Verify a company bank account (for admins)

Plaid is trusted by millions of people to connect their bank accounts to apps like Gusto. 

When you verify with Plaid, you’ll enter your bank username and password, and choose the account you want to use.

• Heads up: In some cases, we may ask you to enter your account and routing number to confirm the details Plaid sends us—some banks require this extra step as an added layer of security. 

Advantages of verifying with Plaid

• Your bank is instantly verified and ready to use—manual verification takes a few business days, and requires a few extra steps before you can use the account.
• Gusto can help you solve bank issues sooner—with access to real-time account information, we can alert you when issues arise and proactively help (ex. you have insufficient funds, but need to pay your employees on time).

Connect to Plaid

1. Sign in to Gusto. 
2. Click the Settings section. 
3. At the top, toggle to the Plan & billing tab. 
   • If you do not have this tab, work with your primary administrator to get the access (or permission) you need. 
4. Under the “Bank accounts” headline, next to each bank account, there'll be a status and any action you can take.
5. Click Connect to Plaid.
6. If we're able to connect, the "Bank Connection" will show a status of "Connected".

When you verify manually, you’ll enter your account and routing number, and we’ll send test transactions. Once you see the amounts in your bank account, return to Gusto and enter them to finish verifying the account.

Reminders about manual verification—it takes longer and increases the risk of debit failures (and fees)

• Test transactions take 2–3 business days to clear—once cleared, you’ll need to enter the amounts to Gusto. If the amounts are incorrect, you’ll have to start over. 
• Gusto cannot protect you from debit failures without access to your bank account information—debits can fail when there are insufficient funds, your bank blocks our debits, accounts are frozen, etc.
  • Debit failures result in a $100 fee each day our debits fail, and may result in blocked payroll and restricted direct deposit speeds (you may not be eligible for 2-day or next-day payroll if you have repeated debit failures).

Enter the two test transaction amounts in Gusto

1. Sign in to your admin profile in Gusto.
2. Go to Settings. 
3. At the top, toggle to the Plan & billing tab. 
   • If you do not have this tab, work with your primary administrator to get the access (or permission) you need. 
4. Under “Bank accounts”, find the bank you need to verify.
5. From the “Status” column, click Confirm test transactions to enter the two test deposit amounts sent.

Here’s a quick guide to each bank status and any actions that may be needed. You can manage your bank accounts by going to Settings section and selecting the Plan & billing tab. 

• If you do not have this tab, work with your primary administrator to get the access (or permissions) you need. 

Active accounts can be used, but inactive accounts cannot.

If you’re having trouble with your bank connection, try the steps below.

Step 1: Try basic troubleshooting

1. Clear your browser’s cache and cookies.
2. Make sure your browser is up to date.

Step 2: Check for Plaid or bank issues

Sometimes issues happen because of your bank or Plaid. Try reaching out to your bank or Plaid to see if they're having problems.

Common Plaid issues and what to do

• You used Plaid, but the connection broke
  • You may need to verify your account again using Plaid or manual deposits.
• Your bank is not listed in Plaid
  • You’ll need to manually verify your account.
• Your bank username or password does not work
  • Go to your bank’s website, reset your login info, then try again in Gusto.
• You do not see the test deposits
  • You may have entered the wrong account info. Remove the account and add it again with the correct routing and account number.
• Your printed checks show the wrong account number
  • Some banks hide (encrypt) account numbers for safety. If this happens:
    • Manually verify the account.
    • Delete the Plaid-connected version in Gusto.

Step 3: Start over if nothing works

If you're still stuck, we can help you start fresh:

1. Message Gusto from the section of your account so we can help disable the old bank account.
2. Then, add the account again in the app.