Payroll, with support on your side.

01 / Your buying guide

RUN versus other ADP products

RUN is ADP's small business payroll product, for employers in the 1 to 49 range. Workforce Now is a separate ADP platform, so capabilities you read about there should not be assumed to sit inside a RUN quote.

Keep the evaluation focused on the product your team would actually use. Ask to see the quoted RUN package during your demo and save broader platform questions for a separate discussion.

• Ask the rep to confirm in writing that the proposal covers RUN and not Workforce Now.
• During the demo, ask which screens belong to the package you are actually being quoted.
• Decide what growth would push you to a larger ADP platform, then ask how that move works.

02 / Your buying guide

Packages and included support

All four packages, Essential, Enhanced, Complete Payroll & HR Plus and HR Pro Payroll & HR, list payroll, tax filing, employee access, onboarding, multi-jurisdiction payroll and 24/7 payroll support.

Use the package table below to identify the service level worth exploring. Choose the additional HR tools around recurring work, rather than buying the largest bundle by default.

• List the three HR tasks you currently handle by email, then ask which package covers them.
• Ask which support channels answer around the clock and which follow set hours.
• Ask whether the HR HelpDesk is separate from payroll help, and who answers each.

All four list 24/7 payroll support. Confirm availability by channel and distinguish payroll support from HR advice. Time and attendance, retirement and insurance are add-ons. The official W-2/1099 description specifies an additional fee.

03 / Your buying guide

What shapes your quote

ADP publishes features rather than prices. Its FAQ says payroll fees increase with pay frequency, without naming an amount, and the package table marks W-2 and 1099 filing as an additional fee even where the row is checked.

Ask for a first-year total and a standard renewal-year total. That gives your finance owner a clear basis for discussing both recurring services and occasional charges.

• State your actual pay schedule and ask what an additional payroll run would cost.
• Request a separate line for year-end forms, per employee and per contractor.
• Ask which add-ons are firmly priced in the proposal and which are only estimates.

04 / Your buying guide

Payroll and onboarding workflows

RUN brings payroll, employee access and onboarding into the same product. ADP Assist can surface potential payroll errors; keep a human review step before approving payments.

Time and attendance sits outside the base packages, so ask early how approved hours reach a pay run if timesheets drive your payroll.

• Ask the demo to walk a correction end to end, so you see the off-cycle path and approvals.
• Have them show onboarding for a new hire in a second state.
• Ask what a manager sees versus an employee, and who may edit approved hours.

05 / Your buying guide

Migration checklist

ADP supports switching during the year. The transition schedule depends on the available data and services, so agree the first payroll date against your own calendar.

Ask for a provider approved transition checklist and settle, in writing, who files which quarter.

• Ask exactly which prior wage data is required for a clean full-year W-2.
• Agree a pre-launch reconciliation of payroll totals and name the person who signs off before funds move.
• Ask what happens to filings your outgoing provider has already submitted.

06 / Your buying guide

Where RUN belongs on your shortlist

Consider RUN if payroll assistance is an important part of your buying decision. Bring one ordinary pay run, one correction and one new hire to the demo, then ask the team to show the proposed package handling each scenario.

Compare Gusto if public subscription pricing is useful to your budget process. Explore Rippling if your decision also involves connecting HR and IT; these are different buying briefs, not automatic substitutes.

• Decide the maximum monthly total you would approve before the first sales call.
• Ask whether your current pay calendar is supported without an added fee.
• Mark which claims in any comparison came from a vendor page rather than a neutral source.