> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.zeal.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Setting up Regular Payroll Run

> This guide will explain how to take advantage of Zeal's Regular Payroll Run functionality through the API.

## In this guide

* How to set up a company's payroll settings
* How to get the upcoming date of the next regular payroll run according to company payroll settings
* Create employee checks with given information

***

## Set up Company Payroll Settings

Call [Update Company Information](/reference/companies/update-company-info) with the `payroll_firstCheckDate`, `payroll_schedule`, and `payroll_firstPayPeriodID`. This will return with the company object.

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash bash theme={null}
  curl --request PATCH \
       --url https://api.zeal.com/companies \
       --header 'Authorization: Bearer {{testApiKey}}' \
       --header 'accept: application/json' \
       --header 'content-type: application/json' \
       --data '
        {
            "companyID": "{{companyID}}",
            "payroll_firstCheckDate": "2024-08-30",
            "payroll_schedule": "weekly",
            "payroll_firstPayPeriodID": "6580ce4a3808d60023b4e412"
        }
  '
  ```
</CodeGroup>

This will return JSON with the updated [Company Object](/reference/companies/the-company-object).

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash bash theme={null}
  {
      "status": 200,
      "success": true,
      "data": {
          "companyID": "{{companyID}}",
          "first_name": "Richard",
          "last_name": "Hendricks",
          "email": "[email protected]",
          "business_name": "Pied Piper",
          "business_address": "1 Market St.",
          "business_city": "San Francisco",
          "business_state": "CA",
          "business_zip": "94110",
          "business_phone": "2025550151",
          "mail_address": "1 Market St.",
          "mail_city": "San Francisco",
          "mail_state": "CA",
          "mail_zip": "94110",
          "ssn": "22-333-4444",
          "ownership_percentage": 25,
          "dob": "01/01/1990",
          "legal_structure": "ccorp",
          "job_title": "CEO",
          "address": "1 Ferry Building",
          "city": "San francisco",
          "state": "CA",
          "zip": "94105",
          "payroll_firstCheckDate": "2024-08-30",
          "payroll_schedule": "weekly",
          "payroll_firstPayPeriodID": "6580ce4a3808d60023b4e412"
    }
  }
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## (Optional) Set up Employee with Regular payroll settings

This is optional because these settings are used in the Zeal UI when generating payroll runs. If you use the API to create employee checks, you do not need these fields.

Set the following fields on an [Employee](/reference/employees/the-employee-object):

* Set `is_salary` = `true`
* Set `salary` field on the Employee
  * **Reminder: the`salary` field is required IF `is_salary`=true**

You can set `is_regular` = `true` if you'd like this worker to show up automatically in your on-cycle payroll runs in the Zeal UI as well.

## Get upcoming Regular Payroll Run date

At any time, you can call the ["Get Upcoming Regular Payroll" endpoint](/reference/employee-checks/payroll-run/get-upcoming-regular-payroll) to get the upcoming "regularly" scheduled check date and associated reporting period information.

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash bash theme={null}
  curl --request GET \
       --url https://api.zeal.com/payroll/regular?companyID={{companyID}} \
       --header 'Accept: application/json' \
       --header 'Authorization: Bearer {{testApiKey}}' \
       --header 'Content-Type: application/json' 
  ```
</CodeGroup>

This will return Reporting Period and Check Date information.

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash bash theme={null}
  {
      "status": 200,
      "success": true,
      "data": {
        "reportingPeriodID": "6580ce4a3808d60023b4e412",
        "start": "2024-08-24",
        "end": "2024-08-30",
        "checkDate": "2024-08-30"
      },
  }
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## Create Employee Checks

You can now call the [Create Employee Check](/reference/employee-checks/employee-checks/create-employee-check) endpoint, with the check date and reporting period information from the previous endpoint (see [here](/docs/employee-checks-guide) for more details on how to create an Employee Check). Include a flat earning component with the appropriate `hours` and `amount`.

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash bash theme={null}
  curl --request POST \
       --url https://api.zeal.com/employeeCheck \
       --header 'Accept: application/json' \
       --header 'Authorization: Bearer {{testApiKey}}' \
       --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
       --data '
  {
       "approval_required": false,
       "disbursement": {
            "method": "direct_deposit"
       },
       "shifts": [
            {
                 "flat": {
                      "hours": 80,
                      "amount": 2500
                 },
                 "time": "2023-02-24T15:00"
            }
       ],
       "companyID": "{{companyID}}",
       "employeeID": "{{employeeID}}",
       "reportingPeriodID": "{{reportingPeriodID}}",
       "check_date": "2024-08-30"
  }
  '
  ```
</CodeGroup>

With the check in our system, it will automatically be batched and begin processing 2 days before the `check_date`.

### Note

If you create employee checks for "is\_regular" employees through the API, you will not necessarily see payroll runs in the UI.