Where is my paycheck? How to check your pay status

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, contact your Staffing Partner or email support@ascen.com to confirm when your payment will be reissued.

Who to contact

Your portal may show a support contact specific to your Staffing Partner — that's a good first stop for pay questions. If you believe there's an error in your pay amount (wrong hours, wrong rate, or a deduction you don't recognize), start with your Staffing Partner: they can review the underlying timesheet and payroll detail and escalate to Ascen if needed. For general platform questions, you can also email support@ascen.com.

Quick reference