Once you submit a payroll in your Ubiquity employer account, you can track its progress and quickly resolve any issues that may arise. This guide explains payroll statuses, timelines, and common error messages so you can keep contributions moving smoothly into employee accounts.
Who This Applies To
This article is for employers and plan administrators responsible for submitting payroll contributions..
How to Check Payroll Status
- Log in to your employer dashboard
- From the left navigation menu, click Contributions > History.
- Review the Status column on the far right to see where your payroll is in the process.
Payroll Status Timeline
Each payroll moves through four steps:
- Submitted – Your file has been received and is being validated (Day 1).
- Awaiting – Ubiquity is waiting for funding. If ACH is enabled, we’ll debit your account and send funds to the custodian (Day 2–3).
- Funded – Funds have been received and the payroll is queued for trading (Day 4).
- Processed – Contributions have settled into employee accounts (Day 5).
⏱ Timeline tip: Contributions typically settle in employee accounts within 5 business days if ACH funding is enabled. ACH debits are requested daily at 2:00 pm.
Duplicate Payrolls and “Review” Status
To prevent duplicate charges, payrolls with the same start date, end date, and check date may be flagged for review.
- Go to Contributions > Report Contributions and select the payroll with the Review status.
- If it’s a duplicate, click Cancel in the top right.
- If it’s not a duplicate, click Process Payroll to continue.
Common Payroll Errors and How to Fix Them
Most payroll errors can be fixed directly in your dashboard without calling support. Below are frequent error messages and solutions:
|
Error Message |
How to Fix |
|
Adjusting payroll in status CANCELLED not allowed |
Contact Ubiquity for next steps. |
|
Cannot find company for EIN |
Verify the EIN in your file matches Ubiquity’s records. If correct, contact us. |
|
Contribution Type DEFERRAL-ROTH Not Allowed |
Your plan doesn’t allow Roth contributions. Review permitted sources in 401(k) Plan Settings > Overview. |
|
Contribution Type MATCH / Profit Sharing / Safe Harbor Not Available |
Your plan doesn’t allow this contribution type. Check your plan document for details. |
|
Invalid Salary |
Remove all negative numbers or dashes (–), then re-submit. |
|
No loan payment expected / Participant doesn’t have an active loan |
Go to Reports > Active Loans and correct payroll to match the loan schedule. |
|
Number of columns does not match header |
Use the payroll template provided in your dashboard. Ensure underscores (_) remain in headers. |
|
Participant is not eligible |
Verify employee eligibility in Employees > Manage Employees and correct census data. |
|
Terminated employee cannot contribute |
If rehired, click the Rehire button in Manage Employees. If not rehired, remove their contribution and re-submit. |
|
Payroll check date must be within 30 days of end date |
Contact Ubiquity to resolve. |
|
Payroll start date must be before end date |
Correct the pay dates and re-submit. |
|
Contribution amount exceeds compensation or IRS limits |
Reduce contributions to remain within annual IRS limits. Go to Reports > Contribution Detail Report to check totals. |
|
Unknown employee(s) |
In Employees > Manage Employees, either add the employee with full details or verify the SSN matches Ubiquity’s records. |
|
Unable to parse pay period data |
Dates must be formatted as YYYYMMDD (no slashes or dashes). |
|
Unable to read SSN |
Format as XXX-XX-XXXX. In Excel, use “Special > Social Security Number” to preserve leading zeros. |
|
[ERROR] messages (e.g., “No Response from RKS”) |
Contact Ubiquity for assistance. |
|
[WARNING] Payroll already submitted |
Review both payrolls in Contributions > History. Either approve or cancel to avoid duplication. |
What Happens if Errors Aren’t Fixed
- Payrolls with unresolved errors will not be processed, meaning employee contributions will not be deposited on time.
- Delayed contributions may create compliance risks with Department of Labor (DOL) and IRS rules requiring timely deposits.
Tips to Avoid Payroll Issues
- Always use the Ubiquity payroll template to avoid formatting errors.
- Double-check employee eligibility and plan provisions before submitting payroll.
- Keep EIN, employee SSNs, and contribution types up to date in your system.
- Submit payrolls promptly after each pay date to avoid late deposits.
Need Help?
If you need assistance with payroll errors, please contact us.