This article is for Deel Payroll clients and explains how to add and edit recurring payroll items to their direct employees-payroll.

Recurring items for direct employees can be added to individual contracts directly via Deel. 

Clients can add recurring payroll items for an individual employee or enable a mass recurring item for multiple workers at once.

In This Article:

Adding Recurring Items From the Employee’s Contract Data

Adding Recurring Items From Payroll Report (Individual Employee)

Adding Recurring Items From Payroll Report (Mass Action)

Editing a Recurring Payroll Item

Recurring Payroll Items

Clients can add payroll items via the employee's contract or via the payroll report.

Adding Recurring Items From the Employee’s Contract Data

✅ Step 1 – Select an employee

Select the People icon, followed by the People tab, and click the employee

✅ Step 2 – Open the employee's agreement

Click View Agreement.

✅ Step 3 – Add recurring items

Scroll down to the Recurring Payroll Items section and click Add.

Clients will be asked to add:

• Payroll Item (e.g., allowance, bonus, reimbursement)
• Amount
• Start date
• (Optional) End date – leave blank for indefinite recurrence

Adding Recurring Items From Payroll Report (Individual Employee)

✅ Step 1 - Open the payroll report for an open cycle

✅ Step 2 - Click on a specific employee

✅ Step 3 - Click Make it Recurring for the desired item

This takes you directly to the employee’s Recurring Payroll Items section in their contract.

✅ Step 4 - Fill in the recurring item form as above

Adding Recurring Items From Payroll Report (Mass Action)

✅ Step 1 - In the payroll report for an open cycle, click the three dots (⋮) near Bulk Edit

✅ Step 2 - Select Set Recurring

✅ Step 3 - Choose the payroll item(s) you want to set as recurring.

You can:

• Toggle on the recurring setting for all employees with the same amount and start date (and optional end date), or 
• Edit specific item values first, then toggle Use Current Amount to set each employee’s current value as recurring.

A field to select the payroll cycle will appear if the entity is set to bi-monthly, meaning clients can decide if payment will occur on the 1st or last cycle of the month.
They can specify which period the recurring payment needs to be paid/deducted. If the entity is not set to bi-monthly, clients will not see this option.
The Payroll Cycle Menu Options are:

• Every Cycle
• First Cycle Only
• Last Cycle Only

If a Payroll Item Is Missing

If you don’t see an item available to set as recurring, check your entity settings:

1. Go to Settings → Entity page → Global Payroll tab, or from the payroll report page, click View Report Settings.
2. Click Manage under the Payroll Report section.
3. Select the payroll items you want to appear in the report.

Once the item is visible in the payroll report, you’ll be able to set it as recurring.

If you still can’t find the item you need, open the same Manage Items drawer and submit a Payroll Request (top-right corner) — we’ll review and add the new item for you.

Editing a Recurring Payroll Item

There are three ways to edit a recurring payroll item. You can update, end, or delete items either from the employee’s contract, directly in the payroll report, or through a bulk upload.

Option 1 - From the Employee’s Contract Data

✅ Step 1 – Open the Employee Record

Go to the People tab, select the employee’s name, and click View Agreement.

✅ Step 2 – Locate the Recurring Payroll Items

Scroll down to the Recurring Payroll Items section. Under the Active tab, find the item you want to update.

✅ Step 3 – Choose an Action

Click the three dots (⋮) next to the item. You can then:

• Edit – change the item details such as amount or end date.
• Change End Date – set or update when the item should stop.
• Delete – remove the item completely.

Note

If you want to change the amount for an item that has already started, you’ll first need to set an end date for the current item. Then, you will be guided through the flow to create a new recurring item with the updated amount and start date.

Option 2 - From the Payroll Report (Individual Employee)

1. Go to the Payroll Report for an open cycle and click the employee’s name to open their details drawer.
2. If the item is recurring, click Change Rule. You’ll be redirected to the employee’s Recurring Payroll Items section under their contract.

From there, follow the same steps outlined in Option 1.

Option 3 - Bulk Edit for Multiple Employees

Use this option to update or end recurring items for several employees at once.

✅ Step 1 – Open Bulk Edit

Go to the People tab. Click the three dots (⋮) near Configure Columns, then select Bulk Edit Payroll Contracts.

✅ Step 2 – Download Current Data (CSV)

• Choose the entity and employees to include.
• When selecting fields, make sure to toggle on “Recurring Payroll Items.”

✅ Step 3 – Edit the CSV File

Update the relevant fields (for example, end dates or amounts), then save your file.

✅ Step 4 – Re-upload the file

Return to Bulk Edit Payroll Contracts, click Upload CSV, and select your updated file. 

Important Notes

• You cannot select an end date in the past. The earliest possible end date is today.
• If you set the end date before the cutoff date of the current (open) cycle, the item will not appear in that cycle.
• If you change or add the end date after the cutoff date, the item will still apply to the current cycle.
• To make an item amount zero for the current cycle, manually adjust it in the payroll report. The updated rule will take effect from the next cycle onward.