Fund your Paychex Flex® payroll with a business credit card
Keep running payroll in Paychex Flex® and use Zil Money to fund it with your business credit card for a 2.9% processing fee. This can help you keep more cash in your bank account longer while still earning the rewards available on your business credit card.*
Zil Money is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking and money movement services are provided through partner financial institutions and licensed service providers. FDIC insurance coverage applies only to eligible deposit products and accounts, and is subject to applicable terms, conditions, limitations, and requirements.
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Keep your rewards
100% of your card rewards on this spend, and they’re typically tax-free.
Fee is deductible
The 2.9% funding fee is usually written off as a business expense.
Cash stays put
Pay your team on time now, your card bill isn’t due for weeks.
Three simple steps
No new payroll system to learn. You keep running payroll in Paychex Flex exactly like today. Zil Money just changes how that payroll gets paid for.
Create your account
Sign up for Zil Money with your business details. It takes a few minutes, and there is no setup fee.
Connect Paychex Flex
Link the Paychex Flex account you already use for payroll. Your payroll calendar, employee records, and tax filings stay exactly where they are.
Pay with your card
Choose the business credit card you want to use, and pay your next payroll run with it instead of pulling straight from your bank balance.
The real cost of paying payroll by card
Paying payroll by card costs 2.9%. What is easy to miss is what you get back for it: you keep your card’s rewards, the fee is typically tax-deductible, and you get up to 30 days before your card bill is due. Try your own numbers below.
Estimate for illustration only. Your actual card rewards, tax savings, and the value of your cash depend on your card, your business’s tax situation, and your bank.*
More than just extra time
Payroll is often a business’s single biggest recurring expense. Shifting even part of it onto a card, when it makes sense for your cash flow, turns a fixed outflow into a more flexible one.
Keep cash in your business longer
Pay your team on time while your card bill is due weeks later.*
Nothing changes with Paychex Flex
Paychex Flex still calculates, files, and processes your payroll exactly like it does now.
Track every payment
See each payroll run funded by card in one Zil Money dashboard.
Put recurring spend to work
If your card earns rewards or cash back, a large, predictable expense like payroll is exactly the kind of spend that adds up.*
See what this can do for your payroll
Pay with the business card you already have.
When card funding makes sense
Card funding is one option among several. These are the situations where business owners consider it.
- Waiting on a client paymentYour invoice is due in three weeks. Payroll is due Friday. Fund it with your card now, pay the card back when the invoice clears.
- Seasonal cash crunchCash is tight before a slow season ends, but payroll doesn’t wait. A card buys you room until sales pick back up.
- A bigger payroll than usualYou just staffed up for a new contract or a busy stretch. Cover this one payroll run without pulling extra from the bank.
- Keeping cash on handRent, inventory, and vendors are due the same week as payroll. Spread out when the cash actually leaves your account.
Card funding vs. your bank balance
A side-by-side look at what changes when you fund payroll with a card instead of pulling straight from your bank account.
| Paying from your bank | Funding with a card | |
|---|---|---|
| When cash leaves | Right away | Up to 30 days later, depending on your card |
| Rewards | None | Card rewards, depending on your program |
| Bank balance | Drops immediately | Stays higher until your card bill is due |
| Cost | No fee | 2.9% fee per transaction |
Questions, answered
How do I get started?
Create your Zil Money account, connect your Paychex Flex account, and pick the business credit card you want to use. You can be set up in a few minutes.
Does this replace Paychex Flex?
No. Paychex Flex still calculates, files, and runs your payroll the same way it does today. Zil Money only changes how that payroll gets paid, by card instead of straight from your bank.
Will my employees still get paid the same way?
Yes. Your team keeps getting paid the way they do now, for example by direct deposit, on the same schedule.
What does it cost?
There is no setup fee to create a Zil Money account. Paying payroll by card carries a 2.9% funding fee. In return, you keep 100% of your card’s rewards, and those rewards are typically tax-free. The fee itself is usually deductible as a business expense. And since you’re paying with credit instead of cash, your money stays in your account until your card bill is due. Use the calculator above to see what that adds up to for your payroll.
Is there a free trial before the 2.9% fee applies?
No. The 2.9% processing fee applies whenever you fund payroll with a business credit card, including your first transaction. Zil Money’s 15-day free trial covers other platform features, like bill pay and check printing. It does not waive or delay the credit card processing fee.
Which cards can I use?
Most business credit cards work with Zil Money. Card acceptance may vary by issuer, account, and transaction.
What if my card is declined on payroll day?
You’ll get an alert right away if a payment doesn’t go through, so you can fix it fast. Our support team is available any time you have a question about a specific payroll run.
Is my payroll data secure?
Zil Money holds SOC 1 and SOC 2 reports, ISO/IEC 27001, ISO 9001, and ISO 20000 certifications, and is PCI DSS and HIPAA compliant, the same certifications shown above. Your Paychex Flex connection uses that same infrastructure.
Does paying payroll by card affect my business credit?
It can, depending on your card. Many business cards report your utilization and payment history to business credit bureaus. Paying your card in full and on time each cycle can support your credit profile; carrying a balance instead can hurt it, the same as with any other card spending.
*Card rewards, interest or yield on your cash, tax deductibility, and card billing cycle timing depend on your card issuer, bank, and tax situation, and are not set or guaranteed by Zil Money. Figures shown in the calculator above are estimates for illustration only, not a quote.