What is Payroll in CX?
Payroll in Stax.ai CX brings your clients' payroll data directly into the platform. Plan sponsors connect their payroll provider once, and pay data flows into CX automatically. That data powers accurate census collection, so you spend less time chasing spreadsheets and more time on plan work. Payroll is built for TPAs who want complete, on-time census data with fewer back-and-forth requests.
Key capabilities
Connect payroll once, sync automatically. Plan sponsors connect their payroll provider through the client portal in a few minutes. After that, pay data syncs into CX without manual uploads.
Support any provider. Providers with an API sync automatically. Smaller or boutique providers use an assisted connection, where the Finch team (Stax.ai's secure integration partner) exports and syncs the data for you.
Handle file-only payrolls too. If a sponsor's provider can't connect at all, you can give them a simple drag-and-drop upload task in the client portal instead.
See every connection at a glance. Payroll statuses show you which connections are healthy, which are waiting on the client, and which need attention — across your whole book of business.
How Payroll fits into CX
Census projects — synced payroll data feeds census collection, so the data you need is already in the system when census season starts.
Client portal — plan sponsors connect payroll and upload payroll files through their portal. No new logins or tools for them to learn.
Projects and tasks — payroll connection and upload tasks live inside projects, so you can schedule, assign, and track them like any other work.
Companies — each company record shows its payroll connection and status on the Payroll tab.
A quick look
The Payrolls page shows every payroll connection across your clients, with the provider, status, and assignee for each.
From here you can:
Filter by payroll status, provider, assignee, or tags
Search for a specific client
Open any connection to see its details and synced payroll data
Check a client's payroll status
Open the Payrolls page from the left sidebar.
Type the client's name in the search bar. The list narrows as you type.
Find the Payroll Status column. The status badge tells you the state of the connection (for example, Active or Awaiting Client).
Click the client's row to open the connection and see synced payroll details.
Tip: Not sure what a status means or what to do about it? See Payroll Statuses Explained for every status and the action it needs.
Related articles
Connecting Payroll (Client Portal) — the steps your plan sponsor follows to connect their provider
Connecting Payroll Ahead of Census — launch connection projects early so census season goes smoothly
Drag and Drop Payroll Uploading — set up file uploads for sponsors whose provider can't connect
Payroll Statuses Explained — what each status means and what to do next
Exporting Payroll Data — download payroll detail as an Excel file for any date range