When you first sign up for PaySauce, you'll complete your initial company setup. Once this is complete, a checklist guides you through the remaining steps needed to process your first pay run.
The following gives an overview of what is needed. For a more detailed explanation/guide on each step, use the links provided to view the related article.
Note: Most businesses can complete this setup in 30-60 minutes, depending on how many employees you need to add.
Initial registration
During sign-up, you'll provide your essential company details before accessing PaySauce. This includes:
Company name and contact information
Australian Business Number (ABN)
Withholding Payer Number (WPN)
Payment Reference Number (PRN)
Business address
Pay frequency (weekly or fortnightly)
Other required business information
Note: Once you've completed registration, you can access PaySauce and continue with the setup checklist.
Setup checklist
After logging in to PaySauce for the first time, you'll see a setup checklist with the remaining steps needed before you can process your first pay run.
Manage payment setup - Configure how you'll fund your payroll
Set up SuperChoice account - Link your superannuation account
Authorise your bank agreement - Connect your bank account with PaySauce
Add your first employees - Create employee records
Run your first pay - Process your first pay run
Note: You can complete these steps in order, or tackle them as suits your workflow. However, all steps must be completed before you can successfully process a pay run.
Step 1: Manage your payment setup
Your company settings include your business details, tax information, and payment configuration. This information is essential for processing payroll, paying taxes, and filing with the ATO.
What you'll need
Australian Business Number (ABN)
Withholding Payer Number (WPN)
Payment Reference Number (PRN) - available from your ATO business portal
Business contact details
Bank account details for payroll funding
What to do
Select Payments from the homepage onboarding checklist
Or select Manage Payment Setup from Company Settings
Configure how you'll fund payroll:
Choose between PayTo (recommended) or Internet banking
Enter your bank account details
Set agreement parameters (for PayTo)
Step 2: Set up your SuperChoice account
PaySauce uses SuperChoice to manage superannuation filing and payments. You need to complete a one-time registration process that creates your SuperChoice account and links it to PaySauce.
What you'll need
Your ABN
Email address
Business and contact details
Bank account details for superannuation payments
A computer or laptop (the process isn't optimised for mobile)
What to do
Navigate to the SuperChoice registration portal
Complete the registration form with your business details
Enter your bank account information
Choose your payment type (Direct Debit recommended)
Review and submit your registration
Note: The SuperChoice portal will show "SmoothPay" instead of PaySauce. This is correct, you're in the right place.
Step 3: Authorise your bank agreement
If you chose PayTo as your payment method, you must authorise a payment agreement with your bank before you can process pay runs.
What to do
After completing your payment setup in PaySauce, an agreement is launched with your bank
Log in to your online banking for the account you specified
Look for a pending PayTo agreement or payment authority
Review the agreement details
Accept the agreement
⚠️ You cannot successfully complete your payroll until this agreement is authorised. The agreement typically appears in your online banking within a few minutes.
If you're using Internet banking
If you chose Internet banking as your payment method, you don't need to authorise an agreement. However, you'll need to manually transfer funds to your PaySauce virtual account before each pay run.
Step 4: Add your employees
Once your company is set up, you need to add each employee with their employment details, tax information, and bank details.
For new employees
Add each employee with their complete information including:
Personal details
Tax information
Employment details (type, start date, work pattern)
Award and pay rates
Bank account details
Superannuation fund information
For existing employees moving to PaySauce
If you're transitioning employees from another payroll system, you'll need to add:
All the standard employee information (as above)
Their current leave balances
Their year-to-date (YTD) financial figures
This ensures PaySauce can accurately track their leave and report correct year-to-date totals to the ATO.
What YTD information to enter
You'll need figures from the employee's most recent:
Payslip, or
Single Touch Payroll (STP) file from your previous system
Required YTD balances include:
Leave balances (annual leave, sick leave, long service leave, etc.)
Income PAYG (tax withheld year-to-date)
Taxable income
Gross pay
Superannuation entitlements
Other relevant financial year-to-date figures
Inviting employees to PaySauce
After adding employees, consider inviting them to create their own PaySauce accounts. This allows them to:
Submit timesheets
Request leave
View payslips
Submit reimbursements
You can send invitations during employee creation or afterwards from their employee record.
Step 5: Process your first pay run
Once you've completed all the setup steps, you're ready to process your first pay run.
Before you begin
Make sure:
All company settings show as complete
Your payment setup shows "ready"
Your bank agreement is authorised (if using PayTo)
Your SuperChoice account is set up
All employees are added with complete information
Any initial balances are entered for existing employees
Processing your first pay
Create a new pay run for the relevant pay period
Review each employee's pay details
Approve any timesheets, leave requests, or reimbursements
Add any missing information (timesheets, allowances, etc.)
Verify that superannuation details are complete for all employees
Review the pay run totals
Process the pay run
PaySauce will automatically:
Pay your employees
Remit tax to the ATO
Pay superannuation contributions
File Single Touch Payroll reports
File superannuation reports
Setup checklist
Use this checklist to track your progress:
Company details entered in Company Settings
Payment setup configured
Bank agreement authorised
SuperChoice account created and linked
All employees added with complete details
Initial balances entered for existing employees (if applicable)
Employees invited to PaySauce (optional but recommended)
First pay run created
Payment setup shows "ready"
Ready to process first pay
Common Questions
I can't process a pay run, the button is greyed out
I can't process a pay run, the button is greyed out
Check that:
Your payment setup shows "ready"
Your bank agreement is authorised (if using PayTo)
All included employees have complete superannuation details
My bank agreement hasn't appeared yet
My bank agreement hasn't appeared yet
PayTo agreements typically appear within a few minutes but can occasionally take up to 30 minutes. Log out and back in to your online banking. If it still hasn't appeared after 30 minutes, contact PaySauce support.
I'm not sure if I've entered all the required information
I'm not sure if I've entered all the required information
The payment setup section in Company Settings will show whether you're ready to process pay. If anything is missing, it will indicate what needs to be completed.
Can I add employees gradually?
Can I add employees gradually?
Yes. You can add employees as needed and process pay runs for just the employees you've added.
Getting help
If you get stuck during setup or have questions about any step:
Use the help articles linked throughout this guide
Contact PaySauce support for personalised assistance via the chat in PaySauce
Check the Help Centre for additional articles on specific topics
We're here to help you get up and running smoothly.
What's next?
After your first successful pay run, you'll want to:
Establish a regular payroll schedule
Set up recurring pay runs to save time
Train employees on submitting timesheets and leave requests
Review payroll reports and filings
Familiarise yourself with adjustment pays for corrections