Product updates

We’re excited to announce a handful of features shipped at Check in August! This month, our team was focused on increasing visibility into our platform through more informative warnings, logs, and statuses. These changes will provide our partners with more transparency and allow them to build better and even more delightful experiences for their end customers. 

API logs + guide

In Check Console, you will find a dashboard that allows users to view their requests to Check’s API. You can find this dashboard in the API Logs tab of the Developers section. Access to this view is limited to admin users of Console. For information, see our API logs guide.

Interested in learning more about how Check Console can help accelerate your payroll product development? Request an API key to gain full access to Console and its guides.

Implementation Status object and KYB status

For every company that a partner onboards, implementation is a necessary precursor to running its first payroll. The term “implementation” in payroll refers to the process of loading data for a company into a new payroll system. Check now surfaces the implementation status of a company on the company object. Within the implementation status object, we now surface the KYB (know your business — a compliance verification of the company in question) status, giving you transparency into the  KYB process for the company. Check will also emit webhooks when these statuses are modified. For information, see our Implementation Status guide.

Introducing `partially_applied` warning code for post-tax deductions

Sometimes, an employee may not have enough net pay to cover a post-tax deduction. For example, they may have net pay of $100 but have a miscellaneous post-tax deduction of $200, so we can’t fully apply that deduction. In this case, you would see the `partially_applied` warning code. We would only apply part of the post-tax deduction in the payroll, in this case, $100. This warning code is now part of our currently available warnings found here.

Introducing `exceeds_max_percent` warning reason for child support garnishment

When an employee has a child support garnishment, they have an amount field and a `max_percent` field. The max percent indicates the max amount of disposable earnings that can be garnished. Today, our API automatically enforces this max percent, but we are now showing `exceeds_max_percent` as a warning in this release. You will be able to find this warning with our current list of warnings, and you can read more about our child support garnishment support here.

Company Start Date is now editable in Console (within the current quarter)

External implementation teams can now edit a company’s Start Date in Console. Based on the company’s implementation status (see above), listed below are how partners can change start dates and how Check will automatically be notified of these changes

• If the company is in `needs_attention`, then the start date will be editable with no notification sent to Check.
• If the company is in `in_review`, then the start date will be editable, but if it is changed, a notification will be sent to Check for that particular company to inform Check that the start date has changed.
• If the company is in `complete`, then the start date will be editable, but if it is changed, a notification will be sent to Check for that particular company to inform Check that the start date has changed.
• Start date cannot be set to a date in the past.
• Start date cannot be edited outside of the quarter it was initially set.
  

For more information on Company Start Date, see our reference document. For a more in-depth experience of Console, request an API key here.

The new async paper checks API is live

This API returns a generated URL that partners can poll for paper checks. With this API, you can now get paper checks for an entire payroll in an async manner instead of having to synchronously print paper checks on a per employee basis.

API limit: Note that the maximum number of items/contractors that this API can render for a given payroll is 50. For more information, see our paper checks reference.

Updated semi-monthly pay schedules configuration

Check now supports selecting any pair of dates in a month for semi-monthly pay schedules instead of only supporting the 1st-15th or 15th-end of the month. An optional `second_payday` attribute to the Pay Schedule object has been added. This field should only be used with the semimonthly frequency to specify custom paydays besides the 15th and last day of the month. For more information, see our pay schedules guide.

Check added several features to increase the flexibility, compliance, and developer experience of our platform in July. These features include contractor support in Onboard, an improved KYB (know your business) data collection flow in Onboard, and a new status (failed) to our available payroll statuses. These will enable partners to support a wider range of workers, have more confidence in their companies, and have a better line of sight if there are ever any hiccups in their payroll processing.

Added complete contractor support in Onboard

Check now fully supports onboarding contractors through our Onboard product! Just as you could previously collect the necessary information for companies and employees to run payroll through Onboard, contractors in Onboard can now:

• Link their bank account via Plaid
• Securely enter their TIN
• Fill out, sign, and submit a Federal W-9

Like companies and employees, contractor Onboard links can be generated either via Console or the Onboard API endpoint. Updated documentation for our Onboard product, including the contractor functionality, can be found here.

Added additional fields to Onboard

• Terms of Service: Terms of Service will now be collected as the first step in the Company Onboard process on the welcome screen.
• Company Details: We now collect additional fields that will improve our KYC/AML processes at Check. The earlier in the company onboarding process that we can collect this information from companies, the faster Check will be able to complete its KYC/AML process to get these customers running payroll. In addition, companies can select an address other than their legal address as their Principal Place of Business, which will appear on employee paystubs.

Added active/inactive flags to Workplace

Workplaces can now be marked as active or inactive via our API. Inactive workplaces may not be assigned to an employee, and active workplaces associated with an employee may not be deactivated. Inactive workplaces are also not considered when determining company onboard status. 

Please see the updated reference and guide for more details.

Added new Failed status to our available Payroll Statuses

The new failed Payroll status is now live and available in production. We’ve also updated our documentation with details about this new status as well as a new diagram to illustrate a Payroll’s lifecycle.

Enabled monthly, quarterly, and annual frequencies through pay schedule API

Added user/group management support in Console

We’re excited to launch user and group management in Console! This will enable Console admins to create new users & restrict their visibility on a company-level basis.

Added modification of name and metadata in Pay Schedule

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We have added the ability for companies to transition through Full Service Embedded Setup in Sandbox. 12 minutes after submission to the /request_embedded_setup endpoint, the company’s implementation_status will move to “completed”, which indicates the company is ready to run payroll. You will receive a `company.updated` webhook with the completed implementation status. Learn more in our API docs about requesting Embedded Setup.