Email Payslips using Gmail - App Passwords Discontinued by Google
As of September 2024, Gmail (Google) are in the process of removing their app-specific password feature. This means if you are sending payslips in Payroll Pro from a Gmail account using an app-specific password, you will receive an error message when the feature is removed.
Note that this does not affect employees who have a Gmail address to receive payslips; it only applies to the sender (employer) sending from Gmail.
If this applies to you, we suggest using your business email address for sending emails. Please check with your IT support for the settings used by your email. These can then be entered into Payroll Pro:
> Email address (Example: admin@examplecompany.co.nz)
> Host/SMTP server (Example: mail.examplecompany.co.nz)
> Port number (Example: 465)
> Username (Example: mail.examplecompany.co.nz)
> Password
> TLS setting
(Example: mail.examplecompany.co.nz)
If this is not possible, please email us and we will help!
In the meantime, the option to use app-passwords might still be avaliabe for a short time
You can try the following aw a short term measure.
@Gmail email addresses now need to have an application-specific password (aka app password, or application-specific password) for emailing payslips in Payroll Pro (and various other software).
This is used with Gmail's 2-Step Verification, so it greatly improves security.
The official instructions at Google are here, but if you find them hard to follow, you can try our instructions below.
Note: To help protect your account, Google revokes your app passwords when you change your Google account password. However, to continue to use an app with your Google account, simply create a new app password.
IMPORTANT: If you cannot see the link to the "app password" option in Gmail, you can find it in "Section 2", "Step 8" below on this page...
(https://myaccount.google.com/apppasswords)
Section 1. General Information
- Set employees up to have an emailed payslip in the normal way:
In "Add & Edit Employees" set the option "Payslip - Printed or Emailed" to either "Emailed" or "Both".
This is found to the lower left of the employees record under the "Personal" tab.
- After setting the employees to be paid:
From the "Create Payslips" option, click on the "Email" button.
- At the top, under the section "Step 1 - Setup", enter the following:
The above example shows the general set up.
Gmail requires the app password here, not your usual Gmail password - PLEASE READ BELOW to set this up.
Section 2. How to set up an App Password for use in Payroll Pro
- Go to your Gmail account and log in (https://mail.google.com/)
- You will see a coloured circle [a] to the top right with a letter in it - usually the first letter of your account name.
Click this, and a box will appear.
In the box, [b] click "Manage your Google Account".
- You should now see a menu with "Security" as one of the options.
Click "Security"[a]
Now look for the "2-Step Verification" information. If it is "Off", as in the example below, click on the line [b], and it will allow you to set up 2-Step Verification.
If you already 2-Step Verification set up, you can jump down to step 7.
- After clicking 2-Step Verification, you will see something like the following.
Note that you may have to enter your usual Google password first.
Click "Turn on 2-Step Verification".
- If you have already entered your phone number into Gmail at some previous time, you will get a confirmation similar to the following.
Click Done.
- If you have not enetered your phone number previously, you may have some steps to complete which will allow Gmail to verify your number.
- You can now set up the app-specific password.
Go back to the Security option as in steps 1 to 3 above.
Here's a reminder:
- This time look for "App passwords" and click on the line:
If you cannot see the App Passwords option, try clicking the following link (or copy and paste into your browser):
https://myaccount.google.com/apppasswords
(This will not work until after you have set up the two-step verification)
- Now enter a name (you may have to re-enter your usual Google password again first).
PayProPayslips is a good name to use, however you can use anything that you will remember if you need to.
Click CREATE.
- You will now see a password of 16 characters.
You can make a note of it and/or copy it to your clipboard (highlight it with your mouse then right-click and choose copy).
Unfortunately, Google keeps the spaces in the password if you copy it, but does recognise the spaces when it is used.
So the example password below is aaaabbbbccccdddd. You will need to make sure you enter it without the spaces.
You could paste it into a word document, remove the spaces, and then copy it to your clipboard again if you like.
- Now run Payroll Pro, and choose "Create Payslips" from the main menu.
Then click "Email"
If you get a message saying there are no employees to pay, click Continue.
- Enter the 16 character password in the Password box, or, delete what is there, and paste in the password if you copied it previously.
If pasting, make sure you paste the copy without the spaces!
eg aaaabbbbccccdddd not "aaaa bbbb cccc dddd"
Click "Exit and SAVE any changes"
- Now exit Payroll Pro and run it again.
Go to Email payslips again, and send a test email. You should now be ready to go!
An Option - create a special Gmail address for your payslips
If you are concerned about using your main Gmail address for this, you could create another Gmail account just for the purposes of emailing your payslips.
For example, if your email address is abccompany@gmail.com, you might create abccompanyps@gmail.com (adding ps for payslips into the name). But you can use anything as long as your employees know what it is.
You will still need to create an app password as above for this new Gmail address. It doesn't have to be your name followed by ps - it can be anything you prefer.
If you do this, be sure to use the new address abccompanyps@gmail.com for your "Employer's Email Address" and for the Username in Payroll Pro!