This article explains how to set up and manage multiple bank accounts for an employee in Deputy, including how to split an employee's pay using fixed amounts or percentages.

Before you read

• Target audience: This article is for System Administrators, Location Managers, Payroll Administrators, Payroll Managers, and other users responsible for managing payroll.
• Plan restrictions: To access this feature, you'll require either a Deputy Payroll (AU) subscription or Deputy HR subscription.
• Availability: Currently, only System Administrators and users with permission to manage payroll details can set up multiple bank accounts. Employee onboarding and Employee Self Service support will be explored for a future release.

This article covers

• When to set up multiple bank accounts for an employee
• Before you begin
• Add an additional bank account
• Set the primary bank account
• Edit a bank account
• Remove a bank account
• How pay is distributed between bank accounts
• FAQs

When to set up multiple bank accounts for an employee

You can set up multiple bank accounts (a primary account and one additional account) when a team member asks for their pay to be deposited into more than one account. This allows employees to direct part of their wages to a secondary account (for example, savings or bills), while the remaining balance is deposited into their primary bank account.

By default, the following access levels have the ability to add and edit payroll details:

• System Administrators
• Location Managers (for employees assigned to the locations they manage)
• Payroll Managers
• Payroll Administrators

Before you begin

• Employees can have up to two bank accounts: one primary bank account and one additional bank account.
• Additional bank accounts can receive either:
  • A fixed amount, or
  • A percentage of the employee's net pay.
• The primary bank account always receives the remaining net pay after all other distributions have been processed. 
• Additional bank accounts are processed first, with the remaining balance then deposited into the primary account. 
• Bank account details can be added, edited, or removed at any time. 
• Sensitive bank information continues to respect the organisation's HR permissions and data masking settings.

We recommend reading more about How pay is distributed for multiple bank accounts.

Add an additional bank account

To add another bank account:

1. Open the employee profile on the People tab, select the Payroll tab. 

   
    

2. Click Edit next to the Bank details section.
     

3. Click Add account under the existing bank details.

   

4. Enter the employee's Account name, Account number, and BSB.

   
    

5.  Choose the pay distribution method from the Distribute Pay drop-down. This will determine how the employee's net pay will be split between the bank accounts:

         
          Percentage: Enter the percentage value (%) out of 100% to be deposited into this account  
          Fixed amount: Enter the dollar value ($) to be deposited into this account
   
   Tip: Percentage-based distribution is the recommended option for employees whose take-home pay can vary from pay to pay (for example, due to overtime, leave, or varying hours). This reduces the risk of allocation issues. If you select the Fixed Amount option, we recommend you read What happens if there is not enough net pay to meet the fixed dollar allocations?

   

6. Select Save changes.

Set the primary bank account

The primary bank account receives any remaining net pay after the additional account distribution has been processed.

To change the primary bank account:

1. Open the employee's Bank Details.
2. Select Set as primary on the account you want to make the primary account.
3. Select Save changes.

After you save your changes, the selected account moves to the top of the list and becomes the employee's primary bank account.
 

Edit a bank account

Changing existing bank details is done in the same place that you add additional bank accounts.

To edit a bank account:

1. Open the employee's Bank Details.
2. Locate the bank account you want to edit. The example below shows an employee with two bank accounts configured.
3. Update the bank account details or distribution amount.
4. Select Save changes.

Remove a bank account

If an employee no longer wants their pay split across multiple bank accounts, you can remove an additional bank account.

To remove a bank account:

1. Open the employee's Bank Details.
2. Click Remove next to the relevant bank account.
3. Select Save changes.

Once you remove the account, any pay previously allocated to it is paid into the employee's primary bank account.
 

How pay is distributed between bank accounts

When an employee has a primary bank account and one additional bank account configured, Deputy Payroll first deposits the allocated amount or percentage into the additional bank account. Any remaining net pay is then deposited into the primary bank account.

For example:

• Percentage allocation: If the additional bank account is set to receive 20%, 20% of the employee's net pay is deposited into that account and the remaining 80% is deposited into the primary bank account.
• Fixed amount allocation: If the additional bank account is set to receive $500, $500 is deposited into that account and any remaining net pay is deposited into the primary bank account.

Note: If you've allocated a Fixed amount, we recommend reading What happens if there isn't enough net pay to meet the fixed amount ($) allocations?.

FAQs

How many bank accounts can an employee have?

Employees can have up to two bank accounts, including their primary account.
 

Do employees get notified when a manager updates their bank account details?

Yes, if a team member has already been invited to join Deputy and a manager or eligible administrator updates their payroll information, they will be notified via email. 

The team member must have a valid email address on file and have notifications set up correctly to receive the email.
 

Can I use both fixed amounts and percentages?

No. All additional bank accounts must use the same distribution method. If one account uses percentages, all additional accounts must also use percentages. The same applies to fixed amounts.
 

Why can't I mix fixed amounts and percentages?

Using a single distribution method reduces the risk of payment allocations exceeding an employee's available net pay, particularly for employees whose earnings vary between pay periods.
 

Which account receives the rest of the employee's pay?

The primary bank account always receives any remaining net pay after all configured distributions have been processed.
 

Can employees set up and edit their own details for multiple bank accounts?

No, not at this time. Only System Administrators and users with permission to manage payroll details can manage multi-bank accounts details. 

Support for Employee Self Service and Employee Onboarding may be explored for a future release.
 

Does the primary bank account need a distribution amount?

No. The primary bank account does not require a fixed amount or percentage. It automatically receives the remaining net pay after all other distributions have been processed.
 

Why is a percentage allocation recommended instead of a fixed dollar amount?

Percentage allocations automatically adjust to an employee's net pay each pay run, making them more reliable when an employee's pay varies. 
 

What happens if there isn't enough net pay to meet the fixed amount ($) allocations?

If you choose Fixed amount for the Distribute pay option, and an employee's net pay is less than the total of their fixed dollar ($) allocations, Deputy Payroll cannot generate the payment file required to complete the pay run.

The pay run will identify the affected employee(s) and provide a link to their employee profile so an administrator can review and update the bank account allocations. Once the allocations have been adjusted so they can be met by the employee's available net pay, the pay run can be completed.