Payroll Bridge
Peace of mind to pay your team
If unexpected expenses or gaps in your cashflow are making it challenging to make payroll, Payroll Bridge powered by Parafin is available to eligible Gusto customers to ensure your employees are paid on time and in full.1 With flexible repayment plans and transparent fees, secure future payrolls with Payroll Bridge and gain peace of mind when you need it most.
Easy application
Determine your eligibility and easily apply, with no credit check and, if approved by Parafin, fund payroll with your line of credit.¹
Flexible repayment options
If approved, split your repayments to Parafin over time in 4, 8, or 12 installments to optimize your business cash flow.
Transparent Pricing
Fund payroll with one flat financing fee, disclosed upfront and split across repayments, making it easy to budget with no interest or late fees.1
Peace of mind
Secure future payrolls
Keep payroll running on time
From late invoice payments to unexpected business costs, cash flow fluctuations can be challenging to manage—especially when you need to make payroll. With Payroll Bridge, gain peace of mind knowing you can pay your team on time and in full while maintaining uninterrupted business operations.1
Fast access to funds when you need it most
With a streamlined application process you can easily apply and, if approved by Parafin, accept your line of credit in minutes—with no impact on your credit score.
Transparency
One clear cost, no surprises
One transparent financing fee
Unlike traditional loans that accrue interest or rely on variable rates, with Payroll Bridge you can fund payroll confidently with one fixed financing fee—clearly disclosed upfront and split across each repayment.1 With no interest or late fees you’ll know exactly what your repayments are, helping you budget with clarity.
Three-day grace period2
When you take out a line of credit with Payroll Bridge, Parafin will waive the entire financing fee if you repay your full balance within three days.2 It's designed to provide a few extra days to make payroll—without the stress and added costs. (Subject to eligibility.2)
Flexibility
Flexible repayment plans that work for your business
Choose a repayment plan that works for you
Manage your business cash flow with greater ease. Payroll Bridge offers approved customers flexible repayment plans over 4, 8, or 12 installments, so you can fund payroll immediately and access more time to budget for repayments.1
How it works
Apply for a Payroll Bridge line of credit to pay your team in a pinch
Step 1: Run Payroll
When you start running your next payroll, choose ‘Payroll Bridge line of credit’ as your funding method to be directed to the application process with Parafin.
Step 2: Apply
After clicking ‘Continue to Parafin’, check your eligibility and apply with ease for a quick line of credit decision from Parafin—with no impact to your credit score.
Step 3: Accept your offer
If approved, review and accept your line of credit by agreeing to Parafin’s loan agreement, and gain quick access to funds for payroll.
Step 4: Simple Repayment
Choose the repayment plan that works best for your business and set your payments on auto-pilot across 4, 8, or 12 installments. Your first repayment to Parafin will be made when you accept the payment plan on your line of credit.
Gusto Money
Everything works better with Gusto Money
Running your business is easier when everything connects. Bill Pay, Invoicing, and Payroll Bridge are all built to work together inside Gusto, so you can handle expenses, collect payments, and bridge payroll gaps all within your dashboard. No need to juggle extra tools and subscriptions—just one simple way to stay in control of your money. Learn more about Gusto Money.
Frequently Asked Questions
Payroll Bridge is a line of credit designed to provide small businesses with timely access to capital for running payroll.1 If approved, you can access a line of credit to fund payroll now and pay for it over time, helping you manage cash flow more easily. Unlike traditional loans that accrue interest or have variable rates, Payroll Bridge offers one fixed, transparent fee communicated upfront, so you always know your exact cost.
Payroll Bridge is powered by Parafin, whose focus is providing small businesses with fast, easy access to capital.
Parafin reviews and makes the determination based on several factors including the Plaid account you will connect during your application.
Each payment plan on your line of credit comes with a financing fee.
The fee amount is calculated by Parafin using a variety of factors, including the amount you draw and the repayment terms.
The financing fee is fixed and will not change over the life of the payment plan. It is paid back over the course of the payment plan. You will not be charged interest by Parafin.
No. Applying for, or using, Payroll Bridge will not affect your credit score. Parafin does not require a credit check or report to credit agencies.
Parafin does not require your FICO® score or any other type of credit score to apply, and they do not use your credit score in their underwriting.
Payroll Bridge funds are limited to your regular U.S. Gusto payroll only. The funds cannot be used for bonuses, off-cycle payrolls, or non-payroll business expenses. Payroll Bridge also may not be used for personal, family, or household expenses.
The funds are sent directly to Gusto to fund your regular U.S. Gusto payroll.
Parafin will initiate the debit for your first repayment from your linked bank account as soon as you fund payroll using your line of credit.
With Payroll Bridge, you have a three-calendar-day grace period after accepting your repayment plan with Parafin to pay your full balance and have your financing fee waived.2
To take advantage of the grace period, you must initiate a manual payment to Parafin of the full repayment plan (excluding the financing fee) by 11:59 PM PST on the third calendar day after accepting the plan via the Payroll Bridge Dashboard.2
If you have multiple outstanding repayment plans, older plans must be repaid first before any new plans are eligible for the Grace Period, per the Advance Agreement. Any manual payments made will go towards the oldest payment plan first. Please note that only one repayment plan may be eligible for the Grace Period. See terms.2
For Vermont residents: THIS IS A LOAN SOLICITATION ONLY. GUSTO, INC. IS NOT THE LENDER. INFORMATION RECEIVED WILL BE SHARED WITH ONE OR MORE THIRD PARTIES IN CONNECTION WITH YOUR LOAN INQUIRY. THE LENDER MAY NOT BE SUBJECT TO ALL VERMONT LENDING LAWS. THE LENDER MAY BE SUBJECT TO FEDERAL LENDING LAWS.
1 Gusto provides access to Payroll Bridge through our partnership with Parafin. Payroll Bridge is offered by Parafin, not Gusto. Gusto does not review applications, make credit or lending decisions, provide credit, service loans, or collect repayments.
All loans are issued by Celtic Bank. All loans and offers are subject to credit approval, identity verification, and are subject to periodic review and may change without notice. Bank transfers are subject to review.
All lines of credit are subject to application completion and review.
Please also see Gusto’s terms.
2. The Payroll Bridge grace period (the "Grace Period") waives the financing fee for eligible customers who repay their line of credit in full within three (3) calendar days of accepting the repayment plan by initiating an ACH transfer through Parafin by 11:59 pm PST and as required by the Advance Agreement Terms of Service with Parafin ("Advance Agreement"). Parafin's offer will indicate if the line of credit qualifies for the Grace Period. While the first payment includes that installment’s portion of the financing fee, the entire financing fee will be waived if the plan is repaid in full within the Grace Period, subject to the Advance Agreement terms. Payments must be initiated manually via Parafin's dashboard (next-day ACH only), with each repayment plan requiring a separate manual payment. If a customer has multiple outstanding repayment plans, older plans must be repaid first before any line eligible for the Grace Period, per the Advance Agreement, and only one line may be eligible for the Grace Period. If any ACH payment isn't received within the Grace Period on the eligible line or any older outstanding repayment plans, the line of credit will be ineligible for the Grace Period, all financing fees apply per the accepted repayment plan(s), repayments resume as originally agreed, and Parafin reserves the right to apply received payments to older outstanding repayment plans first.