While there are so many payroll providers out there, some offer too many features, while others may be too general for your specific needs.
Essential Nanny Payroll Features
As the person solely responsible for running your nanny’s payroll, here’s what you should look for when choosing nanny payroll software.
- Employee self-service portal. Not all nanny payroll services enable household employees to enter and update their information on their own, so choose one that does, such as ADP RUN or SurePayroll, so you don’t have to enter your employee’s information.
- Direct deposit. A big draw of nanny payroll is that you don’t have to work with paper checks, which unnecessarily complicates and slows down the payment process. Make sure a provider at least offers payment by direct deposit.
- Automated payroll. You have enough to do. Check payroll runs off your list by opting for payroll software that automatically runs payroll.
- Taxes. To save yourself time, choose a payroll provider that files taxes on your behalf. Bonus if they have an error-free guarantee.
- Third-party integrations. Paying and managing your nanny often necessitates using other apps for scheduling, messaging or accounting, so look for a service that enables integrations.
Most providers on our list have employee self-service, so it’s pretty standard, but Nest, Poppins and Savvy Nanny do not have this, so be prepared to enter your employee’s information for them.
In terms of payment options, ADP RUN and Nest stand out because they go above and beyond direct deposit by enabling payment through debit cards or apps.
SurePayroll and Homebase enable integrations with external software but SurePayroll charges extra for this. HomePay and Savvy Nanny don’t enable integrations, so you’ll need to navigate various apps for scheduling and accounting.
Value
The feature set combined with price makes SurePayroll’s mid-tier plan and HomePay the best value. Starting at $29 per month plus $7 per employee, SurePayroll’s middle tier still comes out at the lower end of the pack and offers the best value, especially if you only have one household employee. With SurePayroll, you get the best of both worlds; being a Paychex product, SurePayroll is a reliable provider that hones in on the specific nanny services niche.
HomePay admittedly doesn’t have a wide range of features, but the caregiver company behind HomePay designed it with nannies and their employers in mind. As such, it has everything you’ll need as a nanny employer, all at a flat monthly rate, which means it provides the most value if you hire multiple household employees.