Last updated: May 14, 2026, 3:13 PM
Map every payroll submission scenario — on time, late, weekend, holiday — to the resulting direct deposit and live check pay date.
Applies to: Toast Payroll
Permissions needed:
What you’ll accomplish: Identify the scenario that matches when you submitted (or are about to submit) payroll, and confirm the date your employees will be paid by direct deposit and the date Toast-printed live (paper) checks will arrive.
Find the row that matches when you submitted payroll. The pay date below applies to direct deposit; live (paper) check delivery is noted in the same row. Times are Central Time (CT) — 4:20 p.m. CT is 5:20 p.m. ET / 2:20 p.m. PT.
| Symptom | Most Common Cause | Quick Fix | Self-Service? |
|---|---|---|---|
| I submitted on or before the due date (three business days before check date) | Submitted on time | Direct deposits arrive on the check date. Live checks ship overnight after the sweep. See I Submitted Payroll On or Before the Due Date. | Yes |
| I submitted before 4:20 p.m. CT one business day before the check date | Caught the day’s sweep | Direct deposits arrive on the check date. Live checks ship overnight and arrive on the check date. See I Submitted Before 4:20 p.m. CT One Business Day Before My Check Date. | Yes |
| I submitted on a Saturday, Sunday, or federal holiday | No sweep on weekends/holidays | Sweep happens on the next business day. If the check date is after the next business day, employees are paid on the check date. See I Submitted on a Saturday, Sunday, or Federal Holiday. | Yes |
| I submitted after 4:20 p.m. CT the business day before my check date | Missed the day’s sweep | Employees are paid the business day after the original check date. Live checks arrive that same day. See I Submitted After 4:20 p.m. CT on the Business Day Before My Check Date. | Yes |
| I submitted before 4:20 p.m. CT on my check date | Catches that day’s sweep, but late | Employees are paid the next business day after the check date. Live checks arrive one business day after the check date. See I Submitted Before 4:20 p.m. CT on My Check Date. | Yes |
| I submitted after 4:20 p.m. CT on my check date | Missed the sweep on check date | Direct deposits arrive two business days after the original check date. Live checks arrive that same day. See I Submitted After 4:20 p.m. CT on My Check Date. | Yes |
| I submitted on a Saturday, Sunday, or federal holiday and my check date is the next business day | No sweep until the next business day, which is the check date | Direct deposits and live checks arrive one business day after the original check date. See I Submitted on a Saturday, Sunday, or Federal Holiday and My Check Date Is the Next Business Day. | Yes |
| I submitted on time but the payroll didn’t process / employees didn’t get paid | Possible payroll error, employee setup issue, or backend issue | First check the FAQ entry My Employee Has Hours on Toast Web Reports, So Why Didn’t They Get Paid on Toast Payroll?. If the payroll itself shows “Submitted” but funds did not move, contact Customer Care. See Before You Contact Customer Care. | Partially — diagnosis self-service; agent action required if no movement |
| Can you run a late sweep / push my late payroll into tonight’s sweep? | Sweep is a fixed daily process | Toast cannot manually run an additional sweep on demand. Late payrolls are picked up by the next scheduled sweep. See Can You Run a Late Sweep for My Payroll?. | No — fixed sweep schedule; Customer Care confirms but cannot override |
Use this section to understand the underlying terms used throughout the rest of the article: sweep, deadline, due date, business day, and the difference between direct deposit and live (paper) checks. If you already know how Toast Payroll sweeps work, skip to the Quick Fix table or your specific scenario below. (Quick Fix table is above)
Each business day at 4:20 p.m. CT (5:20 p.m. ET / 2:20 p.m. PT), the Toast Payroll Banking team performs a sweep. A sweep is when Toast checks the system for any submitted payrolls and begins processing them with the employees’ banks. Direct deposits are processed to be delivered on the check date or, in certain cases, the next business day. Live (paper) checks are printed on the evening of the sweep and shipped overnight, so they should arrive on the next business day (barring any shipping delays).
There are two different times you’ll see referenced for “the payroll deadline.” Both are correct, but they answer different questions.
Important: If you submit after 4:20 p.m. CT on the business day before your check date, you have missed that day’s sweep. Direct deposits will arrive the business day after the original check date, not on the check date itself.
A business day is defined as a non-federal-holiday weekday — Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays. Toast does not sweep payrolls on weekends or federal holidays. When payroll is submitted on one of those days, it will be swept and processed on the following business day.
Two delivery methods may be in play for a single payroll. The pay date for each method depends on the same sweep, but the way employees actually receive funds differs.
Note: This article does not factor in shipping delays for Toast-printed paycheck customers. Toast Payroll suggests Toast-printed paycheck customers submit on or before the due date to avoid shipping delays. If a shipping delay does occur, see Toast Payroll: Paycheck Package Delivery Delays for ways to pay your employees on time.
Use the subsection below that matches when you submitted. Each scenario states what happens to direct deposits and live (paper) checks separately.
Employees utilizing direct deposit will be paid on the check date. If you have employees being paid via live (paper) check, you will receive a package with these checks.
Expected outcome: Direct deposits arrive on the check date; live (paper) checks arrive on the next business day (or two business days later if you submitted after 4:20 p.m. CT).
As long as the payroll was submitted before 4:20 p.m. CT one business day before the check date, employees will be paid on the check date. This payroll will be picked up in the sweep before your check date, so any live checks will be shipped overnight and arrive on the check date as well.
Expected outcome: Direct deposits arrive on the check date; live (paper) checks arrive on the check date.
Toast will not be able to sweep and process this payroll until the next business day. Once the payroll catches the sweep, it will process overnight.
Expected outcome: Sweep occurs on the next business day; pay timing depends on whether the check date falls on or after that next business day.
If you submitted past the recommended posting deadline, the sections below tell you exactly when employees will be paid based on when you submitted. The shorthand: every missed sweep adds one business day to the check date.
Since this payroll missed the day’s sweep, it will be swept on the next business day (which is your check date). Employees will be paid on the business day following the original check date. Any potential live (paper) checks will be delivered on that same business day.
Expected outcome: Direct deposits arrive one business day after the original check date; live (paper) checks arrive one business day after the original check date.
This payroll will be swept at 4:20 p.m. CT, so employees may expect to be paid on the next business day after the check date. Live checks should arrive one business day after the check date as well.
Expected outcome: Direct deposits arrive one business day after the check date; live (paper) checks arrive one business day after the check date.
This payroll will miss the sweep on the check date. It will catch the sweep on the following business day, so direct deposits will arrive two business days after the original check date. Any live checks should arrive on the same day as direct deposits.
Expected outcome: Direct deposits arrive two business days after the original check date; live (paper) checks arrive on the same day as direct deposits.
Toast does not sweep payrolls on weekends or holidays. When payroll is submitted on one of these days, it will be swept and processed on the following business day (your check date). Wages and live checks will arrive on the second business day (one business day after your original check date) after submitting.
Expected outcome: Direct deposits arrive one business day after the original check date; live (paper) checks arrive on the same day.
If you submitted payroll on time but employees were not paid by the check date — and the scenarios above don’t match what you’re seeing — work through the diagnostic below before contacting Customer Care.
Expected outcome: You either find the cause and self-resolve (most common: employee setup or unmapped profile), or you’ve gathered the information needed to resolve the issue with Customer Care quickly.
Before reaching out, gather the items below so Customer Care can resolve your issue on the first contact. Most common scenarios in this article are self-service — only a subset (late-sweep requests, payroll recall, void requests, payroll that did not process despite a Submitted status) require agent action.
To reach Customer Care from inside Toast Payroll, select the blue chat button in the lower-right corner of any Toast Payroll page.
Also asked as:
Early pay is only possible if an employee uses a financial institution that anticipates funds based on prior direct deposit history. Employees should check with their financial institution for more details. Toast Payroll cannot push direct deposits earlier than the check date.
Some financial institutions end their business day at 5:00 p.m. local time and then “switch over” to the next “business day” from 5:00 p.m. until they close. This last segment of time can act as if the bank is already on the following business day, and similarly to early pay above, it can allow users early access to their wage information. Employees can contact their financial institution to learn more.
There could be a few different reasons an employee with hours didn’t get paid. The most common reasons are:
Check each cause using the linked articles. If none apply, see My Payroll Was Submitted but Didn’t Process or Pay Out.
Also asked as:
The Toast Payroll Banking team performs the sweep at a fixed time each business day (4:20 p.m. CT). Customer Care cannot manually run an additional sweep or push a late payroll into a sweep that has already happened. If you missed the sweep, your payroll will be picked up by the next scheduled sweep — see the Quick Fix table to find the resulting pay date for your scenario.
If your employees would otherwise miss payday, consider the following alternatives:
Also asked as:
There are two deadlines depending on what you’re trying to achieve:
For the full breakdown of pay timing by submission scenario, see the Quick Fix table.
This content is for informational purposes and is not intended as legal, tax, HR, or any other professional advice. Please contact an attorney or other professional for advice.