Franchise 401k Plans
Getting Started

Your payroll already has the data. The plan should just receive it.

Contribution changes, new hires, terminations, and deferral elections move between your payroll system and your 401(k) automatically. No spreadsheets emailed to a recordkeeper, no month-end reconciliation, no deposits missed because someone was on vacation.
294
Payroll providers on the current connection list
269
Support two-way sync, so deferral changes flow back to payroll
191
Connect by direct API, the lowest-touch method
15 min
Typical plan setup time once payroll is identified
Connection list current as of September 2026. Availability and sync behavior change as payroll vendors update their systems. Confirm your provider's current status with us before relying on it for a plan decision.
Why this is the question that matters for multi-unit operators
A single-location business can survive a manual payroll feed. A franchise operator running six locations across three entities, each with its own payroll setup inherited from whoever sold them the store, cannot. Every manual handoff is a place where a deferral change gets missed, a new hire is entered late, or a contribution is deposited outside the required window. Those are the operational failures that turn into correction filings.
This is also why the payroll question belongs at the front of a provider conversation rather than at the end. A plan that cannot talk to the payroll systems you actually run is a plan that quietly transfers work to your office manager, permanently.
Multiple payroll systems across entities are normal in franchise ownership and do not prevent a single coordinated plan structure. Each entity can connect on its own method.
The systems franchise operators run most
ADP Run
Direct API + True360 direct access
Two-way sync
ADP Workforce Now
True360 direct access
Two-way sync
Paychex Flex
Direct API + True360 direct access
Two-way sync
Gusto
Direct API + True360 direct access
Two-way sync
QuickBooks Online
Direct API
Two-way sync
Rippling
Direct API
Two-way sync
Paylocity
Direct API
Two-way sync
Paycom
Secure file transfer + True360 direct access
Two-way sync
Paycor
Direct API + True360 direct access
Two-way sync
Toast
True360 direct access
Two-way sync
Square Payroll
True360 direct access
Two-way sync
UKG
Secure file transfer + True360 direct access
Two-way sync
Payroll provider names and logos are the trademarks of their respective owners and are shown only to identify systems the recordkeeping platform connects with. Their use does not imply any partnership with, sponsorship by, or endorsement by those companies of Sollinda Capital Management, of J. Andy Ingram, or of the advisory services described on this site.
Find your provider
Payroll providerConnection methodData flow
1-2-3 Payroll Direct API Two-way
4 States Payroll Direct API Two-way
AB Payroll (Adams Brown Payroll) Direct API Two-way
Absolute Payroll & Insurance Services Direct API Two-way
Absolute Wages True360 direct access Two-way
AccuPay Direct API Two-way
AccuPay Systems Direct API Two-way
ADP Run Direct API + True360 direct access Two-way
ADP Total Source True360 direct access Two-way
ADP Workforce Now True360 direct access Two-way
AdvantageHR True360 direct access One-way
AdvantEdge HR True360 direct access One-way
Advocate Pay LLC Direct API Two-way
Aegis Payroll Pending Direct API Two-way
Agee Payroll Manual entry, guided Two-way
Ahola Direct API Two-way
AllStates Payroll Direct API Two-way
AmCheck Las Vegas Direct API Two-way
American Benefits Company Direct API Two-way
Anchor Payroll & Benefit Solutions Direct API Two-way
Apex True360 direct access Two-way
Applied Business Solutions True360 direct access Two-way
APS Payroll True360 direct access Two-way
ASAP Accounting and Payroll Direct API Two-way
Asset HR Direct API Two-way
Asure (Evolution) Secure file transfer Two-way
Auris Direct API + True360 direct access Two-way
Automatic Business Computing (AB… name abbreviated True360 direct access Two-way
Axxess True360 direct access Two-way
Bambee True360 direct access One-way
BambooHR Direct API + True360 direct access Two-way
Bangor Savings Bank Direct API + True360 direct access Two-way
Basic Payroll (Evolution) True360 direct access Two-way
BASIC Payroll LLC Direct API Two-way
Bayview Payroll (Employer on the Go) True360 direct access Two-way
BBSI True360 direct access Two-way
Bene-Care Direct API Two-way
Benefit Cloud Secure file transfer One-way
Beyond HCM Direct API Two-way
BPM Direct API Two-way
Brands Paycheck & HR Services Direct API Two-way
Cadence HCM LLC Direct API Two-way
California Payroll/ PAYKONNECT Direct API + True360 direct access Two-way
Candoor Payroll & HCM Direct API Two-way
Cascade Payroll Direct API Two-way
CBI Business Services Direct API Two-way
CBIZ True360 direct access Two-way
CertiPay True360 direct access Two-way
Check Plus Services Direct API Two-way
CHS Payroll Direct API + Secure file transfer + True360 direct access Two-way
CIPrism HCM Direct API + True360 direct access Two-way
Clarity-Hcm Direct API Two-way
Cloud Based Payroll Secure file transfer One-way
CoAd (Formerly Prime Pay and Co-A… name abbreviated True360 direct access Two-way
Coastal Payroll Direct API Two-way
Coastline Payroll (CoAd) Direct API + True360 direct access Two-way
Commonwealth Payroll & HR Direct API Two-way
Complete Payroll Processing Direct API Two-way
Complete Payroll Resources Direct API Two-way
Complete Payroll Services Direct API Two-way
Comploy Direct API Two-way
Computer Payroll Service True360 direct access Two-way
ConnectPay True360 direct access Two-way
COPAC PAYROLL Direct API Two-way
Counter Point HCM LLC Pending Direct API Two-way
CPM Employer Solutions Direct API Two-way
Crescent Payroll Solutions Direct API Two-way
Cross and Associates Payroll Direct API Two-way
CTR Payroll Direct API Two-way
CurrentHR True360 direct access Two-way
DAC Payroll (Dial A Check Payroll Se… name abbreviated Direct API Two-way
Datapay Direct API + True360 direct access Two-way
DayForce Ceridian Secure file transfer + True360 direct access Two-way
Direct Payroll True360 direct access One-way
Dominion Payroll Direct API Two-way
Eagle Payroll Secure file transfer One-way
ECCA Payroll+ True360 direct access Two-way
EddyHR Direct API Two-way
Employdrive Direct API Two-way
Encompass Direct API Two-way
Everee Manual entry, guided Two-way
Exactpay Payroll Pending Direct API Two-way
Execupay Direct API Two-way
ExtensisHR True360 direct access Two-way
Fingercheck True360 direct access Two-way
Firehouse Payroll LLC Direct API Two-way
Foundation Payroll Pending True360 direct access Two-way
G&A Partners Direct API Two-way
G&A Partners/Teamworks Group Secure file transfer + True360 direct access One-way
Green Payroll Direct API Two-way
Greenlink HCM Direct API Two-way
GTM Payroll Services isolved Direct API Two-way
Guru Payroll Direct API Two-way
Gusto Direct API + True360 direct access Two-way
Helpside Direct API Two-way
HigherUp HCM Direct API Two-way
Highflyer Human Resources, LLC Direct API Two-way
Hire Level Payroll Direct API Two-way
Homebase Payroll True360 direct access Two-way
Hourly Direct API + True360 direct access Two-way
HR for Health True360 direct access Two-way
hralliance HCM/ AllianceHCM (AllPay) True360 direct access Two-way
HRforHealth True360 direct access Two-way
HRtoGO Direct API Two-way
Human Elements Direct API Two-way
iBusiness Solutions Direct API Two-way
Infinet Payroll Secure file transfer One-way
INFINITI HR Pending Direct API Two-way
Infinium HR Direct API Two-way
INOVA Secure file transfer + True360 direct access One-way
Insight Payroll Associates HCM Direct API Two-way
Insperity Secure file transfer + Direct API Two-way
Integrated Payroll Services Direct API Two-way
Iris (Employer on the Go) True360 direct access Two-way
iSolved Direct Direct API Two-way
Journey Central PEO True360 direct access One-way
Journey Payroll True360 direct access Two-way
JustWorks Direct API + True360 direct access Two-way
Keystone Payroll Direct API Two-way
Klearway Solutions Direct API Two-way
Knapp Business Solutions Pending Direct API Two-way
Kronos Secure file transfer + True360 direct access Two-way
L2 Total Business Solutions Direct API Two-way
Landmark Payroll Direct API Two-way
Ledger Payroll Direct API Two-way
Local Economy Payroll Direct API Two-way
Managed Pay Direct API Two-way
MangoMint True360 direct access Two-way
Masspay (MP-HR) Direct API Two-way
MegaPay True360 direct access Two-way
Minutemen HR Direct API + True360 direct access Confirm with us
My Office Pro Direct API Two-way
National Payroll Direct API Two-way
Netchex True360 direct access Two-way
Netsuite True360 direct access Two-way
Nevada Payroll Services Direct API Two-way
Nexroll Corp Direct API + Secure file transfer + True360 direct access Two-way
Nextep Direct API + True360 direct access Two-way
NextHR Direct API Two-way
Niural Payroll Direct API Two-way
North West Payroll Solutions, INC. Direct API Two-way
OneSource Direct API Two-way
OnPay True360 direct access Two-way
OTP Payroll LLC Direct API Two-way
Pacific Payroll Direct API Two-way
Pando PEO, LLC Pending Direct API Two-way
Paper Trails Direct API Two-way
Paragon HCM Direct API Two-way
Paragon Payroll & HR Direct API Two-way
Patriot Payroll True360 direct access Two-way
Patriot Rail Secure file transfer One-way
Pavillion Agency Inc. Direct API Two-way
Pay 'n Time True360 direct access Two-way
Paychex Flex Direct API + True360 direct access Two-way
Paychex Oasis (Now PaychexHR) True360 direct access One-way
Payco True360 direct access Two-way
Paycom Secure file transfer + True360 direct access Two-way
Paycor Direct API + True360 direct access Two-way
PayDataUSA Pending Direct API Two-way
PayDay Employer Solutions (isolved) Direct API Two-way
PayDay Employer Solutions - Evoluti… name abbreviated True360 direct access Two-way
Payday Payroll True360 direct access Two-way
PayEntry True360 direct access Two-way
PayFWD True360 direct access Two-way
Paylocity Direct API Two-way
Paylogics Direct API Two-way
Paymaster True360 direct access Two-way
Paymedia Direct API Two-way
PayMintHR LLC Direct API Two-way
PayNW True360 direct access Two-way
PayOptions True360 direct access Two-way
Payority Payroll Solutions Direct API Two-way
PayPlus LLC Direct API Two-way
PAYPROS, INC. Direct API Two-way
Payright True360 direct access Two-way
Payroll & Benefit Solutions Direct API Two-way
Payroll Data Processing (PDP) True360 direct access Two-way
Payroll Dynamics Manual entry, guided Confirm with us
Payroll Easy, LLC (Payroll Vault) Direct API Two-way
Payroll Experts True360 direct access Two-way
Payroll Factory Direct API Two-way
Payroll Partners Secure file transfer + True360 direct access Two-way
Payroll Perfect Direct API Two-way
Payroll Plus True360 direct access Two-way
Payroll Relief by Accountant's World… name abbreviated Direct API One-way
Payroll Service Solutions True360 direct access Two-way
Payroll Solutions (PEO) Direct API Two-way
Payroll Solutions - WA Direct API Two-way
Payroll Solutions HCM Direct API Two-way
Payroll Vault - Albuquerque Direct API Two-way
Payroll Vault - Bowling Green Direct API Two-way
Payroll Vault - Corporate Direct API Two-way
Payroll Vault - CT Pending Direct API Two-way
Payroll Vault - Fort Collins Direct API Two-way
Payroll Vault - Lansing Direct API Two-way
Payroll Vault - Marietta, GA Direct API Two-way
Payroll Vault - Midwest Payroll Servi… name abbreviated Direct API Two-way
Payroll Vault - Penn Yan Direct API Two-way
Payroll Vault - Redlands Direct API Two-way
Payroll Vault - Richmond Direct API Two-way
Payroll Vault - San Antonio Pending Direct API Two-way
Payroll Vault - Santa Barbara Direct API Two-way
Payroll Vault - South Dakota Direct API Two-way
Payroll Vault - Troy Direct API Two-way
Payroll Vault - Wake Forest/Raleigh Direct API Two-way
Payroll Vault Castle Rock Direct API Two-way
Payroll Vault Centennial Pending Direct API Two-way
Payroll Vault Clovis-Fresno Direct API Two-way
Payroll Vault Iowa City Direct API Two-way
Payroll Vault Pleasanton Direct API Two-way
Payroll Vault Prosper Direct API Two-way
Payroll Vault St. Tammany Direct API Two-way
Payroll Vault Walnut Creek Direct API Two-way
Payroll4construction True360 direct access Two-way
Payrolls Plus True360 direct access Two-way
Payserv Payroll Solutions Direct API Two-way
PaySmart Payroll Services Direct API Two-way
PayTech Pending Direct API Two-way
PayWhiz HR Direct API Two-way
People Management, Inc True360 direct access Two-way
PeopleWorx Direct API Two-way
Personalized Payroll Services Direct API Two-way
Pioneer Payroll True360 direct access Two-way
Pittenger CPA GROUP, LLC True360 direct access Two-way
PMI True360 direct access One-way
PNI HCM & GovConPay Direct API Two-way
Polaris Payroll True360 direct access Two-way
Premier HCM, LLC Direct API Two-way
Premier Payroll Partner, LLC Pending Direct API Two-way
Press Gold Group Direct API Two-way
Primepoint HRMS & Payroll True360 direct access Two-way
Primus Payroll Pending Direct API Two-way
PrismHR-PEO Only Direct API Two-way
Professional Payroll Solutions True360 direct access One-way
Proliant Secure file transfer + True360 direct access One-way
ProWorks Secure file transfer + True360 direct access Two-way
Qforce Direct API Two-way
QuickBooks Online - API Direct API Two-way
QuickBooks Payroll Core True360 direct access Two-way
Recalibrate HCM Direct API Two-way
Resourcing Edge Direct API Two-way
Rippling Direct API Two-way
Rise Payroll Direct API Two-way
Roth Property Maintenance, LLC Pending Direct API One-way
Savant HCM Direct API Two-way
SBS Payroll True360 direct access Two-way
Sequifi Inc. True360 direct access Two-way
Serendipity Payroll Secure file transfer + True360 direct access Two-way
Simplifi Payroll & HR (isolved) Direct API Two-way
Simplifi Payroll (Execupay) Direct API Two-way
SNF Payroll & HR Direct API Two-way
Solex HCM Direct API Two-way
Southland Data Processing (SDP) Secure file transfer + True360 direct access Two-way
Square Payroll True360 direct access Two-way
Stratus HR Direct API Two-way
Summit One Source Direct API Two-way
SurePayroll True360 direct access Two-way
Symply Direct API Two-way
Synchrony Payroll True360 direct access Two-way
Temi Pay LLC Direct API Two-way
Tesseon Direct API Two-way
The Human Resource Consulting Direct API Two-way
The Payroll Company (TPC) Direct API Two-way
The Payroll Department, Inc Direct API Two-way
The Payroll Partners True360 direct access Two-way
Thread HCM Direct API Two-way
Tilson HR True360 direct access One-way
Time Payroll Secure file transfer One-way
Toast True360 direct access Two-way
Trinet/Trinet PEO True360 direct access Two-way
Trivantus Secure file transfer One-way
Truist Payroll True360 direct access Two-way
UKG Secure file transfer + True360 direct access Two-way
Unity HR Direct API Two-way
USA Payroll Direct API + True360 direct access One-way
Vensure Payroll True360 direct access Two-way
VetPay HCM Direct API Two-way
Vida HR Direct API Two-way
Viventium Payroll True360 direct access Two-way
WayRoll HR Direct API Two-way
Western Idaho Employee True360 direct access Two-way
Whirks True360 direct access Two-way
Whois Payroll Direct API Two-way
Wipfli Direct API Two-way
Workforce True360 direct access Two-way
Workforce One-Pay Pro True360 direct access Two-way
WorkPerks Payroll Secure file transfer One-way
Workplace HCM Direct API Two-way
Workstream True360 direct access Two-way
WorkTrend Direct API + True360 direct access Two-way
Your Payroll Department Direct API Two-way
ZampHR Direct API Two-way
Zeal Direct API Two-way
Zynergia Direct API Two-way
Reading this table. Direct API is a live system-to-system connection built to that provider. True360 is used where no built integration exists: the platform is granted access to the payroll system and pulls the data itself, so the result to you is the same. Secure file transfer moves scheduled files between systems. Manual entry means your team enters contributions each cycle, with a walkthrough provided. Two-way means data moves in both directions. One-way means payroll sends to the plan only. Providers marked Pending are in progress and not yet live. 15 of the 294 providers listed are currently pending.
What two-way actually changes
One-way, payroll to plan
Payroll sends contribution and census data to the plan on each cycle. When an employee changes their deferral rate in the retirement portal, somebody still has to enter that change in payroll. That is a small task that becomes a real one at scale, and it is the single most common source of deferral errors we see in plans we benchmark.
Two-way, payroll and plan
Data moves in both directions. An employee changes their deferral in the app, and payroll picks it up without anyone retyping it. New hires, eligibility dates, and terminations flow through the same connection. For an operator with turnover measured in dozens of employees a year, this is the difference between a plan that runs itself and a plan that needs a person.
Questions operators ask
What is a 401(k) payroll integration?
A payroll integration is a direct connection between your payroll system and your retirement plan that moves contribution and employee data automatically each pay cycle, instead of someone exporting a file and emailing it to a recordkeeper. Depending on the connection method, that feed can carry deferral amounts, employer match and safe harbor contributions, loan repayments, compensation, hours, hire and termination dates, and eligibility status.
What is the difference between a 180 and a 360 payroll integration?
A 180 integration moves data one direction only, from payroll to the plan. A 360 integration moves it both ways. With a 360, a deferral election a participant changes in the retirement portal writes back into payroll automatically. With a 180, somebody has to key that change into payroll by hand, which is the most common single source of deferral errors we see when benchmarking existing plans. Of the 294 providers on the current list, 269 support two-way and 23 are one-way.
What is True360, and is it worse than a direct API?
True360 is the method used when a payroll provider has no purpose-built connection: the platform is granted access to the payroll system and pulls the data itself. To you the result is the same as a direct API, automatic deductions, deposits and updates, with no per-cycle work on your end. It is how coverage extends past the major national vendors to regional payroll bureaus, and it accounts for a large share of the providers on this list.
My payroll provider is not on the list. Does that rule us out?
No. The list covers providers with an established connection, and it is not the limit of what can be connected. A secure file transfer route is generally available for systems outside it, True360 covers many others, and providers are added regularly. Tell us what you run and we will confirm the current position rather than have you guess from a page that was accurate in September.
We run three different payroll systems across our entities. Can they all feed one plan?
Yes, and it is normal in franchise ownership rather than a problem to solve first. Each entity connects on its own method, so an operator running ADP at four locations and a regional bureau at two can still sit under one coordinated plan structure. The more consequential question for a multi-entity owner is usually whether IRS controlled group rules apply, because that drives combined testing and plan design well before payroll does.
How quickly do 401(k) contributions have to be deposited after payroll runs?
Employee deferrals must be deposited as soon as they can reasonably be separated from your general business assets, which in practice means days, not weeks. The Department of Labor provides a safe harbor for plans with fewer than 100 participants: deposit within seven business days of withholding and the deposit is treated as timely. The often-cited 15th business day of the following month is not a safe harbor, it is the outer legal limit, and the IRS states that distinction explicitly. Late deposits are a prohibited transaction requiring correction, restoration of lost earnings, and potentially Form 5330.
What actually goes wrong when there is no two-way connection?
The usual failure is silent: an employee raises their deferral rate in the app, payroll never gets the message, and their paycheck keeps withholding the old amount. That creates a gap between what plan records say a participant elected and what was actually withheld. It often surfaces months later at year-end testing or during an audit, and depending on how long it ran, correcting it can require employer-funded corrective contributions and lost earnings.
Who sets up the payroll connection, and how long does it take?
The implementation team establishes it during plan setup, coordinated as part of your conversion or new plan process, so it is not a project that lands on your office manager. Most direct API connections are completed during onboarding with no ongoing work from your payroll administrator. For context on the wider timeline, establishing a plan typically runs about 30 days, and a full asset transfer from a prior provider typically runs about 90 days.
What information do you need from us to set the connection up?
The payroll provider name, the specific product within it, and authorization to establish the connection. Naming the exact product matters more than people expect. ADP alone appears on the integration list three times as Run, Workforce Now and TotalSource, and each connects by a different method. Telling us you use ADP is not yet enough to tell us how your plan will connect.
What happens if we change payroll providers later?
The plan does not move, and you do not restart anything. The connection is simply re-established to the new provider. The one thing that matters is timing: tell us before the switch rather than after. A feed that lapses mid-transition is a common route into late deposits, and those carry the correction consequences described above.
Does the integration handle eligibility tracking and automatic enrollment?
Yes, provided hours, hire dates and compensation are flowing through the connection, since eligibility is calculated from exactly that data. This matters more than it used to. Under SECURE 2.0, 401(k) plans established on or after December 29, 2022 generally must include automatic enrollment starting with the first plan year beginning after December 31, 2024, at an initial default rate between 3% and 10% escalating at least one point a year to at least 10%. Businesses with 10 or fewer employees, businesses less than three years old, and plans established before December 29, 2022 are exempt.
Does a payroll integration reduce our fiduciary responsibility?
No. It reduces operational error, which is a real and separate benefit, but it does not change who the fiduciaries are. Delegating specified duties to a 3(16) plan administrator or a 3(38) investment fiduciary reallocates particular responsibilities and the liability attached to them. It does not eliminate your status as a plan sponsor or your duty to monitor the parties you delegated to.
Do we still need compliance testing if payroll is integrated?
Yes. Integration improves the quality of the data going into testing. It does not remove the requirement to test. ADP and ACP testing, top-heavy determination and coverage testing all run off compensation, hours and deferral data. When that data arrives automatically from payroll rather than being rekeyed from a spreadsheet, the testing is materially more reliable, and failures are likelier to be real than the product of a data error.
Is a payroll integration the same thing as using a PEO?
No, and they are frequently confused. A PEO is a co-employment arrangement covering employment, benefits and often the retirement plan itself. A payroll integration is only a data connection. With an integration you keep your own plan, your own plan document and your own fiduciary position. Several PEOs appear on the integration list precisely because an employer can use a PEO for payroll while still sponsoring an independent plan.
What does the payroll integration cost?
Nothing beyond your plan pricing. Payroll integration is included rather than billed as an add-on. It sits alongside the other items included at no separate charge: recordkeeping, TPA and 3(16) administration, 3(38) investment fiduciary services, the fidelity bond, Form 5500 preparation, compliance testing, and zero transaction fees for participants.
Regulatory references above reflect rules in effect as of September 2026 and are provided for general education. They are not tax or legal advice. Confirm your plan's specific deadlines and obligations with your tax advisor or ERISA counsel.
Tell us what you run. We will tell you what it takes.
A short conversation covers your payroll setup, your entity structure, and whether controlled group rules apply. Thirty minutes, no obligation.
Your Franchise. Your People. Your Plan.
Isn't It Time Your Franchise Had a 401(k) Built for It?
Franchise ownership creates retirement plan complexity that generic providers were not designed for. A complimentary benchmark review takes 30 minutes and shows you how your current plan's costs, structure, and fiduciary process compare to the market.
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