What is an advice number?

An advice number is a unique identifier assigned to a direct deposit or electronic funds transfer (EFT) transaction. It’s typically found on an employee’s pay stub or payment advice slip and serves as a reference number that helps employers, employees, and banks track and confirm the transfer of funds.

For small business owners running payroll, the advice number is especially useful for recordkeeping and troubleshooting. If there’s ever a question about whether a payment went through—or when it did—this number provides a direct link to that specific transaction.

Where to find the advice number

Employees can usually find their advice number on their:

• Pay stub
  
  
• Direct deposit statement
  
  
• Payroll portal or earnings summary
  
  

Employers may see it in their payroll provider’s dashboard or payment confirmation reports. It’s typically located near other transaction details like deposit date, net pay, and routing/account numbers (masked for security).

What does the advice number do?

The advice number acts as a digital fingerprint for a payroll or vendor payment. It can be used to:

• Verify a payment – Confirm whether a direct deposit was sent and received
  
  
• Troubleshoot errors – Help banks or payroll providers locate a specific transfer
  
  
• Reconcile records – Match payments in your payroll system to bank transactions
  
  

Advice numbers are often generated by the payroll software, bank, or ACH processor handling the payment.

Advice number vs. check number

Although both are used to track payments, they’re not quite the same:

• Advice number – Applies to electronic payments; used in digital payroll systems and bank records
  
  
• Check number – Found on physical checks; used to track mailed or hand-delivered payments
  
  

If you’ve gone paperless, the advice number is your go-to reference for any payroll questions.

Why advice numbers matter for employers

Having access to advice numbers helps small business owners:

• Resolve employee questions faster – If someone says they didn’t receive a deposit, the advice number helps trace it
  
  
• Stay audit-ready – A clear transaction history can support compliance in the event of an audit
  
  
• Avoid duplicate payments – Each payment has a unique identifier, helping prevent accidental reprocessing
  
  
• Streamline communication with banks – You can provide advice numbers when opening support tickets or filing disputes
  
  

It’s a small detail that can save you a lot of time when something goes wrong.

How Homebase helps with payroll and direct deposit

When you’re running payroll for a small team, managing all the moving parts—like taxes, direct deposits, and pay records—can get overwhelming. Homebase payroll simplifies everything. Each employee’s direct deposit includes an advice number, so you can track every payment with confidence.

With Homebase, you can:

• Pay your team via ACH direct deposit, automatically
  
  
• View payment history, pay stubs, and advice numbers in one place
  
  
• Stay compliant with tax reporting and payment deadlines
  
  
• Reduce manual errors and keep payroll stress-free

Explore Homebase payroll to automate your payroll, ensure reliable payments, and keep every transaction documented.