Manage your Dependent Care FSA (DCFSA)

Summary

How a DCFSA works, how to set one up, contribution limits, what happens after an employee leaves the company.

Users Intent

Users Intent

Context Variations

context Variations

Content

A Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (DCFSA) is a type of pre-tax benefit account savings account where you can set aside pre-tax dollars to pay for qualifying dependent care expenses. These are expenses that allow the employee to be employed or look for work.

To offer a DCFSA with Gusto, your company must offer health insurance with Gusto. If you already offer a DCFSA and manage it through a third party, admins can set up payroll deductions.

Employees: Use your DCFSA (Benefits Card Hub)

How to use your Dependent Care FSA funds

Dependent Care FSA funds can be used on care for qualified dependents that allows an employee (and their spouse, if applicable) to work or look for work. There are three ways you can use your funds on eligible expenses:

  1. Swipe your card at an eligible vendor.
    • Save your receipt—we may email you if the IRS requires more documentation for the transaction.
    • Some vendors do not make it possible for the IRS to verify that your purchase is for an eligible expense. If not, the transaction may be denied at the point of sale. Pay out of pocket, save your receipt, then submit a claim for reimbursement by following the steps below.
  2. Pay out of pocket and submit the expense for reimbursement (follow the steps below to submit claims in the Benefits Card Hub).
  3. Pay a bill by sending a check directly to the provider

Eligible expenses

Here's what makes an expense eligible:

  • The service is eligible—check out the list of eligible expenses.
  • The service was rendered during your eligible spending period.
  • You can confirm your specific spending period in the Benefits Card Hub: Go to My Accounts and look in the tile for your account(s).
  • The service is not in the future.

When your plan year ends or you leave your company, you may have extra time to submit claims. Check out the dropdown below for more info. 

Submit an expense for reimbursement or pay a bill

You can review and manage your expenses in the Benefits Card Hub: Under "My Accounts," click DCFSA.

See the steps above on how to register or sign in to the Benefits Card Hub.

Add or edit a reimbursement method

You can choose to be reimbursed by check, direct deposit, Venmo, or PayPal. Follow these steps to set up or change your reimbursement method:

  1. Access the Benefits Card Hub.
  2. In the top-right corner, click on your initials.
  3. Click Manage Account.
  4. Click the Reimbursement Options tab.
  5. Choose Add Payment Method.
  6. Fill out the prompts and you’re ready to start getting reimbursed.

Note: Adding a bank account can take 2–3 business days to verify.

Receipt requirements

Make sure your receipt includes:

  • Dependent name
  • Name of the service provider
  • Address of the service provider
  • Social Security number or tax ID of the service provider
  • Service date
    • Note: The phrase "service date" or "service dates" must be included. If your documentation does not include the service date, you can complete this form and upload it with your claim for review. A payment date, invoice date, or report date is not enough.
  • Description of services received
  • Cost of service

Submit an expense for reimbursement

If you paid out of pocket for an eligible expense, you may submit it for reimbursement as long as the service was rendered during your coverage period, and the final date to submit claims has not passed. 

To submit an expense for reimbursement:

  1. Access the Benefits Card Hub.
  2. Choose Reimburse Me.
  3. Upload your receipt, bill, or explanation of benefits (EOB).
  4. Review the information on the next page. If all looks correct, you can submit the request. If anything needs to be corrected, you can edit the field directly.
  5. Choose your reimbursement method and submit the request.

If the information can be validated immediately, your claim will be approved on the spot. If additional review is required you will receive an email when the claim has been processed. This is typically 3-5 business days

When you'll be reimbursed

If your claim is approved, you’ll be reimbursed using the reimbursement method you selected above.

Here's how the reimbursement is sent, based on the reimbursement method you've chosen:

  • Check: A check will be mailed to your home address in a plain envelope. If the check has not been cashed, you can update your reimbursement method to direct deposit, Venmo, or PayPal in the Benefits Card Hub.
  • Direct deposit: Your chosen bank account will receive the ACH within 1–3 days. It will appear on your bank statement as “Gusto PayClaim.”
  • Venmo/PayPal: Payment will be sent instantly from “Elevate” to your Venmo or PayPal account. You will pay a fee of $1 per transaction for this service. 

Submit an expense for reimbursement after leaving your company

If your benefit has a runout period, you may have extra time to submit claims for qualifying expenses incurred during your employment. You can confirm your last day to submit an expense in the Benefits Card Hub.

If you did not register for your Benefits Card Hub during your employment, contact Gusto for help.

Pay a bill directly

If you receive a bill for an eligible expense, you can pay it via check directly from your associated pre-tax benefit account.

If you've already paid the bill and want to be reimbursed, go to the header above titled "Submit an expense for reimbursement."

Here's how to pay a bill:

  1. Access the Benefits Card Hub.
  2. Choose Pay a bill.
  3. Upload your receipt.
  4. Review the information on the next page. If all looks correct, you can submit the request.

If all the required information can be identified in the receipt, your claim will be automatically approved and the payment will be made to the provider by check. If not, the claim will be manually reviewed within 3-5 business days. You will receive an email once the claim has been reviewed and processed.

Note: Checks expire after 180 days. You will receive an email if a check is about to expire. If the check was sent to your provider, contact them first about the payment. 

Resolve an expense that requires action

The IRS requires that we validate the eligibility of each DCFSA expense. If an expense requires additional information to complete this validation, we’ll email you. You’ll also see it as a notification on your Benefits Card Hub homepage.

Here's how to resolve an expense requiring action: 

  1. Access the Benefits Card Hub.
  2. Click on Expense Details.
  3. Filter for the status “Needs help.”
  4. Click the expense that needs help.
  5. You’ll see a note that provides more detail on what is needed. If additional documentation is needed, you can upload the documentation right there.

We'll review your documentation and email you with an update within 3–5 business days.

Here's what your documentation should include:

  • Dependent name
  • Name of the service provider
  • Address of the service provider
  • Social Security number or tax ID of the service provider
  • Service date
    • Note: The phrase "service date" or "service dates" must be included. If your documentation does not include the service date, you can complete this form and upload it with your claim for review. A payment date, invoice date, or report date is not enough.
  • Description of services received
  • Cost of service
Pay back an ineligible expense

If you used your Gusto Benefits Card on an ineligible expense, we’ll email you. To make sure you're using the account’s funds by IRS standards, you should resolve this expense before the account expires. 

To resolve an ineligible expense, you can either offset the balance with an eligible expense, or you can pay it back with a check.

Option 1: Offset the balance with an eligible expense

  1. Pay for an eligible expense out-of-pocket and save the receipt.
  2. Submit the expense for reimbursement in the Benefits Card Hub.
  3. The claim will be reviewed within 3-5 business days and applied to the ineligible expense.
    • If the eligible expense you submitted is more than the balance you owed, you'll be reimbursed for the remainder. For example, if you owe $10 for an ineligible expense and submit an eligible $15 expense to offset it, your balance owed will be $0 and you'll be reimbursed $5 from your account.

Option 2: Pay the expense back via check

Mail a check for the amount of the transaction to:

  • Elevate HCS
  • PO Box 875050
  • Kansas City, MO 64187-5050
Submit an expense for more than your balance

You can submit a Dependent Care FSA expense for reimbursement that is over the balance that you have available. If approved, you'll only be reimbursed up to the amount you have in the account. Then you'll be reimbursed for the remaining balance over time, or until you reach your annual DCFSA contribution. 

 

Solution Properties

Keywords
dcfsa dca add dcfsa dependent care account
Solution ID
121210653100000
Last Modified Date
09/12/2025 11:08:43 AM
Attributes
Gusto Attributes
  • Role: Employers; Accountants/Partners
  • Category: Benefits
  • Plan type: Core; Complete; Concierge
  • Who brokers my benefits?: Gusto
Taxonomy
  • Employees and managers > Benefits > Tax advantaged accounts
  • Employers and admins > Benefits > Tax advantaged accounts
Collections
  • Admins
  • External
  • Support Agent
  • US employees
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