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Patriot Payroll Reviews

4.8 (3,500) Write a Review!

About Patriot Payroll

Basic Payroll: $17/mo + $4 per employee or contractor. Full Service Payroll with tax filing: $37/mo + $4 per employee or contractor.

Learn more about Patriot Payroll

Pros:

The automation is useful - integration into QuickBooks. Calculations of payroll, automatic handling of tax filing and tax payments are a joy.

Cons:

Frustrating to have a long delay - "bank days" from entering payroll to pay date/direct deposit. Since all electronic transactions, makes no sense that weekends are excluded in that timeframe.

Patriot Payroll ratings

Average score

Ease of Use
4.7
Customer Service
4.8
Features
4.7
Value for Money
4.8

Likelihood to recommend

9.3/10

Patriot Payroll has an overall rating of 4.8 out 5 stars based on 3,500 user reviews on Capterra.

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Ann
Ann
Administrator in US
Verified LinkedIn User
Health, Wellness & Fitness, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

2-fold Patriot fan!

5.0 2 years ago

Comments: Doing payroll on my own was very tough and caused a hectic day every week.

Pros:

As a New Englander Patriots is my football team, so why not Patriots Software! The name was the draw, the customer service is the prize to keep me.

Cons:

Add an emergency contacts tab to the Employee section.

Natalie
Executive Director in US
Civic & Social Organization, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1-5 months
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

Excellent Payroll Service

4.0 last month New

Comments: We are pleased with Patriot and have every intention of staying with them for our payroll and HR services. We are considering moving from QBO to Patriot for our accounting as well.

Pros:

We love using Patriot. It is simple enough for anyone to use for processing payroll and customer support has been very good in helping to answer questions at any time.

Cons:

We had an issue with amounts rounding up when an employee is using sick leave resulting in the gross pay being a cent over what it actually is. Although this seems trivial, it does matter for accounting records.

Chris
Book keeper
Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1-5 months
Reviewer Source
Source: SoftwareAdvice

Get a real company to do your payroll

2.0 8 years ago

Pros:

It is very inexpensive and takes on clients that have very few employees. Customer service reps are EXTREMELY HELPFUL, polite, and very knowledgeable of the program abilities and shortfalls.

Cons:

You can cancel ANYTIME, but then you have to send all the State/Government taxes collect to their respective agencies with the appropriate paperwork. Patriot sends all the taxes back to you to deal with. Some taxes are due annually, due the end of January, so if you want Patriot to file it, you have to keep the subscription until that date. Nickel and diming. If you want them to track sick days, accumulated vacation days etc, it is included. If you want your employees to be able to track it through the online portal, that will cost you additional per month. Check out the list of add-ons to determine what is important to you. They offer QuickBooks import of data, but I have yet to see how anything matches anything on the bank statement. Like taxes are deducted from payroll, they show in a different month than the payroll, and the payroll imports as the gross amount which is not the amount sent to the employee by NatPay. If you use a dummy account in your accounting software (QuickBooks) to run all the payroll functions through, this will not bother you and your accountant will made the journal entry additional adjustments. I could not get my first payroll to reconcile, and it was determined that Patriot made an error and did not collect $ 3.60 in taxes somewhere. I am going with when the taxes were going to be sent to the agency, the error would have been found and corrected (depending on the tax agency, some are sent monthly, some quarterly, some annually.) The next payrolls were done correctly. NatPay is a 3rd party vendor that facilitates the employee direct deposit. If you enter a payroll incorrectly and want to cancel, even seconds later, Patriot says it is canceled, but you have to CALL NATPAY otherwise it goes through. Be sure to not miss the pop-up warning. I was advised they are working on a better solution to make sure it is clear what to do in order to cancel a mistake payroll that was submitted. The site is not all that easy to navigate. There are report and default options that may not be easy to locate how to set. Strongly suggest that you contact customer services and they will walk you quickly through the process. I have worked with 4 different Payroll service companies over the last couple of years. They are not all the same, they each have strengths and weaknesses and wide range of costs. From what I can tell, they all do the payroll functions of collecting and distributing employee payments and taxes correctly. The big difference, besides costs, is what they include in the base price, and if/how they enter this information into your accounting system like QuickBooks. With any payroll service, you always have the option to enter it manually into your system from the paystubs which ensure it is entered how you want it.

Patriot Software Response

8 years ago

I'd like to take the opportunity to clarify some of your misgivings about Patriot: 1. You are correct, you can cancel anytime. If you do cancel, we do give you any money back we have collected so that you can make your filings yourself. If you want Patriot to file, for you, (we'd be happy to), you just need to cancel after the filings have been made. 2. You do not get charged to keep track of sick days or vacation days. There is a free feature in the software called "Manage Time Off". 3. Next pay periods DO automatically populate. This was a feature we added last year. 4. All payroll reports are under the Payroll tab under "Reports". We have an excellent "Payroll Details Report" where you can adjust dates and select specific employees and/or taxes to view. These can be grouped in a variety of ways: check, employee, paydate, totals 5. Once you run a payroll, a file is instantly sent to Natpay. If you void the payroll, you are correct, you will want to call Natpay and make sure the file has been canceled. Because this is a third party vendor who handles direct deposit, we can't control how their system works after the file is sent, unfortunately. We do give warning in the system to remind you. (We want to be sure your employees are only paid once.) 6. Our QB export only sends by pay date, not pay period. 7. We appreciate that we can make our navigation easier, and our UX team is on it! I'm having a customer support rep reach out to you to help you with these things. We are here for you, Chris. We want you to be among the thousands of satisfied customers Patriot serves every day!

Susan
Owner in US
Alternative Medicine, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1-5 months
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

Patriot Payroll is a must!

5.0 3 months ago

Comments: As a small business owner, who handles the onboarding and payroll of employees, Patriot Payroll has made this transition so seamless and my decreased a lot of stress.

Pros:

I Have been in business for over 20 years and wished I would have switched to Patriot payroll much sooner! It is so user friendly and the customer support, if needed, are very knowledgeable and friendly. I will NEVER change back to ADP or Paychex.

Cons:

I can't think of anything negative to say. It has truly made my life, as a small business owner easier.

Valentino
Owner and Programs Director in US
Recreational Facilities & Services, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

Patriot Payroll is the best!

5.0 last month New

Comments: My company is pleased that we switched from another payroll company. Patriot Payroll is easy to use and the price for the service is much less than our last payroll company. We are glad that we made the switch!

Pros:

The price can't be beat! We're glad that we switched!

Cons:

We are completely satisfied! There are 0 regrets.

Patty
Owner in US
Construction, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Great payroll software!!

5.0 last month New

Comments: I have been using Patriot for payroll for several years for my small businesses. It is very easy to learn and use! Customer service is excellent!

Pros:

very easy to learn and use. also love that I can also pay contractors using direct deposit.

Cons:

would like to be able to customize reports more

Timothy
President in US
Professional Training & Coaching, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Fantastic Payroll Service

5.0 last month New

Comments: Since moving from another software program (QB), my payroll headaches are a thing of the past. While setup was a little daunting for me (a non accountant type) this service has more than paid for itself.

Pros:

No more worries about withholding taxes or filing the forms with state and federal agencies. Direct deposit is a must as well.

Cons:

Could have an option for recurring monthly employee reimbursements e.g. cell phone, insurance etc

Lauren
Director in US
Education Management, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1-5 months
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

Thankful for Patriot

5.0 last month New

Comments: As a start-up nonprofit, Patriot was a cost effective and easy to use payroll system. We have been very happy with the customer support and have been thankful we made the choice to use Patriot over the other major competitors in the industry. The money we are saving can be used to further our mission.

Pros:

I like the affordability and customer support the most about about Patriot

Cons:

I like least the manual onboarding of employees and the fact that no email to employees that payroll has been run.

Dianne
CEO in Vietnam
Management Consulting, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

Great service

5.0 2 months ago

Comments: My overall experience is great. I love that it reduces my time in doing payroll and filling my federal and state payroll taxes.

Pros:

The easy of doing payroll for different payroll types.

Cons:

Initially setting up the automated withdrawal from my account.

Kiran
AGENT BROKER in US
Insurance Software, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1-5 months
Reviewer Source

Best payroll service

5.0 last month New

Comments: My overall experience is very good. I was searching on google for a payroll service provider with reasonable fees for a small office like mine. So far this service is very affordable and quick.

Pros:

Patriot Payroll Service is the easiest software I've ever used to process the payrolls. I'm an Insurance Agent with only 2 payrolls, the payroll processing fees are very reasonable, I've one less thing to worry about filing my payroll taxes with state and Fed. It's all done by this service.

Cons:

So far I have not encounterd any problems with this service.

Ronnie
VP/Treas/Sec. in US
Commercial Real Estate Software, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

Summary

4.0 4 years ago

Comments: Major benefit is Patriot is less expensive than ADP and easier to use.

Pros:

To generate a payroll period, it is straight forward. I appreciate the fact of Patriot taking care of the tax filings. I also appreciated that they automatically added the FFCRA paid leave and paid FLMA leave . I greatly appreciate their customer service personnel. They appear to train them well and are actually helpful either knowing the answer/solution or will inquire with a supervisor to get an answer if at all possible. If not, they are great in following up with an answer or simply responding that they are still researching.

Cons:

Navigating through reports could be improved by having a link on every report window to go back to the Report menu rather than having to use the side menu bar. When navigating EE time cards, it would be nice to have the dates appear at the top of the page as you scroll down to enter other hours to ensure you are entering on the correct day. I would prefer EE timecards would open to the pay period to be entered versus the next pay period due to the date they are entering their hours. Many people end up entering their hours in the upcoming time card versus the time card and time period still to be processed. Improvements to adding Group Term Life income at the end of the year could also be a suggestion. Some reports need to be enhanced utilizing the Department data they have recently added. It needs to be an option on which one sort on. Anniversary reports have difficulty calculating total time for EE who had a break in service.

Gandalf
Owner in US
Financial Services Software, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

Great for tight budgets

4.0 4 years ago

Comments: Overall, Patriot has been a great tool and it freed me from the clutches of Intuit, maker of Quickbooks. I spend a fraction of what I used to pay Intuit and I get more features with better customer service. I also looked at Gusto and Paychex, but Patriot was the cheapest option with the most features, hands down.

Pros:

I signed up as a Partner and got 50% discount off the retail rates. I like that the full service payroll handles all the tax remittances and reporting. Plus, I generated W-2s with the click of a button.

Cons:

My biggest disappointment was the 4 day lead time on Direct Deposit. We typically set up pay periods to end on Saturday, so we had to run payroll on Monday in order to make direct deposit show up on Friday. That left no cushion of time and a holiday pushed the direct deposit back to the following Monday! The "solution" was to Prefund the Payroll by giving Patriot a "Deposit" that they used for each payroll and then "refilled" to the set amount. Luckily, this worked for my some of my clients, but many of them can't afford to tie up that much cash. This may be a deal breaker for some companies.

Carol
owner in US
Accounting Software, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

I'm quite satisfied with Patriot Payroll

4.0 2 years ago

Comments: All in all, I appreciate Patriot Payroll. It's very fast to run, provides a summary that contains nearly all the information I need in one place, provides a PDF file that reflects pay stubs, by employee and it's all quite straightforward and fast. Journal entries are easy to construct with the information given for summary entry into General Ledger. And I do not have to pay by the year which is one of the reasons I switched from another software.

Pros:

Patriot was a breeze to set up, even mid-year and mid-quarter. Payroll is very easy to run and because my clients don't feel comfortable giving access to their bank accounts, I simply provide a PDF of their check stubs for the given week and they write the checks, it works quite well. I am in a different state than my clients but we work by mail and email so PDF files are fine. I have one client that I also use a different General Ledger Accounting software for and I simply journal in the Patriot payroll in journal form at the end of each month. I can break down the detail as much or as little as I need.

Cons:

State of California requires a breakdown per quarter of how much each employee was paid and how much tax they paid for State Taxes. This is a little more difficult to put together as there is no report labeled State payroll. Possibly it is there I just haven't found it specifically, but it is always the most challenging part of the quarterly payroll tax process. I would also like it if child support and Cal Savers could be on the same report as payroll tax deductions. If I had more employees it would be a bigger problem for me.

Cheryl
Full Charge Bookkeeper in US
Mechanical or Industrial Engineering, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: 1-5 months
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

Payroll with Ease

5.0 8 months ago

Comments: I can complete payroll in a short time using it. It processes taxes accurately. I can get help quickly with the chat feature. I can find answers to my questions, for example, how to set up a wage garnishment, by using the search feature.

Pros:

I can do the payroll anywhere I have a computer. I like the fact we can print the checks. I appreciate there is a team that can keep up-to-date with tax laws and all returns are submitted electronically.

Cons:

When I made an error in setting up PTO, I couldn't edit it. I had to create a new rule completely and make the one in error, inactive.

Shana
Owner in US
Hospital & Health Care, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

Patriot Software is the way to go!

5.0 4 years ago

Comments: My experience has been wonderful overall with Patriot Payroll. I am able to process my payroll easily and efficiently. I haven't needed external assistance because the system is so user-friendly that I am able to handle all of my needs on my own.

Pros:

Patriot Software Payroll is very easy to use! It is very simple to make any adjustments to the employee files and also to print off any necessary reports. I can always find what I am looking for!

Cons:

The only feature that I find frustrating, is when I am inputting the information for payroll and then I need to back out of the screen to update an employee file for whatever reason and all of my information that I have entered has to be deleted. It would be better if the information was able to be saved and then edited later, if needed. It is frustrating when you need to make one small change to one employee file and therefore you lose ALL of the input you put in for the other employees and have to re-enter all of the information.

Beth
Business Administrator in US
Consumer Services, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

The best value in payroll services

5.0 last year

Comments: I have used Patriot in different settings for over 5 years, and have had no issues. They are the best bang for the buck in payroll processing, and while other companies are outsourcing their customer service (making it essentially worthless), Patriot keeps it US-based, which makes getting help a breeze.

Pros:

The best things about Patriot are (1) the customer service - always pleasant and get our answers easily, (2) the price - it really can't be beat for full service payroll, and (3) ease of use - their web portal is very easy to use and navigate.

Cons:

I do wish there was an actual app for mobile phones to more easily run payroll that way. Going through a browser on a phone can sometimes be clunky. I would like to see more options for customizable payroll reports.

John
Engineer in US
Civil Engineering, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

Patriot Payroll Rocks!

5.0 4 years ago

Comments: Saving time and eliminating the risk and liability of missing deadlines for filing are the biggest problems I'm solving. I spend 10 minutes max every two weeks on payroll.

Pros:

Having tried filing payrolls documents myself, I found it to be a nightmare of paperwork, made that much more difficult by the State of Maryland, who seems to thrive on making things complicated. Enter Patriot Payroll to the rescue! They make payroll easy and even stay on top of the ever changing requirements doled out by the State. A huge timesaver!

Cons:

As a sole proprietorship, I don't have a lot of super complicated payroll tasks, so I likely don't take advantage of the many features. I can't think of anything that I'm lacking as it takes care of 401k, taxes, and all of the straightforward payroll items I need.

Oscar
Manager in US
Accounting Software, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

Price vs Value

4.0 4 years ago

Comments: I like it over all, my only one concern for the size of clients I have is the 4 days direct deposit, I don't like neither my clients the other option of add funds to Patriot to have next day direct deposit.

Pros:

The software covers most of the frequently payroll needs. The price is according for what you get. Customer service is quick response, helpful and kind. Easy to navigate between companies. Easy to set up, the steps guide you very well to avoid any error. Contains value information of how to get tax account from other states. The blog contains value HR information.

Cons:

The 4 days direct deposit. It does not notify that the date to run is coming up. Prefund next day payment.

David
Director in US
Warehousing, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1-5 months
Reviewer Source

Patriot Payroll is the best move I've made in a long time!

5.0 7 months ago

Comments: The Patriot Payroll staff is AMAZING to work with! [sensitive content hidden] has been my guide and coach all the way through. Every time I call with a question, [sensitive content hidden] answers it easily and walks me through to be sure I get what he's teaching me. I can't state enough that Patriot has been a game-changer for me in my office workload. Every month, every quarter, I'm saving HOURS of manual work that I can now apply elsewhere.

Pros:

I love how easy it was to switch my payroll from an annually purchased in-house software package, to the Patriot system. I love that I no longer have to open a file, save a backup, and process each employee individually, print tax reports monthly, quarterly, and annually. I wasted so much time in the past. Besides being easier, this payroll system is actually less expensive in the long haul for hours of work saved.

Cons:

Having to modify my in-house record keeping on Quicken software. I'd been set up for my manual payroll previously, with automated entry system in quicken. I've had to modify that process over time to be sure and track my tax payments. Not a huge deal, more of a process of transitioning from one system to another. Still a WHOLE LOT EASIER to manage than all the work I did before.

Terri
Project Manager in US
Accounting Software, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

Excellent software for payroll services

5.0 2 years ago

Comments: Customer service is helpful and has been great! Love not having to process all Q and YE reports and W-2s. The W-2s are ready right away which our clients love!

Pros:

Very easy and user friendly. Love not having to process all Q and YE reports and W-2s. The W-2s are ready right away which our clients love!

Cons:

That it does not integrate with QB so we manually need to do JE. The time tracking is cumbersome with accruals for time off.

Jennifer
Enrolled Agent in US
Financial Services Software, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

Best Customer Service!

5.0 4 years ago

Comments: Patriot provides a low-cost comprehensive payroll program that offers many of the features and benefits found in higher priced software. The customer service and support I have received when contacting the company is the best of any software we use.

Pros:

Patriot is an easy to use, basic payroll program that allows the user to customize many aspects of their payroll processing. The customer service and support at Patriot are top notch!

Cons:

I would appreciate more comprehensive reporting and the ability to somewhat customize report layouts to present the relevant information for the end user.

Dan
President in US
Civil Engineering, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Solid Tool, Some Shortcomings

4.0 4 years ago

Comments: Performing the payroll function is the easiest and best function. It has been simple to learn overall (with a few exceptions). Those items I had issues with the support team was great in assisting me directly (usually the chat function).

Pros:

Ease of performing payroll functions that are beyond my capabilities. Enter all the data and it runs appropriately, collects the taxes, and keeps us legal and current on tax liabilities. These are all functions that would take significantly more time to accomplish without Patriot (and I would be uncertain if they were done correctly).

Cons:

Several of the tools are difficult to use/understand how best to use such as the PTO/holiday accrual system, paycheck withdrawals, etc. I did figure out how to use them, but once I did, there were "orphan rules" I no longer needed/wanted and no way to delete them (and no way to make them do what I needed, which is why they were abandoned). The other issue I have had is the way PTO works (rules are limited and I need to make too many manual adjustments). Also, the turnover from 2020 to 2021 was challenging. I had to complete payroll yesterday (1/4/21) before COB and the Patriot Software had a glitch (per my conversation with one of the Patriot representatives) and we were not the only affected company. I did manage to push payroll through, but rather than 30 - 40 minutes running payroll, I spent most of the day. Fixing issues, answering employee questions, etc. On the timecard, I would like to be able to simply and easily enter 100 or more charging categories for projects. I'm looking for a new solution because there isn't really a simple way to administer that type of requirement in the timecard system

Verified Reviewer
Verified LinkedIn User
Information Technology & Services, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

The Pros And Cons Of Patriot Payroll: Everything You Need To Know.

4.0 3 years ago

Comments: Overall, I have had a positive experience with Patriot Payroll. The staff is friendly and helpful, and they always answer my questions in a timely manner. I appreciate the fact that they offer both online and offline payroll services, which makes it easy for me to stay compliant with the IRS. I would definitely recommend their services to other small businesses.

Pros:

There are many things that we like about Patriot Payroll. First, they offer a variety of services that cater to our needs. Second, their customer service is excellent. We always receive prompt responses to our questions, and their representatives are always willing to help. Third, their prices are very reasonable, and they offer a variety of payment options. Finally, their software is easy to use and very reliable. We never have any problems with it, and it makes processing payroll a breeze.

Cons:

There are a few things that I didn't like about Patriot Payroll. First, their customer service is not the best. It can be very difficult to get in touch with someone who can help you, and when you do, they often don't have the answers to your questions. Second, their website is not very user-friendly. It can be hard to find what you're looking for, and the layout is not very intuitive. Finally, their prices are a bit high compared to other payroll providers.

Tony
Executive recruiter in US
Construction, 501–1,000 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source
Source: SoftwareAdvice

Patriot Payroll has great customer service and is easy to use!!

4.0 7 years ago

Comments: This is a very user-friendly and inexpensive way to get payroll done. This software has saved our company a lot of time and money. I would recommend this product to small and medium-size companies.

Pros:

The customer support is very effective and made Implementation process very smooth. The process for logging employee hours and applying deductions are very easy to understand and straightforward. This product has a very user-friendly UI that is clean and very intuitive, this makes reporting very flexible. This is a cost effective solution for small companies as long as you do not need extensive job costing integration into an accounting system.

Cons:

The direct deposit functionality is very restrictive at times and they require that the payroll is processed by Monday for it to be distributed to the employee's account on Friday. Patriot Payroll does use ADP as a third party to do the direct deposits. This doesn't really work well with our paperless environment. After you have entered hours you can not go back and correct any mistakes you may have made on a payroll deduction. This is frustrating at times. You have to delete the entire payroll, edit the deduction and then re-enter the payroll. This makes the software feel very clunky, an alternative would be to approve the payroll void the incorrect check and then re-run another payroll.

Patriot Software Response

7 years ago

Tony, as of December 2018, we no longer use a third party to manage direct deposit. Everything is seamless and in our software. Did you know that if you are paying your employees by direct deposit, and have set them up with the free employee portal, no printing is necessary on your end? Employees can log in to their employee portal and download paystubs from their if needed, making your payroll paperless. :)

Vanessa
Owner in US
Accounting Software, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Words from a professional user

5.0 3 years ago

Comments: My overall experience with Patriot software has been great.

Pros:

When I joined Patriot as an affinity partner, the software discounts were too good to ignore, especially from a company who offered equal functionality as other top providers in the market. My favorite feature about Patriot Software is the 100% automated payroll tax filing and payments. Other software companies that I have used claimed full automation, but there would inevitably end up being at least one or two tasks that had to be completed manually, which was frustrating. Patriot lived up to and continues to satisfy its promise.

Cons:

My least favorite thing about Patriot software is that credit card accounts have to be set up as negative asset accounts versus liabilities, as Patriot (at least at the time of my first company's onboarding) did not accommodate positive liabilities.