CheckMark Payroll
CheckMark Payroll is desktop do-it-yourself payroll software aimed at restaurants, bars, breweries, and other businesses with tipped workers.
What CheckMark Payroll is
CheckMark Payroll is desktop do-it-yourself payroll software aimed at restaurants, bars, breweries, and other businesses with tipped workers. It calculates and tracks tipped wages and supports automated pay calculations, multiple schedules, special checks, check edits and reissues, and wage allocation. Employers can print MICR checks or create ACH direct-deposit files for submission to a bank or provider. Listed tax and reporting tools include federal payroll form printing, W-2 and W-3 printing and e-filing, employer payroll tax filings, and access to 40+ payroll report types. Payroll data can be exported to CheckMark MultiLedger, QuickBooks, and other accounting software. The software runs on Windows and macOS, and an internet connection is required for installation, activation, and use. A 60-day free trial is offered without a credit card. The listed Pro plan is $599 a year and Pro+ is $669 a year; first-year and subsequent-year billed amounts differ, as detailed in each plan. Each includes one company and one computer.
Good
- Calculates and tracks tipped wages
- Unlimited employees and payroll runs
- Supports MICR checks and ACH files
- Includes a 60-day free trial
- Exports data to accounting software
Watch out
- Internet connection required for installation and use
- Base license covers one company and computer
- Additional installations and companies cost extra
- Annual updates are required
Who it suits
CheckMark Payroll may suit restaurants and other tip-based businesses that want desktop payroll tools for tipped wages and payroll taxes. It supports Windows and macOS and allows payroll data exports to accounting software.
Verdict
CheckMark Payroll focuses on desktop payroll for tip-based businesses, with payroll tax filing and several pay options. The 60-day trial offers a way to evaluate it before choosing a paid plan.
Plans and prices
From CheckMark Payroll's own pricing page, checked 21 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| CheckMark Online Payroll | $20 a month | single company · unlimited payroll runs · employee self-service portal · document management · $20 monthly base fee plus $5 per active employee monthly |
| CheckMark Payroll Pro | $579 a year | unlimited employees · unlimited payrolls · one company included · one computer included · 60 minutes support · 2026 version; annual license |
| CheckMark Payroll Pro+ | $649 a year | unlimited employees · unlimited payrolls · one company included · one computer included · 120 minutes support · priority phone and live-chat support · 2026 version; annual license |
The facts
Each one read from CheckMark Payroll's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Accounting integrations
- The product integrates with QuickBooks and CheckMark MultiLedger, and payroll data can be imported or exported through CSV or TXT files.checked 21 Oct 2026
- API documentation
- Official product pages describe file-based imports and accounting integrations but do not provide public API or SDK documentation.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Automated payroll
- The product calculates wages, tax withholdings, deductions and paychecks automatically.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Custom pay items
- Users can configure income and deduction categories such as bonuses, commissions, tips, benefits, 401(k) and garnishments.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Direct deposit
- CheckMark creates ACH files that customers submit to their bank or ACH provider for payroll deposits.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Documentation
- CheckMark publishes a payroll manual, setup guides, FAQs and a searchable knowledge base.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Employee self-service
- Online Payroll gives employees secure access to pay stubs, payroll history and W-2 forms.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Import sources
- The official site lists imports from providers including ADP, Paychex, Gusto, Rippling, Square Payroll, OnPay, Paycom, Workday, Patriot, Homebase and others when they export CSV or TXT.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- The restaurant page says payroll data can be exported to CheckMark MultiLedger, QuickBooks, and other accounting software.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Licence
- The payroll manual describes proprietary copyrighted software, restricts copying and forbids modification, decompilation, reverse engineering and derivative works.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Limit: payroll bugs
- Capterra reviewers report an instance of incorrect federal withholding and another year where vacation and sick accruals required manual calculation.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Limit: reporting
- G2 reviewers report that custom reports can be difficult and request more report options.checked 21 Oct 2026
- MICR checks
- Users can print MICR-encoded checks on blank stock.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Notable limits
- The base desktop license includes one company and one computer; additional companies and computer installations cost extra, and annual updates are required.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Notable news: 2025 tax update
- A CheckMark notice dated for the 2025 tax year instructed Online Payroll users to update the payroll year and download current federal, state and local tax tables.checked 21 Oct 2026
The company
- Company
- CheckMark, Inc. says it has served small businesses since 1984 and is headquartered in Fort Collins, Colorado.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Company headquarters
- The company lists 323 W Drake Rd, Suite 100, Fort Collins, Colorado 80526 as its contact headquarters.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Company history
- CheckMark says it was founded in Fort Collins in 1984, launched Mac payroll in 1986, Windows payroll in 1994 and Online Payroll in 2023.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Company legal name
- The maker identifies itself as CheckMark, Inc.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Company ownership
- Crunchbase lists CheckMark as a private company and identifies Mohammed Ghani as founder, president and CEO.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Company size
- Crunchbase places CheckMark in the 11–50 employee range.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Founded
- 1984checked 28 Sep 2026
- Headquarters
- Fort Collins, Colorado, USAchecked 28 Sep 2026
Money
- Limit: job costing
- A Capterra reviewer wanted job costing separated from MultiLedger rather than attached to that accounting product.checked 21 Oct 2026
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