Affiliate Disclosure

How this site is funded — display advertising plus affiliate/referral relationships with some certified-payroll software vendors. What that means for our comparisons.

This site is free to read. It is funded two ways: display advertising, and affiliate or referral relationships with some of the software vendors we write about. This page explains both plainly, so you know exactly where our money comes from before you trust a recommendation.

We are independent, not neutral. When you follow certain links to a certified-payroll or compliance software vendor and sign up or book a demo, we may earn a referral fee at no extra cost to you. That relationship never changes the rate data we publish, and it is disclosed on every page where it applies.

What earns us money

Display ads. Most pages carry advertising. Advertisers do not see or influence our content, and ad placement never changes a wage rate, a citation, or a comparison verdict.
Software referrals. On our software pages (for example, the certified-payroll software comparison and eBacon vs LCPtracker), some outbound links are affiliate or referral links. If you buy or book a demo through one, we may be paid a commission.

What does not change because of it

The wage-rate data is the core of this site, and it is never for sale. Rates come from the official sources described on our how we source rates page — the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division determinations published on SAM.gov, plus state schedules where a state law applies. We copy what the determination says; we do not add, estimate, or adjust a rate for any commercial reason.

When we compare software, we tell you the trade-offs even when they cost us a referral — including when the tool your general contractor already mandates is the one you will end up using regardless of what we think of it.

How to read our comparisons

Treat our software pages as an informed starting point, not gospel. Prices we quote are demo-quoted or drawn from third-party sources and flagged as directional; confirm current pricing and features directly with each vendor. Where a general contractor or awarding agency mandates a specific platform, that requirement overrides any preference of ours.

Questions

If you want to know whether a specific link on this site is an affiliate link, assume the links on our software pages may be, and the wage-rate and methodology pages are not. See also our editorial process for how we keep the money side separate from the data side.

Last reviewed: 14 July 2026. This page describes how the site is funded. Nothing on this site is legal, tax, or compliance advice; verify the current wage determination on SAM.gov or with the DOL Wage and Hour Division before bidding or paying.