How to Create, Review and Download a Pay Stub

Before you start

Have the employer and worker details, pay-period dates, pay date, approved earnings, deductions and prior year-to-date balances ready. Use the pay stub field checklist and annotated example to identify the information. An employee seeking a replacement for an employer-issued statement should request it from payroll.

Follow the four application screens

Business: enter the business information and choose a template. Employee: identify the worker accurately. Pay: enter the period’s wages and deductions using your payroll records. Review: check the preview and totals before proceeding. Select the document type that matches the record you are authorized to prepare; a contractor income record does not change someone’s worker classification.

Review before paying

Check names, pay dates, earnings, deductions, net pay and YTD totals against the source records. Confirm that current-period amounts have not been counted twice in YTD. The payroll reconciliation guide explains how to compare a statement with the payroll run. Resolve errors before finalizing the document.

Pricing, checkout and your PDF

Basic pay stubs cost $1 each. W-2 and 1099 forms cost $9.99 each. Review your selected document type and order total before payment. The application uses Square for checkout; final PDFs are rendered after payment. A downloaded statement records the information supplied—it does not transfer wages, file a tax form, or independently verify employment or income.

Your draft is stored on the device used to create it. Keep your own source records and save the final download where you can retrieve it. For an existing payroll error, use the correction guide. For contractor documentation, read what independent contractors should keep. Workflow reviewed October 16, 2026.

Mobile versus desktop document creation

The application presents Business, Employee, Pay and Review steps and a live preview. In our November 2, 2026 browser check, the review screen was usable at desktop and 390-pixel mobile widths. The mobile screen provided Preview and previous-step controls, while the desktop screen offered a larger working area. This was a browser-layout check, not a test of every phone, assistive technology or paid download.

Use desktop when comparing several source records side by side. A phone can be convenient for reviewing a prepared record, but zoom into names, period dates, deduction labels and YTD before finalizing. Small-screen fit does not prove the figures are accurate. The application stores drafts on the device; do not assume a draft started on one device automatically appears on another.

After downloading a PDF

Save the final file to an authorized, access-controlled location and confirm that you can reopen it. On mobile, check the browser's download location or file manager; on desktop, check the chosen downloads folder. Review print preview before printing, especially page boundaries and small labels. Do not leave payroll documents on a shared device or public printer.

PDF exports and accounting software

The observed workflow produces a PDF after payment. A PDF is a document copy, not structured payroll data or evidence of an accounting integration. Native QuickBooks synchronization, CSV payroll export and automatic journal posting were not verified in this review. Do not assume those capabilities from the ability to download a pay stub.

If your accounting system permits attachments, a PDF may be kept as supporting documentation under that system's own workflow; attaching a file is not the same as importing wages, withholding or ledger entries. Confirm supported formats and fields with the receiving system and reconcile any manual entry to the approved payroll register. The IRS recordkeeping guidance explains the role of supporting documents in business records.

Before transferring payroll information

• Identify the approved source record and the person authorized to transfer it.
• Confirm the receiving system, field mapping, pay-period dates and employee identifiers.
• Keep employer contributions separate from employee deductions.
• Reconcile totals after entry and retain a record of the transfer.

Use the payroll reconciliation guide and layout review checklist. For a supported estimate, use the paycheck calculator; values require manual review and entry into the generator.