Item: Paychex Flex
Rating: 10
Author: Kriss King

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

[Paychex Flex is used for] payroll and 401K administration - I use the interface to handle all payroll, reporting, and 401k benefits. It is a seamless way to manage all pay and compensation for my small business. All virtual, and easy report-pulling for my employees intermittent needs for W2s, paystubs, and other reporting needs.

Pros and Cons

24/7 Access to the Payroll system via PC or App with easy GUI design
Easy to add special bonus checks and other payroll exceptions once in a while
My specialist Cat is one of the best support reps in any industry when I need help/always responsive.
401k system and reports was an easy one-time set up and very seamless thru interface

When adding a bonus check, I have to remember on my own to create a separate check so my techs don't take a hit on withholding
I like the improvements easy toggling into people/profile pay levels while working payroll vs one or other. I would like an "in-your-face" button/popup (in the payroll screens) as my employees time of review and wage evaluations occur. Time flies so fast. This may be a setting that is there but I'm just unaware of it.
I like the login now without the annoying two step text verification code.

Return on Investment

Positive in terms of hassle-free payroll and 401K benefits

Alternatives Considered

QuickBooks Desktop Pro and QuickBooks Online

I use QuickBooks Desktop Pro and QuickBooks Online for a few of my companies, however the times I've briefly looked into them for payroll services I couldn't picture making the transition. Additionally, when issues arise with those companies, (for other things like merchant services) it can be laborious since there is no dedicated rep and monster-sized departments. I have profound hearing loss, and so personalized dedicated reps are a must for me as I use a mix of amplified phone, captioning apps like AVA, email, and chat help. I have personally experienced being passed along for more than an hour with other companies - well meaning reps but the twists are just too difficult to solve via chat/screen share at times. Never had a bad experience with Paychex [Flex] with my one stop relationship person.

Support Rating

Mentioned before, my rep Cat is world class, she's the best I've encountered in 32 years of industry professional work.

Key Insights

Do you think Paychex Flex delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with Paychex Flex's feature set?

Yes

Did Paychex Flex live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of Paychex Flex go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Paychex Flex again?

Yes

Usability

Mentioned before, the Paychex Flex app provides everything I need for payroll and 401k. I don't use the other functions but the ones I use are reliable, and take very little brain power, and are hassle-free.

Other Software Used

Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365), QuickBooks Desktop Pro, QuickBooks Online

Likelihood to Recommend

Maybe it is just me, but I think that even doing payroll for one or two people is just brain damage. The payroll solutions with accounting programs are likely useful but I'm not sure I would want to adopt that learning curve and trust that all the state and federal laws are updated. With Paychex Flex, I pull 3 reports monthly (during my season as we are a seasonal business) with about two clicks and place them in a drop box account for my bookkeeper. She can offer me payroll processing, but honestly with the virtual Paychex Flex system, I can move anywhere in the world and run my main income business with about 6 hours a week oversight.

Hassle-Free, Virtual Payroll and 401K Management

Overall Satisfaction with Paychex Flex