Simple payroll for small business
Payroll that only costs you when you use it.
$0/month. No subscriptions. No need to pause. Platform fees scale with your payroll, and you pay nothing in months when you don't run payroll.
07 / 17 / 2026
Why are you paying for payroll in months you don't use it?
Most payroll providers charge a monthly fee whether you run payroll or not. CheckMate only charges when you actually pay people.
Typical payroll
Charged every month, even if you skip payroll.
Comparison fees accurate as of July 2026.
CheckMate
1% of gross payroll (up to $10.00)
and $2.25 + 0.25%/employee paid
No payroll this month? You pay nothing.
Everything you need
Full-service payroll, without the full-service price
CheckMate handles the calculations, the payments, and the paperwork — you review and approve.
Automatic tax calculations
Federal withholding (IRS Pub 15-T percentage method), FICA, FUTA, and state SUI and withholding for all 50 states — recalculated every run.
Automatic direct deposit
Employees are paid electronically on payday. No checks to write, no trips to the bank — CheckMate moves the money for you.
Year-end tax documents
W-2s, 1099-NECs, and Form 941 are generated as PDFs automatically and retained for the IRS-required period.
Employee self-service portal
Employees log in to view and download their pay stubs and tax documents, and to update their own profile and bank details — no work for you.
Bank-level security
SSNs and EINs are encrypted with AES-256, and KYC and bank linking are handled by Stripe. You never store raw bank credentials.
Filing deadline reminders
We email you ahead of quarterly Form 941 and pay-date deadlines, with guidance on what to remit and where — so nothing slips through the cracks.
How It Works
Add your team
Enter employee info, pay rates, and tax details. Takes about 5 minutes per person.
Run payroll in 5 minutes
Review hours, confirm amounts, and approve. We calculate tax automatically.
Employees get paid
Direct deposits go out on payday. Pay stubs are available to employees immediately.
Stay on top of taxes
We generate W-2s and 1099s, track withholding and employer tax, and remind you when/how to remit to the IRS and your state.
Built for businesses like yours
Owner paying yourself
You're an LLC or S-Corp owner who needs to run payroll for just yourself. Why pay $40+/month for that?
Seasonal business
You have employees part of the year. With CheckMate, you pay nothing in your off months.
Small team of 1–10
You have a handful of employees and want payroll that just works without the enterprise price tag.
Stop overpaying for payroll.
Set up your company and add your team at no cost. You only pay when you run payroll — and it's a fraction of what other providers charge.