Automatic nanny payroll has one job: make sure payday happens on the week you forget. NannyKeeper Autopilot does that for households whose pay is steady. Turn it on for an employee and NannyKeeper builds, approves and sends each period's payroll on your usual schedule, and stops to ask you when a payday comes out further from what you expected than you allowed.
What Autopilot does each pay period
Autopilot builds your nanny's payroll from the standard hours you set, approves it, and starts the direct deposit five business days before payday so the money lands on the pay date. A daily job watches your pay calendar. When a period comes into its window, it runs the full tax calculation (federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare, federal and state unemployment, and your state's withholding), approves the payroll, and schedules the transfer.
The numbers are computed the same way a manual payroll is. Autopilot does not use a different tax engine or a shortcut; it runs the same code the "Run payroll" button does, so the pay stub, the withholding and the year-end W-2 all match what you would get by hand.
Before each run you get a heads-up email that names the amount, the pay date and the day the transfer starts, with a link to the Autopilot page where you can skip that week or change the hours. If you would rather not get one per run, a switch on that page turns the routine heads-up off; emails about a held run or a failed payment always send.
You approve the first run
The first payroll Autopilot prepares is held until you approve it. That one check is the moment to catch a wrong standard-hours number before any money moves. After that, a run goes out on its own unless it trips one of the holds below.
What makes Autopilot hold or pause
Autopilot is built to be loud when something is off, because you are not watching. Each situation has one response:
| What happens | What Autopilot does | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| The first payroll after you turn it on | Holds it | Approve it once |
| Take-home pay is more than 25% off the expected amount | Holds it and emails you | Approve it, or fix the hours first |
| Take-home pay goes over $3,000 when the amount you enrolled at was $3,000 or less | Holds it and emails you, every time it happens | Approve it; for an hourly nanny, update the standard hours so the expected amount reflects the change |
| Your bank returns the debit | Pauses after that one return, emails you, and never retries on its own | Reply to that email and we help you get it running again |
| Your nanny is away | Keeps paying the standard hours unless you tell it not to | Skip one week or several from the Autopilot page |
The 25% line is a choice you make when you turn Autopilot on. The box is pre-checked; uncheck it and every payday whose amount changes waits for you. That choice exists because the federal rule for recurring bank debits asks the payee either to give you written notice ten days ahead of a changed amount or to offer you a range you can accept instead. NannyKeeper prices each run too close to the day the money leaves your bank for a ten-day notice, so it offers the range, and you keep the right to be told about every changed payday. The exact wording is in our Terms, section 5.5.
Bonuses, corrections and a week you want to run yourself
Autopilot claims each pay period it has scheduled. If you need to pay something different for that period (a bonus, a correction, extra hours), use "Run manual payroll for this week" on the employee's page before the transfer starts: it cancels the scheduled run and replaces it with the payroll you enter, so nothing is paid twice. Once a transfer has started it is no longer replaceable. A past period Autopilot never scheduled can be run by hand at any time.
You can pause or turn off Autopilot whenever you like. Turning it off cancels any run that is scheduled but not yet sent and keeps your records on file. Turning it back on later takes you through the same short setup, so you re-confirm the hours and the authorization.
Direct deposit is the foundation
Autopilot pays by direct deposit, on the same rails as every NannyKeeper direct deposit, so the timing is the timing in our nanny direct deposit guide. Per Nacha, an ACH credit settles within two banking days and most settle in one or less. NannyKeeper's payment has two legs, the debit from your bank and the credit to your nanny, which is why it starts five business days ahead. It also counts business days on the Federal Reserve holiday calendar, so a payday near Juneteenth or the Fourth of July still lands on the date.
Your nanny sees the same pay stub and the same deposit they see today. Nobody has to remember to send it.
When automatic payroll is a fit, and when it is not
Autopilot is a fit when pay is steady: a salaried nanny, or an hourly nanny who works the same standard week. It changes who presses the button. It does not change what you owe, and NannyKeeper does not file your returns or pay your taxes for you; those stay yours, as the IRS reminds every household employer who hands part of the work to someone else:
"Generally, as an employer, you're responsible to ensure that tax returns are filed and deposits and payments are made, even if you contract with a third party to perform these acts. You remain responsible if the third party fails to perform any required action."
IRS Publication 926 (2026), Reminders, "Outsourcing payroll duties"
If hours swing week to week, Autopilot is not offered. It pays the same standard hours every period, so an hourly employee needs at least three recent payrolls whose pay stayed within about 10% of each other before the switch appears; a salaried employee needs two completed payrolls. Running each payroll from logged hours is the right tool for a nanny whose week varies.
What it costs
Autopilot is included with Plus and Pro. Each automatic payroll carries the same direct-deposit fee as a manual one, so turning it on adds nothing to what you already pay to send a direct deposit.
Frequently asked questions
Will Autopilot pay my nanny without asking me?
After you approve the first run, yes, for any payday whose take-home pay is within the range you chose. A payday outside that range, or one that goes over $3,000 when the amount you enrolled at was $3,000 or less, waits for your approval, and you get an email about any held run.
What happens if my bank returns the debit?
Autopilot pauses after that one return and emails you. Nothing is retried on its own. Reply to that email and we help you get it running again; Autopilot stays paused until then.
Can I skip a week when my nanny is on vacation?
Yes. Skip one period or several weeks at once from the Autopilot page or the employee's page. Skipped weeks are recorded so they never run late.
Does Autopilot change my nanny taxes?
No. It runs the same tax calculation as a manual payroll and produces the same pay stub, quarterly figures and W-2. Your obligations under IRS Publication 926 are unchanged.
Why can't I turn it on for my nanny yet?
The employee's page tells you what is missing. Autopilot needs a Plus or Pro plan, direct deposit set up on both sides, steady recent pay (three payrolls for hourly, two for salaried), one pay rate for the employee, an active employee, and no open payment return on your account.
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