Where is my paycheck? How to check your pay status

Applies to: workers paid through the Ascen portal in the US and Canada — W-2 and T4 employees and 1099 independent contractors. If you are an International EOR employee paid outside the US and Canada, your payslips and pay status come from your in-country payroll rather than this portal.

Use the Ascen portal to check the status of any paycheck at any time — this article walks you through where to look, what each status means, and what to do if something seems off. This applies to both W-2 employees and independent contractors (1099) — the portal is the same; only the pay stub details differ.

Where to find your pay status

1. Log in to the Ascen portal at app.ascen.com.

2. On your Dashboard, you'll see your most recent paycheck amount with a link to view details.

3. For your full pay history, click Paychecks in the left-hand menu. Each entry shows the pay period, the check date, and the current status.

4. Click any row to open the detail view, where you can also download your pay stub as a PDF.

What each pay status means

The status on each paycheck is the actual status from the platform. The ones you'll typically see:

If you don't see a paycheck at all for a period you worked, check your timesheet status first (below).

Why your paycheck might not be there yet

Before contacting support, run through these common causes:

1. Your timesheet hasn't been submitted or approved.
Paychecks are generated after your timesheet is submitted and approved. Go to Timesheets in the left menu and look at the status for the period:

• Draft — not submitted yet; you may still need to submit it.

• Awaiting approval — submitted and waiting on your client or Staffing Partner to approve; nothing for you to do.

• Signed — you've signed it (on assignments that require a signature); it still needs final approval.

• Approved — approved and ready to flow into payroll.

• Rejected — sent back; contact your Staffing Partner to correct and resubmit.

2. You're checking before your pay date.
Your pay frequency and pay date are set for your assignment and may differ from what you expect. If you're unsure, check a previous paycheck's check date as a reference, or ask your Staffing Partner.

3. Your onboarding isn't fully complete.
First paychecks are sometimes held until required onboarding steps — such as your Form I-9 or identity verification — are finished. If you're new and haven't completed onboarding, that's the most likely cause.

4. It's showing "Pending."
Pending is not a problem — it means your pay is scheduled and will post on or around your pay date.

If your status shows "Failed"

A failed deposit usually means the bank account on file couldn't be used. Here's what to do:

1. Go to Direct Deposit in the portal and verify your bank account details are correct.

2. If the information is wrong, remove the existing account and add the correct one (you'll verify your email to save the change).

3. After updating, email Ascen at support@ascen.com to confirm when your payment will be reissued. Direct deposit and payment reissues are handled by Ascen, not by your staffing partner.

Who to contact

Ascen is your employer of record and runs your payroll, so anything about the money is ours: email support@ascen.com if your pay amount is wrong, a rate or deduction looks wrong, a deposit failed, or a paycheck is missing, late or voided. Include your full name, the pay period, and what you expected to see.

Your staffing partner is the right contact for the work behind the pay — getting hours entered or corrected on a timesheet that has not been approved yet, and questions about your schedule, rate agreement or assignment dates. If the timesheet is already approved, come to Ascen instead; it can no longer be edited on their side.

If you are not sure which it is, email support@ascen.com and we will route it. See My paycheck is short or missing hours — what to do and Who to contact and when.

Quick reference