Payroll in Dext Payments allows you to upload a CSV file generated by your payroll software and create payment runs for employees. After uploading the file, Dext validates the employee details, flags any issues, and prepares the payments for approval and processing.
Important: Payroll in Dext Payments is currently released as a closed Beta feature. During Beta, the feature may change, and additional validation checks or functionality may be added.
How to import a payroll CSV file
To import payroll payments in Dext, upload a CSV file exported from your payroll software. Dext automatically maps the key fields required to create employee payments.
Go to Payments.
Select Payroll.
Open the Runs tab.
Select Import.
Upload your payroll file in CSV format.
Required fields include:
Account name
Sort code
Account number
Amount
Optional fields include:
Payee
Reference
Important:
Your CSV file must include all required payment details: Account name, Sort code, Account number, and Amount.
You can only edit bank details in Dext if they fail validation checks.
If bank details are valid, they cannot be changed after upload.
You cannot edit or enter the Amount in Dext. The amount must be correct in the uploaded CSV file.
Some payroll software refers to this export file as a Credit Transfer Payments Report or Payment file for Bank Payments.
If you use BrightPay, generate the payroll CSV using the Comma template provided in BrightPay.
If you use Staffology, export your payroll file using the Standard CSV format. Make sure you select Download as Payment files for Bank Payments when exporting the file:
What happens after you import a payroll file?
After uploading a payroll CSV file, Dext processes the records and prepares them for payment.
The system will:
Map the CSV fields to the required payment details
Validate employee bank details
Match employees to existing payees or prompt you to create a new payee
Flag any issues as Needs attention
Note: If any fields are not mapped correctly, review the mapping and update it so each value matches the correct payment field.
Once all records are resolved and marked Ready to pay, you can create a payroll payment run.
Fix payroll records that need attention
A payroll record shows Needs attention when Dext cannot validate the employee's bank details or required payment information. You must correct the details before the payment can be included in a payroll payment run.
A warning icon appears next to any record with an issue.
To resolve validation issues:
Select the warning icon next to the employee record.
Review the payment details.
Edit the following fields if needed:
Account name
Sort code
Account number
Save the changes.
Once the issue is resolved, the record status updates to Ready to pay.
Create or match employee payees
When payroll records are uploaded, Dext must match each employee payment to a payee record.
If the employee does not exist yet, you will need to create a new payee.
If an existing payee is detected but the details are different, you can choose to:
Create a new payee, or
Add to an existing payee
Important: The Add to payee option is not available if the bank account already exists in Dext. In this case, the record must be matched to the existing payee.
Once all records are resolved and marked Ready to pay, you can create a payroll payment run.
Review security checks (Supplier Shield)
Dext performs automated checks on payroll payments to help you verify employee payment details before processing payments.
These checks appear as Supplier Shield indicators on payroll run details and payment run screens.
During the beta, the following checks are performed:
Have you paid this payee before?
Have you paid these bank details before?
Have the bank details passed the Confirmation of Payee (CoP) check?
These indicators help you review employee details, identify unexpected changes, and make safer payment decisions before approving payments.
Edit bank details that require attention
If the bank details validation checks fail, Dext will mark them as Needs attention, and you can then update them in a payroll record.
After editing the details and saving the record, the payment can move to Ready to pay once validation passes.
Important: Every change to bank details is recorded in the payroll run history.
Create a payroll payment run
To create a payroll payment run, all records must be marked Ready to pay.
The process for creating and processing a payroll payment run is the same as for supplier payments. To create one, simply follow the steps in the Pay supplier invoices and expenses with Dext Payments guide.
Payroll approvals
Payroll payments can follow the same approval workflow used for supplier payment runs. Approval workflows ensure payroll payments are reviewed before they are processed.
To create a payroll approval workflow:
Go to Business settings.
Select Approvals.
Select Payment runs.
Create a new workflow.
Under Apply approvals to, select Payroll.
Add approvers and conditions such as:
amount
currency
approval sequence
Select Save.
The workflow automatically applies to new payroll payment runs that match the configured conditions.
For more information about approval workflows, see the Payment run approval workflows guide.
Manage payroll permissions
Payroll access in Dext Payments is controlled by the Manage payroll permission. Payment Owners and Payment Admins automatically have payroll access.
Users with the Manage payroll permission can:
Import payroll CSV files
Manage employee bank details imported from payroll files
View the payroll payment runs they created
Note: Having payroll permission does not allow a user to create payment runs unless they also have the Create payment runs and Process payment runs permissions.
Add a user with payroll access
You can grant payroll access from the Payments permissions page.
Go to Business settings.
Select Payments.
Select Permissions.
Select Add user.
Choose a user from the list.
Set the role to Standard user.
Enable Manage payroll.
Enable Create payment runs and Process payment runs permissions if you want the user to be able to process payroll payments as well.
Select Submit.
For more details about Payments permissions, see Dext Payments: Access, roles, and permissions.
View payroll run history
Each payroll run includes a History tab that records key activities related to the payroll payment process.
The history log records:
When a payroll run was created, and by whom
When bank details were edited (including previous and updated values)
Creation of new payees
When bank details were added to an existing payee
When a payment run was created
This audit trail helps teams track changes made to payroll payment details.