Check

aid: check-hq
name: Check
description: Check is an embedded payroll infrastructure platform that allows vertical SaaS, HR, workforce management, and
  financial services companies to natively offer payroll inside their own products. Check provides a comprehensive REST API,
  a library of white-labeled React components (Check Components and Check Onboard), a CLI, and a Model Context Protocol (MCP)
  server that together cover company and employee onboarding, pay schedules, payroll preview and approval, contractor payments,
  tax calculation, multi-state withholdings, tax filings, tax deposits, money movement, paystubs, garnishments, post-tax deductions,
  net pay splits, benefits (health, 401k, workers' comp), W-2 and 1099 generation, and webhook event delivery. Check operates
  in all 50 U.S. states plus D.C., has been incubated and led-funded by Stripe (Series B and Series C), and powers payroll
  for partners such as Homebase, ServiceTitan, 7shifts, Housecall Pro, Wave, Zoho, and Procare — collectively paying more
  than 1M employees across 35,000+ businesses and moving $15B+ annually.
type: Index
position: Provider
access: 3rd-Party
image: https://kinlane-images.s3.amazonaws.com/shared/apis-json/apis-json-logo.jpg
tags:
- Payroll
- Embedded Payroll
- Payroll Infrastructure
- Payroll API
- Tax Filing
- Tax Calculation
- Money Movement
- HR
- Human Resources
- Workforce Management
- Fintech
- Compensation
- Benefits
- 1099
- W-2
- Contractor Payments
- Embedded Finance
url: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/check-hq/refs/heads/main/apis.yml
created: '2026-05-25'
modified: '2026-05-25'
specificationVersion: '0.20'
apis:
- aid: check-hq:payroll-api
  name: Check Payroll API
  description: The Check Payroll API is a comprehensive REST API for embedding end-to-end U.S. payroll inside another platform.
    It models companies, workplaces, employees, contractors, pay schedules, paydays, payroll cycles, payroll items, earnings
    (regular, overtime, tipped, piece rate, reimbursements), post-tax deductions and garnishments, benefits (pre-tax and post-tax),
    net pay splits, paystubs, paper checks, money movement, tax parameters and elections, tax deposits, tax filings, employee
    tax statements (W-2 / W-2C / 1099), tax packages, fulfillments, setup and embedded setup, integration partners, webhook
    configs, communications, and notifications. All resources are accessed under a versioned, bearer-authenticated REST surface
    with idempotent writes, bulk operations, pagination, and sandbox simulation endpoints for funding and disbursement.
  humanURL: https://docs.checkhq.com
  baseURL: https://api.checkhq.com
  tags:
  - Payroll
  - REST
  - Webhooks
  - Tax Filing
  - Money Movement
  - Embedded Payroll
  properties:
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://docs.checkhq.com/docs/overview
  - type: GettingStarted
    url: https://docs.checkhq.com/docs/quickstart
  - type: APIReference
    url: https://docs.checkhq.com/reference
  - type: Authentication
    url: https://docs.checkhq.com/reference/authentication
  - type: RateLimits
    url: https://docs.checkhq.com/docs/rate-limiting
  - type: Webhooks
    url: https://docs.checkhq.com/docs/webhooks-1
  - type: WebhookEvents
    url: https://docs.checkhq.com/docs/webhook-event-types
  - type: ErrorCodes
    url: https://docs.checkhq.com/reference/error-codes
  - type: Pagination
    url: https://docs.checkhq.com/docs/pagination
  - type: Idempotency
    url: https://docs.checkhq.com/docs/idempotent-requests
  - type: Sandbox
    url: https://sandbox.checkhq.com
  - type: LlmsText
    url: https://docs.checkhq.com/llms.txt
  authentication:
  - type: Bearer
    description: 'Bearer-token authentication via the `Authorization: Bearer <API_KEY>` header. API keys are scoped per environment
      (sandbox vs. production) and per partner integration.'
  rateLimits:
  - type: PerSecond
    value: 25
    description: 25 requests per second per partner across all API keys.
  - type: Concurrency
    value: 100
    description: 100 concurrent in-flight requests per partner (not configurable).
  - type: BackoffHeader
    description: 429 responses include a Retry-After header; RateLimit-Limit and RateLimit-Remaining headers are returned
      on every authenticated response (IETF RateLimit Headers).
  features:
  - name: Embedded Payroll
    description: Run full-service U.S. payroll for end customers from inside your own product.
  - name: Companies and Workplaces
    description: Model employers, EIN verification, and physical workplaces driving tax jurisdictions.
  - name: Employees and Contractors
    description: Manage W-2 employees and 1099 contractors, including SSN validation and tax setup.
  - name: Pay Schedules and Paydays
    description: Define pay frequencies and compute paydays with bank-holiday-aware approval deadlines.
  - name: Payroll Preview and Approval
    description: Create, asynchronously preview, and approve payrolls with explicit warnings and totals.
  - name: External Payrolls
    description: Record payrolls processed outside Check for accurate year-to-date and tax filing.
  - name: Off-Cycle Payrolls
    description: Schedule one-off payments with configurable benefit and deduction behavior.
  - name: Earnings Structures
    description: Custom earning codes and rates, including tipped, piece rate, overtime, and reimbursements.
  - name: Post-Tax Deductions and Garnishments
    description: Configure after-tax deductions including child support and other garnishments.
  - name: Benefits
    description: Define pre-tax and post-tax employee benefits, including 401(k), health, and HSA.
  - name: Net Pay Splits
    description: Split worker net pay across multiple bank accounts per pay period.
  - name: Bank Accounts and Plaid
    description: Raw and Plaid-tokenized bank accounts with verification and reveal endpoints.
  - name: Money Movement
    description: ACH disbursement, fund-by-wire, payment retries, refunds, NOCs, and failure recovery.
  - name: Tax Calculation
    description: Federal, state, and local tax calculation including multi-state withholdings and reciprocity.
  - name: Tax Filings and Deposits
    description: Quarterly and annual filings, agency tax deposits, fulfillments, and authorization documents.
  - name: Employee Tax Statements
    description: Asynchronous W-2, W-2C, and tax package generation, downloadable as PDF.
  - name: Paystubs and Paper Checks
    description: Generate JSON or PDF paystubs and paper checks for employees and contractors.
  - name: Webhooks
    description: Resource-scoped event delivery with signature verification and topic-based routing.
  - name: Embedded Setup
    description: Delegate full company setup, EIN, tax registration, and prior-payroll migration to Check operators.
  - name: Sensitive Data API
    description: Dedicated surface for reveal-style operations on SSNs and bank account numbers.
  - name: Sandbox Simulation
    description: Sandbox-only endpoints to complete funding, complete disbursements, or fail funding for tests.
  useCases:
  - name: Vertical SaaS Payroll
    description: Add native payroll to vertical SaaS platforms in trades, hospitality, fitness, and salons.
  - name: Workforce Management Payroll
    description: Tightly couple time-tracking and scheduling data with end-to-end payroll runs.
  - name: HR and PEO Platforms
    description: Power HR platforms and PEO/ASO-style products without building tax infrastructure.
  - name: Fintech and Banking
    description: Couple payroll with banking, EWA, lending, and card products from a single ledger.
  - name: Accounting Integrations
    description: Sync payroll journals into accounting systems with workplace and GL breakdowns.
  - name: Contractor Marketplaces
    description: Pay 1099 contractors on demand with paper checks, ACH, or split deposits.
  - name: Multi-State Employers
    description: Handle reciprocity, courtesy withholdings, and multi-jurisdiction filings at scale.
  integrations:
  - name: Plaid
    description: Bank account linking and ACH verification via Plaid processor tokens.
  - name: Next Insurance
    description: Workers' compensation via the Check + Next integration.
  - name: Clair
    description: Earned wage access for employees via the Check + Clair integration.
  - name: SimplyInsured
    description: Health benefits enrollment via the Check + SimplyInsured component.
  - name: Vestwell
    description: 401(k) retirement benefits via the Check + Vestwell integration.
  - name: Human Interest
    description: 401(k) retirement benefits via the Check + Human Interest integration.
  - name: Benbase
    description: Benefits administration via the Check + Benbase integration.
  - name: Postman
    description: First-party Postman environment templates for sandbox testing.
- aid: check-hq:components
  name: Check Components
  description: Check Components is a library of white-labeled, drop-in React UI elements that handle the highest-friction
    surfaces of embedded payroll — company onboarding, terms of service, bank linking, employee tax setup, withholdings (W-4),
    filing authorization, verification documents, and Run Payroll — including the Check Onboard flow. Components are embedded
    via short-lived component links generated through the API and emit DOM events for lifecycle states.
  humanURL: https://docs.checkhq.com/docs/check-components
  tags:
  - React
  - Embedded UI
  - Onboarding
  - Components
  - Run Payroll
  properties:
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://docs.checkhq.com/docs/check-components
  - type: ComponentLibrary
    url: https://docs.checkhq.com/docs/check-component-library
  - type: GettingStarted
    url: https://docs.checkhq.com/docs/adding-check-onboard-to-your-application
  - type: APIReference
    url: https://docs.checkhq.com/reference/components-overview
  - type: Examples
    url: https://docs.checkhq.com/docs/live-component-example
  features:
  - name: Company Onboard
    description: End-to-end employer onboarding including business details, signatory, and TOS.
  - name: Run Payroll Component
    description: White-labeled payroll runner with worker pay, earnings, and preview in one component.
  - name: Employee Withholdings Setup
    description: W-4 and state-equivalent withholding form completion for employees.
  - name: Employee Tax Setup
    description: Employer-side tax profile capture for individual employees.
  - name: Company Tax Setup
    description: Federal and state tax registration capture for the employer.
  - name: Company Payment Setup
    description: Plaid bank linking and debit authorization for funding payroll.
  - name: Company Filing Authorization
    description: Review, sign, and submit jurisdiction-specific tax authorization forms.
  - name: Filing Preview Component
    description: Preview tax returns and filings before submission.
  - name: Company Verification Documents
    description: Collect verification documents requested by Check operators.
  - name: Full Service Setup Submission
    description: Submit a company to Check operators for full-service embedded setup.
  - name: Previous Payroll Provider Access
    description: Capture prior-provider credentials for payroll migration.
  - name: Component Events
    description: Components emit lifecycle events such as completion and already-complete states.
- aid: check-hq:mcp-server
  name: Check MCP Server
  description: The Check MCP Server exposes the Check Payroll API to AI tools and agents via the Model Context Protocol. It
    is offered as both a hosted (remote) endpoint requiring no infrastructure and a self-hosted package for full control of
    the runtime environment. The server maps Check API operations to MCP tools, allowing natural-language access to companies,
    employees, payrolls, tax filings, payments, and reports for AI-assisted operator workflows.
  humanURL: https://docs.checkhq.com/docs/overview-1
  tags:
  - MCP
  - Model Context Protocol
  - AI
  - Agents
  properties:
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://docs.checkhq.com/docs/overview-1
  - type: HostedMCP
    url: https://docs.checkhq.com/docs/hosted-remote
  - type: SelfHostedMCP
    url: https://docs.checkhq.com/docs/self-hosted
  features:
  - name: Hosted Remote MCP
    description: Connect AI tools to Check without managing any infrastructure.
  - name: Self-Hosted MCP
    description: Run the MCP server locally with full environment control.
  - name: Natural Language Payroll Operations
    description: Query and operate payroll resources using LLM-driven tool calls.
- aid: check-hq:cli
  name: Check CLI
  description: The Check Command-Line Interface is a Python-based CLI installed via the uv package manager that exposes 270
    functions across 18 resource groups of the Check Payroll API. It is designed for shell scripts, CI/CD pipelines, and ad-hoc
    data lookups, returning JSON output that composes cleanly with Unix tools such as jq.
  humanURL: https://docs.checkhq.com/docs/check-command-line-interface-cli
  tags:
  - CLI
  - Python
  - Automation
  - CI/CD
  properties:
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://docs.checkhq.com/docs/check-command-line-interface-cli
  - type: GitHubOrganization
    url: https://github.com/checkhq
  features:
  - name: Full API Coverage
    description: 270 functions across 18 Check resource groups available as subcommands.
  - name: JSON Output
    description: Machine-readable JSON output suitable for jq and shell pipelines.
  - name: CI/CD Friendly
    description: Designed for automation in scripts and continuous-delivery pipelines.
common:
- type: Website
  url: https://www.checkhq.com
- type: Documentation
  url: https://docs.checkhq.com
- type: Portal
  url: https://console.checkhq.com
- type: Console
  url: https://console.checkhq.com/login
- type: Sandbox
  url: https://sandbox.checkhq.com
- type: Blog
  url: https://www.checkhq.com/resources
- type: ChangeLog
  url: https://www.checkhq.com/resources/changelog
- type: HelpCenter
  url: https://help.checkhq.com
- type: StatusPage
  url: https://docs.checkhq.com/docs/status-page
- type: GitHubOrganization
  url: https://github.com/checkhq
- type: LlmsText
  url: https://docs.checkhq.com/llms.txt
- type: Careers
  url: https://www.checkhq.com/company/careers
- type: LinkedIn
  url: https://www.linkedin.com/company/check-technologies
- type: Crunchbase
  url: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/check-2a75
- type: Solutions
  data:
  - name: Startups
    description: Drop-in Components let early-stage platforms launch payroll quickly without bespoke UI.
  - name: Enterprise Platforms
    description: Flexible API enables deeply customized payroll experiences for large vertical SaaS and workforce platforms.
  - name: Workforce Management
    description: Couple scheduling and timekeeping with end-to-end payroll, taxes, and money movement.
  - name: Vertical SaaS
    description: Embed native payroll inside industry-specific software for trades, hospitality, fitness, and more.
  - name: Accounting and Financial Management
    description: Sync payroll journals and tax events into accounting platforms with workplace breakdowns.
- type: Customers
  data:
  - name: Homebase
  - name: ServiceTitan
  - name: Procare
  - name: 7shifts
  - name: Housecall Pro
  - name: Wave
  - name: Zoho
  - name: Keka
  - name: Zenoti
  - name: Playground
  - name: Eddy
  - name: Miter
  - name: Trayd
  - name: Warp
  - name: Dripos
- type: Funding
  data:
  - name: Series B
    description: $35M Series B led by Stripe and Thrive Capital announced at public launch in January 2021.
  - name: Series C
    description: $75M Series C led by Stripe announced in 2022.
maintainers:
- FN: Kin Lane
  email: kin@apievangelist.com