Payments How-To
Contractor Onboarding: Invite And Complete
Drivers and other contractors fill in their own tax and banking details through a secure link, so your office never handles a paper W-9 or types an account number. This guide covers what your staff does, what the contractor sees, and the safeguards in between.
What Your Staff Does
- 1
Add The Driver To The Roster
Open the driver roster and add the person with their name, email, and mobile number. Nothing sensitive is entered by your staff — the roster only pre-populates the parts the driver would otherwise retype.
- 2
Send The Secure Invite
Choose Invite. The driver receives a branded email with a single-use link that opens their own onboarding page. No password or account setup is required to start.
- 3
Track Progress Without Chasing
The roster shows who was invited, who opened the link, who is partway through, and who finished. Reminders go out on their own, so you don't have to follow up manually.
- 4
Review And Approve
When a driver submits, staff review the W-9 details, the deposit account, and the taxpayer ID check result, then mark the record verified. Only verified drivers become eligible for a live payout batch.
- 5
Keep Records Current
Records are re-verified on a schedule (yearly by default, with a 30-day heads-up). You can also request re-certification any time a driver's tax or banking details change.
What The Contractor Sees
- 1
Open The Link
The link works on a phone, tablet, or computer. It is tied to one invitation and expires after seven days.
- 2
Confirm Identity And Tax Details
The driver confirms their legal name, business name if they have one, address, and taxpayer ID, then chooses their tax classification — the same information a paper W-9 asks for.
- 3
Enter The Deposit Account
Routing and account numbers are validated as they are typed. A bad routing number is caught immediately, and the bank's name fills in so the driver can confirm it is the right institution.
- 4
Attach A W-9 If They Have One
Drivers can upload a PDF or photo of a completed W-9. Paper forms your office receives can be uploaded on their behalf instead.
- 5
Sign And Submit
The driver types their name to certify the information, submits, and gets a confirmation. A signed W-9 certificate is generated and filed with the record.
Security Controls
How Tax And Bank Details Are Protected
- Single-Use, Expiring Links
- Each invitation link is good for one contractor and expires after seven days. Only a scrambled fingerprint of the link is stored, so the link itself cannot be recovered from the record — not even by staff.
- Automatic, Limited Re-Sends
- If a link lapses before a driver finishes, a fresh one is issued about every three days, up to four times. Reminders stop the moment onboarding is complete.
- Encrypted Tax And Bank Numbers
- Taxpayer IDs and full account numbers are encrypted before they are stored. Screens, exports, and PDFs show only the last four digits.
- Deposit Account Validation
- Routing numbers must pass the standard banking checksum, so transposed digits are rejected before a payment is ever attempted.
- Taxpayer ID Checks
- Every submission is checked for a valid taxpayer ID format, and matching files can be produced for official IRS verification.
- Full Audit Trail
- Every event — invited, opened, submitted, reviewed, re-certified — is recorded with who did it, when, and from what network address. Prior versions of a record are kept, so nothing is silently overwritten.
- Least-Privilege Access
- Drivers see only their own paperwork and never the books. Reviewing and approving is limited to owners and admins, and payment release is a separate approval step.
- Compliance Export On Demand
- One click produces a per-contractor packet with the W-9 details, deposit verification, taxpayer ID result, and audit history — with sensitive numbers masked.
This page describes controls that are in place in this application. It is not an independent audit, certification, or legal advice.
When Is A Contractor Ready To Be Paid?
- A signed W-9 certification is on file and current.
- A deposit account is on file and passed validation.
- The taxpayer ID check came back clean.
- Staff reviewed the record and marked it verified.
- No re-certification or re-verification request is still open.
Anyone missing an item is held back automatically, with the reason shown beside their name in the Live Payroll Workflow — so an unverified contractor can never slip into a payout batch.
Common Questions
- The driver says the link no longer works. What now?
- Links expire after seven days. A fresh one is sent automatically, and you can also re-send from the roster at any time.
- Can we onboard someone who only has a paper W-9?
- Yes. Upload the scan or photo to their record and enter the details from the form; the same checks and audit trail apply.
- Can staff see a driver's full account or taxpayer ID number?
- No. Those numbers are encrypted at rest, and screens, exports, and PDFs show only the last four digits.
- What happens if a driver changes banks?
- The change is recorded, the prior version is kept, and payouts pause until the rehearsal checks are re-run and the record is verified again.