Payroll may not be glamorous, but for small businesses, it’s mission-critical—and often a time sink. ADP, the payroll giant with more than 75 years in the business, is now offering a solution it hopes will streamline the process: ADP Embedded Payroll, a platform that lets software providers bake payroll directly into their own SMB solutions.
The idea is straightforward: instead of forcing business owners to juggle multiple logins and standalone tools, payroll lives inside the systems they already use daily. The first proof point is ADP’s RUN Powered by ADP solution now integrated directly into Clover, the cloud-based POS system used by countless restaurants, retailers, and service providers.
Less Friction, More Focus
“Small businesses spend countless hours toggling between standalone payroll tools and their core business software,” says Matt Farwell, president of Small Business, Retirement and Insurance Services at ADP. “ADP Embedded Payroll eliminates this friction.”
Translation: instead of back-and-forth between POS and payroll apps, Clover users can now pay employees, process taxes, and handle compliance without leaving the platform.
Why This Matters for SaaS Providers
For SMB-focused SaaS companies, embedding ADP’s tech isn’t just about convenience for end users. It’s also a revenue opportunity. By bundling payroll into their platforms, software vendors can keep customers sticky, expand their value proposition, and tap into ADP’s infrastructure and support.
ADP promises partners omni-channel service, 24/7 support, and go-to-market help—including digital and assisted onboarding—so they don’t have to reinvent the wheel.
Payroll Meets POS
The Clover partnership is a telling first step. POS systems sit at the heart of small businesses, especially in hospitality and retail, where payroll is often complex (think tipped workers, variable shifts, and tax quirks). By embedding payroll into Clover, ADP essentially turns the POS into a one-stop-shop: take payments, track sales, and now pay your people—all without leaving the dashboard.
“By partnering with industry leaders like ADP, we are able to enhance the Clover platform and deliver a powerful, comprehensive payroll solution,” says Will Karczewski, Head of Clover at Fiserv.
The Bigger Picture
Embedded finance has been a hot trend for years—think payments in Shopify or lending inside QuickBooks. Payroll was an obvious next frontier, but one that smaller SaaS players lacked the infrastructure to tackle. ADP’s move lowers the barrier to entry: now any SMB platform can offer payroll backed by ADP’s compliance and tech stack.
For small businesses drowning in admin, the promise is simple: less clicking, fewer errors, and more time to actually run their business. For ADP, it’s a chance to lock itself deeper into the software ecosystems SMBs rely on most.
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