Still Faxing or Calling In Payroll? Here's the Easier, Safer Way

Many small businesses have been handling payroll the same way for years. They fax over the hours, call in any changes, and mail out paper checks. These routines have worked for a long time. The challenge is that paper-based processes carry more risk. When something goes wrong, it often surfaces at an inconvenient point in the payroll cycle.

The three issues that lead to payroll headaches are mistakes, fraud, and business disruption. All three are related to the familiar and comfortable use of paper systems for payroll. The good news is that one change can remove these weak points entirely. Trivantus helps employers adopt a simpler and safer alternative.

The Old Way is Slower and More Error-Prone Than It Looks

Many employers stick with familiar routines like faxing payroll or calling in hours because they've worked for years. These are the vulnerabilities that most employers don't see until they cause a delay or correction.

• Manual entry errors: Hours read over the phone or faxed in can be misheard or misread. A single transposed number can ripple through an entire payroll run.
• No clean record of what was sent: Phone calls don't leave a trail, and fax confirmations can be lost or misfiled. When a question comes up later, there's nothing solid to reference.
• Sensitive data in transit: Wages and employee details sent by fax or phone are not well protected. Agencies like the IRS and Department of Labor emphasize safeguarding personal information. Paper makes that harder.
• Deadlines and single points of failure: A jammed fax, a missed call, or the one person responsible for payroll being unavailable can stall the entire cycle.

Paper Checks Are a Growing Fraud Threat

Even as paper check usage has declined, criminals have zeroed in on the payroll checks that still remain. The Association for Financial Professionals (AFP) reports that checks are still the most targeted payment method for fraud. In 2025, 58 percent of businesses that still use paper checks reported check fraud. This trend is accelerating. In a February 2023 alert, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) noted more than $688 million in suspicious activity tied to mail-related check fraud in just six months.

Once a check is stolen, it can be altered or fraudulently deposited. It also exposes the company's bank account and routing number, which can be used for additional unauthorized withdrawals. Payroll checks are especially attractive because they're predictable and recurring. This is one of the different types of payroll fraud that often goes unnoticed until a business is forced to deal with the fallout. Reissuing payments, closing accounts, and investigating losses can take a lot more time than switching to a safer method in the first place.

When Disruption Hits, Paper Payroll Stops

Paper-based payroll depends on physical tools and physical movement. When either of those is disrupted, it can threaten the continuity of your business.

When the office is closed, the fax machine is closed with it. A building closure or even a temporary power outage can make it impossible to send hours if the process requires being at one desk with one machine. A routine that only works when everything is normal isn't much of a continuity plan.

Mail delays create a second weak point. Postal slowdowns or transportation disruptions can strand employee paychecks for days. Even when the business submits payroll on time, employees can be left waiting for paychecks that are stuck in a distribution center or on a truck. For workers who rely on a steady paycheck and predictable income, that delay can create real hardship.

There's also the key-person problem. Many paper-based systems live in one person's head. They know the steps, the timing, the quirks of the fax machine, and the way corrections are handled. If that person is out sick or unavailable, the process can grind to a halt.

Even when checks arrive on schedule, employees might not be able to reach a bank to deposit them. Weather or transportation issues can keep people at home, leaving their pay inaccessible until conditions improve. Direct deposit avoids this entirely by placing funds where employees can reach them without needing to travel.

The Easier, Safer Way:
Go Electronic

Electronic payroll submission removes the weak points caused by paper systems. It's a great choice for employers who want something dependable without having to overhaul their entire workflow.

Electronic Submission

When you submit payroll online, it replaces faxing and phone calls with a secure portal you can access from anywhere. You enter hours directly and receive immediate confirmation. That creates a clean and searchable record and removes the risk of missing faxes or misheard numbers.

Direct Deposit

Direct deposit eliminates the paper check entirely. Pay goes straight into employees' accounts. There's no envelope to steal and no bank account number printed on a check. You're not reliant on the postal service. It's the most effective way to reduce paper check fraud and keep employees paid during disruptions. Compared with paper checks, direct deposit is a more secure and reliable option. Employees benefit from the added convenience as well, since their pay arrives without a trip to the bank

Built-In Resilience

Electronic payroll isn't tied to one machine or one person. If the office building is closed, payroll can still run. If someone is out, another team member can step in. A shared online process supports business payroll continuity in a way that paper systems never can.