How to Set Up Multiple Pay Frequencies

Crystal Payroll allows you to set up multiple pay frequencies so that you can handle a multitude of scenarios for your employees. For example, you can differentiate waged employees from salaried employees by having two weekly pay frequencies, or you can set up a monthly directors' salary outside of the normal payroll. Setting up multiple pay frequencies is a relatively straighforward process.

Please navigate over to "Company Settings", "Payroll Settings." The fourth line under "General Settings" has the dropdown menu that allows you to select a pay frequency. If you have not selected one, then you can select "Multi-pay Frequency" and then "Save". Otherwise, if one is already selected, select "Switch to Multi-pay frequency" to the right of the box. If you have already selected "Switch to Multi-pay frequency" in the past, and are wanting to set up another frequnecy, select "Set Up Multi-pay Frequency".


From this menu, you can select "Add" to begin creating additional pay frequencies. You may choose from the following options:

  • Weekly
  • Fortnightly
  • Semi-monthly
  • Monthly
  • Four-weekly

    • If you are creating two pay frequencies that are on the same pattern, it is worth giving them a different name. i.e. "Wages Weekly" or "Wages Salary", or "Weekly Old" or "Weekly New". In the instance that you no longer want to use a pay frequency, in most cases you can hide the pay frequency, but not delete it, as you need to stay compliant to the legislation's requirement of holding 7 years' worth of records. If you want to hide the pay frequency, untick "Active Pay Frequency".

    Once you have set up your desired pay frequencies, you need to assign each employee to the one corresponding to their pattern of work. You can do this by returning to home, and navigating over to "Employee Settings", and then "Employee Details". Select the employee from the left-hand side and then under "General Details", you will notice a new dropdown menu. Select the "Pay Frequency" for this employee, and then select "Save".


    When processing a payroll or viewing a report, you will now notice a dropdown menu along the top of your page, where you can cycle between pay frequencies as needed.