Preview mode lets you set up and test your client's payroll before any money moves. This article explains what needs to be in place before going live, what happens when the switch is made, and how dry run payrolls can be preserved in your client's year-to-date totals.
What needs to be in place first
Three things must be confirmed before your client can be moved to live payroll:
KYB (Know Your Business) is complete — the business has been verified and no flags are outstanding
At least one payroll has been processed — PAD agreement is signed, bank account is added, and a funded pay run has been successfully completed
Direct deposit is confirmed — the bank account has been verified and is ready to issue payments to employees
Once all three are in place, contact Paiday to request the switch to live mode.
⚠️ Moving to live mode is permanent. Once preview mode is ended, it cannot be reverted and no further configuration changes can be made through this process. Make sure your client's setup is complete and accurate before requesting the switch.
What happens when you go live
Paiday will review your client's account and end preview mode once everything is confirmed. From that point:
Pay runs will process and move real funds
Source deductions will be remitted to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)
T4s will be generated at year-end for all pay periods run in live mode
💡 Note: Going live is currently a manual process. Reach out to Paiday support and we'll confirm the checklist and make the switch with you.
Preserving a dry run in year-to-date totals
If your client ran payroll in preview mode as a dry run — for example, to test pay calculations or run parallel payroll while migrating from another system — those pay runs can be preserved and included in your client's year-to-date (YTD) totals.
When you contact Paiday to go live, let us know if you'd like the dry run payrolls included in YTD history. This ensures your client's cumulative totals, source deduction tracking, and year-end reporting are accurate from day one.
💡 Note: Not all preview mode pay runs need to be preserved. If the dry run figures don't reflect actual pay (e.g., test data was used), it's better to leave them out.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide tax, legal, benefits, financial, or HR advice. Since laws and regulations are subject to change and may differ by location, please consult a legal or HR professional for personalized guidance.
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