, it is always an easy fix, but still a fix to have to take care of. Review Source Serene C. Professional Residential Cleaning Services Hospitality Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "A surprise, random audit put your services to the test...Passed with flying colors Thank you!" November 1, 2018 5.0 I was recently audited by the NC State of Employment Security and passed with flying colors because we use Square up for our payroll services. I am busy leading my business, which means wearing many hats, and I have always depended on Square up to file the right forms, charge the correct rates, and pay my employees. All I have to do is plug in the time cards each week and click the pay button. The surprise, random audit put your services to the test...Thank you! Sincerely Pros Ease of use for sure, navigation, and customer support Cons Our team will have the same time cards...would like a feature that duplicates the time and can change the employee would be helpful Review Source DF Derek F. President Retail Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Okay product, remove for improvement. " June 14, 2022 4.0 It does what I want it to do. Pros Payroll is simple...easy to process, get reminders if I don't submit. Cons I don't think the report feature is very easy. You have to download everything just to see the report. Why can't you run the report, and then download if it meets your needs? Reason for choosing Square Payroll It's what they used when I bought the biz Review Source JV Jean V. Owner Arts and Crafts Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Pretty good, but not quite perfect for me" February 12, 2020 4.0 I love that my employees timecards are much more accurate than my previous method of writing it on paper and figuring it out. It has helped me deal with the red tape my state imposes on me, so that's a real plus. I ultimately chose to remain with my current provider because of the lack of blank check printing capabilities. I would like a way for my employees to track their sick time taken on their apps. Pros I use Square for retail and appointments, so I wanted to try the payroll function. The set up was easy to do, and my employees downloaded the timecards app and didn't seem to have any problems setting it up on their end. Cons It says that there is a check printing function, so the first time I went to run payroll, I discovered that I needed pre-printed checks. My current provider's software prints out complete checks on check blanks that I buy online. So, I'm using the timecards function, but not the actual payroll portion. On the timecards, I still have to calculate sick pay manually. I would like my employees to be able to sign in to sick time on their own. Review Source DS DAVID S. Manager Insurance Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Small business owner" June 15, 2021 4.0 Easy to use for all small business owners Pros Price and easy access. Easy to install and best program for small business owners Cons need more time to submit payroll. Overall system is great. Switched from [QuickBooks Enterprise](https://www.capterra.com/p/174984/QuickBooks-Enterprise/) Square is inexpensive and easy to use Review Source WH Wayne H. Owner Alternative Medicine Used the software for: 2+ years ### "One of the easiest systems to use. " January 22, 2022 5.0 Great company and experience. Pros Very easy to use. The app is fantastic. I also like that it texts and emails reminding to do payroll. The price is great as well. Cons Customer service could be better with some quicker help when needed. Review Source Similar Products Featured ## Send me user reviews about this product ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox.