This article covers how to apply for direct deposit and configure paper check printing during Patriot's payroll setup wizard. Direct deposit lets Patriot send employee pay electronically through the ACH network directly to employee bank accounts. Paper check printing lets you print employee paychecks on your own printer using standard 8½ x 11 check stock.
Note: You'll enter individual employee direct deposit information separately, after your company's bank account is verified and your direct deposit application has been approved. This step covers the company-level setup only.
This is Step 7 of the payroll setup wizard. If you haven't completed Step 6 (Workers' Compensation setup), do that first before continuing.
Video Walkthrough
This video walks through applying for direct deposit application steps and selecting pay check printing options in the wizard.
Apply for Direct Deposit
To pay employees via direct deposit, you need to submit a direct deposit application within Patriot. The application requires three documents: your FEIN identification, beneficial ownership information, and a bank statement.
To begin your direct deposit application:
In the payroll wizard, go to the Direct Deposit step.
Click Apply for Direct Deposit.
Complete each section of the application as described below.
Verify Identity
You will need to verify your identity so we can confirm you are who you say you are. Enter the details and submit. If your identity verification fails, you may need to upload a drivers license.
Provide Beneficial Owner Information
Federal regulations require businesses to identify their beneficial owners — the individuals who own or control 25% or more of the company — as part of the bank account verification process.
For each beneficial owner, you will need to provide:
Full legal name
Date of birth
Residential address
Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)
Ownership percentage
Enter this information in the Beneficial Owner Information section of the application. If your business has no individual who owns 25% or more, you will still need to identify one person with significant control over the company.
Link Your Bank Account with Plaid
Patriot uses Plaid, a third-party bank verification service, to link your company's bank account electronically. Plaid connects directly to your bank to confirm account ownership without requiring you to manually enter and verify routing and account numbers.
To link your bank account through Plaid:
Click Link Bank Account.
Search for and select your bank from the list.
Enter your bank's online login credentials when prompted by Plaid.
Once your bank account is confirmed, Plaid returns you to the Patriot application.
If your bank is not available through Plaid, you may be prompted to enter your account information manually instead.
Upload Proof of FEIN Identification
Patriot requires documentation to verify your Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) — the nine-digit tax ID issued by the IRS to identify your business.
Acceptable FEIN identification documents include:
IRS FEIN assignment letter
SS-4 confirmation notice
Corporate tax return
A recent federal tax filing that shows your FEIN
To upload your FEIN documentation:
In the FEIN Identification section of the application, click Upload Document.
Select your file and confirm the upload.
Upload a Bank Statement
You will also need to upload a recent bank statement for the account you linked through Plaid.
To upload your bank statement:
In the Bank Statement section of the application, click Upload Document.
Select a bank statement dated within the last 90 days.
Confirm the upload.
The bank statement must show your business name, account number, and bank name.
After You Submit the Application
Once you submit your direct deposit application, Patriot will review it. Approval typically takes 5- 7 business days. Applications are reviewed in the order they are received. While waiting for approval, you can continue with other steps in the payroll setup wizard to avoid delays.
You will receive an email notification when your application is approved.
After approval, you can enter each employee's direct deposit bank account information in the employee's payroll profile.
Additionally, you can choose payroll funding methods such as wire transfer or instant payment via the RTP Network for faster processing once direct deposit is set up.
Set Up Paper Check Printing
If you want to print paychecks instead of — or in addition to — using direct deposit, you can configure paper check printing during the payroll wizard.
Patriot supports check printing on standard 8½ x 11 paper using two check stock options:
Blank check stock: Plain 8½ x 11 paper with no pre-printed content. Patriot prints all check elements, including the check itself, MICR (magnetic ink character recognition) encoding line, and pay stub, directly onto the blank paper. You will need a MICR-compatible printer and MICR toner to print on blank check stock.
Preprinted check stock: Check paper that already has your bank's routing number, account number, and MICR line printed on it. Patriot prints the payee name, amount, date, and pay stub details on top of the existing preprinted information.
To configure paper check printing:
In the payroll wizard, go to the Paper Checks step.
Select either Blank Check Stock or Preprinted Check Stock based on the paper you will use.
If using preprinted check stock, confirm that your routing and account numbers are already printed on the check paper before printing.
Print a test check to verify alignment before running your first payroll.
Next Step
After completing direct deposit setup and paper check configuration, continue to the next step in the payroll wizard: Adding Employees in the Wizard.