Click a payroll's Autopay status on the Pay page to see why Autopay is paused or off. The bold labels below are the wording the panel shows, each followed by what it means. Fix the first two groups before the day of the approval deadline and Autopay still approves the payroll. The last two groups turn Autopay off for that payroll, so you approve it yourself.
Company-level reasons
These show under "Company" in the Autopay review panel.
Company onboarding incomplete: Finish the setup steps the panel lists. Most link to the page where you finish them.
Bank access was turned off: Your bank turned off Freedom's access to the account that funds payroll. Click "Go to bank account" to open Bank Accounts, click "Reconnect" on the account, and select it again when your bank asks which accounts to share. Or click "Set as default" on a different account.
Set to be funded by wire: You send a wire yourself, so Autopay won't approve the payroll. Click "Change funding method" and pick a bank account under "Funding option", or approve the payroll yourself.
Another payroll exists for the same pay schedule and pay period: Click "Contact Support" in the panel. Our team removes the extra payroll.
Worker-level reasons you can fix
These apply to employees and contractors. The panel lists them under "People", next to the worker's name.
Onboarding incomplete: Click "Update profile". The worker's profile lists what is still missing.
Direct deposit not set up: The worker has no working bank account on file, or is set to be paid outside Freedom ("off-platform" payment). Click "Send setup link" so they can finish their payment setup. They can also do it in Payment Settings in their own Freedom account.
Missing workplace: A workplace is the work location Freedom uses to work out an employee's taxes. Click "Update profile", find "Workplaces" on the Details tab, and add one marked as their primary workplace.
Workplace changed: The employee's primary workplace changed after the payroll was filled in, so the payroll still uses the old one. Click "Re-sync payroll" to update it.
Missing compensation info: Click "Update profile", find "Compensation" on the Details tab, and add the employee's annual salary or hourly rate.
Multiple compensation rates: The employee has more than one active hourly or annual rate. Click "Update profile", find "Compensation" on the Details tab, and leave just one.
Missing from payroll: Click "Re-sync payroll". See "Re-sync a payroll to pull in missing people" below.
Not on direct deposit: The payroll has the worker set to a different payment method. Click "Re-sync payroll" to switch them to direct deposit.
Employment dates fall outside this pay period: The worker's start date or last day doesn't overlap the pay period. Click "Update profile" and check their dates.
Worker-level reasons that skip this cycle
You can't clear these for the current payroll. Approve it yourself. Autopay resumes on a later payroll once they no longer apply.
Starts mid-period: An employee or contractor has a start date inside the pay period.
Terminated in period: An employee or contractor has a last day inside the pay period.
Compensation rate changed mid-period: An employee's pay rate changed during the pay period.
Added to the pay schedule this period: A worker was assigned to this pay schedule during the pay period.
Removed from the pay schedule this period: A worker was taken off this pay schedule during the pay period.
Unsupported contractor pay type for autopay: hourly: Autopay doesn't approve a payroll that pays a contractor by the hour.
Payment amount does not match contractor's regular pay amount: A contractor's payment on the payroll is different from their regular pay amount.
Contractor pay is inactive: A contractor on the payroll has their regular pay turned off.
Payment includes a reimbursement: A contractor payment on the payroll includes a reimbursement.
Payroll-level reasons
Each of these turns Autopay off for the payroll. Approve it yourself.
Past approval deadline: Autopay can't approve a payroll after its deadline. Open the payroll, choose a date under "New payday", and click "Save payday" to keep running it. See Choose a new payday when a payroll misses its approval deadline.
Not a regular payroll: Bonuses, corrections, and other off-cycle runs always need manual approval.
Not auto-populated: Freedom creates your regular payrolls and fills them in for you. A payroll created any other way isn't covered by Autopay.
Payday was modified: A payroll moved to a new payday no longer follows its pay schedule, so Autopay won't approve it.
Not managed by autopay: Autopay doesn't handle this payroll, usually because it was created a different way. Approve it yourself, or contact support if you're not sure why.
Payroll voided: Autopay doesn't approve a payroll that was voided because of an error, or the separate void payroll that cancels it out.
Unsupported payroll status: The payroll is past the stage Autopay can approve, for example because it is already processing.
Payroll items were manually removed: You removed a worker or an earning after Freedom filled in the payroll.
Payroll items were manually added: You added a worker or an earning, such as a bonus.
Payroll items were manually edited: You changed an earning's hours, type, or workplace, added a reimbursement, or set someone to off-platform payment. Changing only an earning's description doesn't count.
Contractor payments were manually removed, added, or edited: You removed a contractor payment, added one, or changed a payment's amount.
Payroll was reopened after approval: Autopay never re-approves a payroll that was approved and then reopened.
Read the Autopay status on a payroll card
When Autopay is on, each upcoming payroll on the Pay page shows an Autopay status in the corner of its card. Click it to see what it means. When everything is on track, it also shows the exact time Autopay will approve.
Autopay on track: Everything checks out. The card shows the scheduled time ("Autopay will approve by …") and you don't need to do anything.
Autopay paused: Autopay won't approve this payroll yet because something needs fixing. Click "Resolve issues" to open the Autopay review panel, and clear the issues before the day of the approval deadline. Autopay approves overnight on that day (the run starts around 1 to 2 AM Eastern), and if an issue is still open then, the card changes to "Autopay off this cycle".
Autopay off this cycle: This payroll can't be auto-approved this cycle and needs a manual review and approval. Click "See blockers" to open the panel. Under "Cannot be auto-approved" it lists what turned Autopay off. Under "Other issues with this payroll" it lists fixes that help Autopay run on future payrolls. Autopay resumes next cycle.
Note: A plain "Autopay" label with no status means this payroll hasn't been reviewed yet. Autopay reviews it automatically, so check back shortly.
Re-sync a payroll to pull in missing people
If someone who should be paid is missing from a payroll, "Re-sync payroll" adds them back.
On the Pay page, click "Resolve autopay issues" on the payroll's card (or open its Autopay status and click "Resolve issues") to open the Autopay review panel.
Under "People", find the worker marked "Missing from payroll".
Click "Re-sync payroll". Freedom updates the payroll with your current people and settings, adds anyone who was missing, and checks Autopay again.
Note: If "Re-sync payroll" doesn't add someone, they're likely still missing a required detail. Open their profile in People to finish their setup.
Send a setup link to a worker who's blocking Autopay
When a worker has no direct deposit set up, Autopay pauses until they finish. Send them a secure link so they can do it themselves.
On the Pay page, click "Resolve autopay issues" on the payroll's card to open the Autopay review panel.
Under "People", find the worker and click "Send setup link".
Freedom emails the link to the worker. If they have no email on file or the email can't be delivered, copy the link from the window and send it yourself.
Note: The link lets the worker complete their onboarding (tax forms, payment setup, and personal details) in any browser, with no app sign-up. It's valid for 24 hours. Click "Send setup link" again to generate a new one.
Approve a payroll that's due today
If a payroll is due today and Autopay hasn't approved it, Autopay won't approve it this cycle. This happens, for example, when you turn Autopay on today or fix an issue after Autopay's overnight run on the day of the approval deadline. Review and approve it yourself to keep payday on schedule.
Open the Pay page and find the payroll marked "Due today."
Click "Review & approve" (or "Approve manually") on its card.
Check the figures, click "Approve payroll", and confirm. Do this before the "Approve by" time shown on the card.
Note: If the approval deadline has already passed, Autopay can't approve the payroll and it shows "The approval deadline has passed" instead of an approve button. Choose a date under "New payday" and click "Save payday" to keep running it. See Choose a new payday when a payroll misses its approval deadline. A payroll moved to a new payday leaves its pay schedule, so you approve it yourself. Autopay resumes on your next payroll.