Payroll Company Review • Updated October 2026
Heartland Payroll Review 2026: Now Auris — Pricing, Plans, Pros & Cons
Heartland Payroll was sold to Acrisure in 2025 and renamed Auris. Here’s what changed, what it costs, what it does well and whether it’s still the right payroll for your business.
Compare Payroll Quotes → See PricingIs Heartland Payroll (Auris) Good? Our Verdict
Heartland Payroll — now called Auris — is a good choice for small and mid-sized businesses, especially restaurants, retailers and service businesses, that want payroll, HR and benefits from one provider with a responsive support team. Bundles start at $89 per month for one employee, it includes built-in tax credit screening, and users rate it about 4.3/5 on Capterra. We rate it 4.1/5, held back by mostly quoted pricing, reports of rep turnover and price increases, and uncertainty during the rebrand.
Heartland appears in our best payroll outsourcing companies rankings as the pick for restaurants and retail.
Heartland Payroll Is Now Auris: What Changed
In October 2025, Acrisure completed its $1.1 billion purchase of Global Payments’ payroll business, Heartland Payroll Solutions, and rebranded it as Auris. Auris says customers kept the same team and dedicated support, and Global Payments continues to offer the payroll software to its merchant (payment processing) clients.
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1997 | Heartland Payment Systems is founded, later adding payroll services for small businesses |
| 2016 | Global Payments acquires Heartland; payroll continues as Heartland Payroll Solutions |
| May 2025 | Global Payments agrees to sell its payroll business to Acrisure for $1.1 billion |
| Oct 2025 | Acrisure completes the deal and rebrands Heartland Payroll as Auris |
| Today | Auris serves 50,000+ businesses; Global Payments still offers the payroll software to its merchant clients |
On this page
Heartland Payroll (Auris) Ratings
Overall: 4.1/5, the average of the five categories.
What users say
Heartland Payroll+ (now Auris) is rated about 4.3/5 on Capterra from 100+ reviews, with roughly 85% positive sentiment, and about 8.8/10 on TrustRadius.
Users praise helpful phone support, accurate on-time payroll and good value for small businesses. Common complaints are rep turnover, slow fixes for complex issues and prices that rise over time.
Heartland Payroll Pros and Cons
✔ Pros
- Real support team with fast response times
- Easy to use with accurate, on-time payroll
- Built-in tax credit screening (WOTC) during hiring
- All-in-one: payroll, HR, time, hiring and benefits
- 100+ integrations, including POS systems
- Published starting price of $89/month
⚠ Cons
- Most pricing is quoted beyond the starting bundle
- Rep turnover reported by some users
- Prices can rise over time without new features
- Rebrand transition from Heartland to Auris may change logins or terms
- Not built for large enterprises (best up to ~250 employees)
Heartland Payroll (Auris) Pricing and Plans
Auris bundles start at $89 per month for one employee using payroll only; larger teams and the Enhanced, HR Pro and Build Your Own bundles are quoted individually. That starting price is higher than Gusto or OnPay’s $49 base, but includes a dedicated support team.
| Auris (Heartland) bundle | What’s included | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Essentials | Payroll processing, automatic tax filing and onboarding | From $89/mo (1 employee, payroll only) |
| Enhanced | Everything in Essentials plus hiring tools (job posting, candidate screening for tax credits) | Custom quote |
| HR Pro | Everything in Enhanced plus time, attendance and scheduling | Custom quote |
| Build Your Own | Pick modules à la carte: benefits, 401(k), workers’ comp, HR consulting, learning management | Custom quote |
Pricing as published by Auris in 2026. Per-employee rates, add-ons and contract terms are quoted; some users report multi-year price locks.
Current Heartland customer or considering Auris? Compare your price with other top payroll providers — free.
Compare Payroll QuotesHeartland Payroll (Auris) Features
Payroll & tax filing
Automatic federal, state and local filings, W-2s and direct deposit.
Tax credits
Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) screening built into hiring.
Onboarding
New-hire paperwork that flows straight into payroll.
Auris Time
Time, attendance and scheduling (included in HR Pro).
Auris Hire
Job posting and candidate screening.
Benefits
Medical, dental, vision, 401(k), workers’ comp and ACA reporting for 50+ employees.
HR consulting
HR OnDemand and HR Complete expert support options.
Integrations
100+ tools including POS, accounting, time tracking and benefits.
Learn more about payroll processing, payroll tax filing and direct deposit.
Who Should (and Shouldn’t) Use Heartland Payroll
Great fit if you…
- Run a restaurant, retail shop or service business
- Have 1–250 employees
- Want a support team you can call
- Hire often and want WOTC tax credit help
- Already process payments with Heartland or Global Payments
Consider alternatives if you…
- Want fully published, low pricing (try Gusto or OnPay)
- Plan to grow well past 250 employees (see ADP or Paylocity)
- Need a PEO (see Paychex Oasis)
- Prefer a fully self-service experience
Heartland (Auris) vs. Gusto vs. ADP RUN vs. Toast Payroll
How Auris compares with the small business and restaurant payroll providers it’s most often weighed against.
| Auris (Heartland) | Gusto | ADP RUN | Toast Payroll | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price | From $89/mo (1 employee) | $49/mo + $6/employee | Custom quote | Bundles from $69/mo + $9/employee |
| Best for | Restaurants, retail and service businesses wanting a support team | Small teams wanting easy, transparent payroll | Growing businesses wanting HR depth | Restaurants on Toast POS |
| Company size | 1–250 employees | 1–100 | 1–49 (then Workforce Now) | Restaurants of any size on Toast |
| Tax credit help (WOTC) | Yes | Limited | Add-on | Limited |
| Our review | — | Gusto review | ADP review | Restaurant payroll |
Other alternatives: Paychex, QuickBooks Payroll, Paycor and isolved. Browse all payroll company reviews, the best payroll software or payroll outsourcing for small business.
Heartland Payroll (Auris) FAQs
Is Heartland Payroll still in business?
Yes, but under a new name. Global Payments sold its Heartland Payroll business to Acrisure for $1.1 billion, the deal closed in October 2025, and the business now operates as Auris. Existing Heartland Payroll customers kept the same team and support, and Global Payments still offers the payroll software to its merchant clients.
What is Auris payroll?
Auris is the new name for Heartland Payroll Solutions after its acquisition by Acrisure. It provides payroll, tax filing, HR, onboarding, hiring, time and attendance, benefits administration, 401(k) and workers’ comp services to more than 50,000 small and mid-sized businesses.
How much does Heartland Payroll (Auris) cost?
Auris bundles start at $89 per month for a business with one employee using payroll only. Pricing for more employees and for the Enhanced, HR Pro and Build Your Own bundles is quoted individually based on headcount and modules.
Is Heartland Payroll good?
Heartland Payroll, now Auris, is a solid choice for small and mid-sized businesses that want a real support team. It is rated about 4.3 out of 5 on Capterra from more than 100 reviews, with users praising ease of use, accuracy and helpful support, while some report rep turnover and price increases over time.
Who is Heartland Payroll best for?
Auris is best for small and mid-sized businesses with up to about 250 employees, especially restaurants, retailers and service businesses that want payroll, HR and benefits from one provider with responsive support, and those that already use Heartland or Global Payments for payment processing.
Does Heartland Payroll file payroll taxes?
Yes. Auris automatically calculates, deposits and files federal, state and local payroll taxes, prepares W-2s and helps businesses claim tax credits such as the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC).
Does Heartland Payroll work with restaurants and POS systems?
Yes. Auris integrates with more than 100 tools, including point-of-sale, accounting, time tracking, benefits and workers’ comp systems, which makes it a common choice for restaurants and retailers that want hours and tips to flow into payroll.
Is Heartland Payroll better than Gusto?
Gusto is usually simpler and has fully published pricing starting at $49 per month plus $6 per employee, while Auris offers more hands-on support, built-in tax credit screening and HR consulting options. Businesses that want self-service often prefer Gusto; those that want a support team often prefer Auris.
Is Heartland Payroll better than ADP?
ADP is larger and scales further, with a PEO and enterprise products, while Auris focuses on small and mid-sized businesses with a more personal support model. Comparing quotes for your headcount is the best way to decide.
Will my Heartland Payroll account change under Auris?
According to Auris, customers kept the same team and dedicated support through the transition. Ask your rep whether your login, pricing, contract terms or integrations will change as the Heartland name is phased out.
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