Payroll tools and source-backed guidance
Paystub generator help center
Learn how to prepare a paystub, check earnings and deductions, correct a preview, download a PDF, and resolve payment or account-access problems.
Best Paystub Generator helps you turn genuine earnings records into an editable paystub draft. Start with the free preview, check the figures and layout, then choose whether to buy a watermark-free PDF. Use the answers below to work through the product and resolve common problems.
Product guidance reviewed · Best Paystub Generator editorial team
How do I create a paystub with Best Paystub Generator?
Choose a layout, enter employer and worker details, add the pay period and genuine earnings, then review deductions and year-to-date totals. Check the full preview before exporting the PDF. You can start the preview without creating an account.
Have the underlying payroll records ready before you start. A layout changes the presentation; it does not establish whether the figures or employer details are correct. If you are looking for a statement issued by your employer, use its payroll portal or contact its payroll team.
- Choose an earnings-statement layout that has the fields you need.
- Enter the employer and worker information from your records. If you include an SSN identifier, enter only its last four digits.
- Set the pay-period start and end dates, pay date and pay frequency. A pay date and a pay-period end date can be different.
- Enter actual earnings and deductions. Review every automatic estimate and any manual state or local amounts.
- Compare the preview with your source records, including net pay and year-to-date totals. Correct the draft before downloading.
What is free, and what does a PDF download cost?
Creating and reviewing a preview is free. A single watermark-free PDF costs $7.99; a pack of three costs $14.99. These are one-time purchases. An optional subscription is a separate choice.
A free preview lets you inspect the document before purchasing an export. It does not mean that every download option is free. Check the selected plan, document quantity and total in checkout before paying.
The configured subscription prices are $19.99 per month or $99.99 per year. Unlike a one-time purchase, a subscription renews. Review the checkout terms and use Billing to manage an existing plan.
Why can the estimate differ from my employer-issued paystub?
Best Paystub Generator uses a simplified federal estimate and configured FICA calculations. It does not reproduce every payroll setting. Pay frequency, benefit treatment, Form W-4 adjustments, state and local withholding, or earlier wages can produce a different result.
State reference pages cover all 50 states, but this is not automatic withholding support for all 50. The workspace estimates California and handles the state wage-income-tax line for states without that tax. For other states, enter the withholding amount from the appropriate current official instructions or authorized payroll records.
Match the pay frequency and earnings period first, then compare deductions one line at a time. Do not change genuine source figures just to make an estimate agree. The methodology page explains the supported cases and the assumptions behind the calculation.
How should I check year-to-date totals?
Year-to-date (YTD) totals summarize the applicable earnings or deductions from the start of the calendar year through the statement. Reconcile the draft with earlier payroll records; the generator cannot retrieve or verify previous pay periods.
Use the same cutoff date when comparing totals. For example, if confirmed prior gross pay is $10,000 and the current period adds $2,000, the gross total including that period is $12,000. If your source already includes the current period, do not add it again.
Multiplying one paycheck by a period count only works when all included periods have the same amounts. Bonuses, unpaid leave, a midyear start, changing hours or changed deductions require the actual records. Gross pay, tax withholding and other deductions each have their own cumulative total.
How do I correct a mistake before downloading?
Return to the relevant fields in the generator, correct the draft and review the updated preview before exporting. Editing a draft does not update a PDF that you have already downloaded.
Check names, pay dates, pay frequency, earnings, deductions and the net-pay result. If you change a layout, review the complete preview again. Keep the original records available so you can distinguish a typo from a difference caused by calculation assumptions.
- Locate the incorrect field and compare it with the source record.
- Update the input, then inspect the affected line and totals in the preview.
- Confirm the document quantity and export terms before downloading another version. If a paid export went wrong, contact support with the order reference.
What should I do if I paid but cannot download the PDF?
Check your browser downloads and the account associated with the checkout email before paying again. If you bought credits, check the remaining balance. Contact support with the order reference and error message if access or export still fails.
Some files in a multi-document export may have completed before an error appeared. Check which files were downloaded before retrying. The service attempts to restore a consumed credit when PDF generation fails, but verify the account balance rather than assuming that a restore succeeded.
For an access problem, use the same email address used at checkout. A successful card charge and a completed account update are separate steps. Support can investigate a mismatch using the order reference, purchase time and selected product.
Do not send a full SSN, card number or an unredacted paystub in a support message. An error description and order reference are a better starting point.
Do I need to enter my full Social Security number?
No. Enter only the last four digits if you include an SSN identifier. Never enter your full SSN. These digits are cleared from saved browser drafts, so you may need to re-enter them after leaving the page.
Review the completed preview for information you do not need to include. The privacy policy describes data handling; a document-preparation tool does not need a full SSN to explain earnings or deductions.
Can the generator retrieve or verify an employer-issued paystub?
No. Best Paystub Generator formats the information you enter. It cannot access an employer payroll account or independently verify income or employment. To obtain an employer-issued statement, use the employer or payroll-provider portal, or ask the payroll team.
If another organization requests proof of income, ask which original records it requires. Employer statements, tax documents, bank records and business records serve different purposes. A user-created draft is not a replacement for independent verification.