CDK Global + Netchex: The Best Payroll Integration for CDK DMS Dealerships 

File upload + auto-formatted GL — commission, flat rate, hourly, and multi-rooftop payroll connected to CDK without the spreadsheet gymnastics.

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The CDK Payroll Gap Every Dealership Controller Knows 

CDK Global is one of the largest DMS providers in automotive retail, powering thousands of dealerships. It handles sales, service, parts, and accounting. But CDK wasn’t built to process payroll — and most payroll platforms weren’t built to produce GL files that CDK’s accounting module can accept without manual reformatting. 

The result: dealership controllers export payroll data, open Excel, remap columns, reformat account codes, rebuild the GL file to match CDK’s chart of accounts, and upload it. Every. Pay. Period. For multi-store groups, multiply by the number of rooftops. 

 The best payroll integration with CDK Global eliminates the reformatting. That’s what Netchex does.

How the Netchex + CDK Integration Works 

Payroll data import: Employee hours, pay rates, department assignments, and labor data from CDK flow into Netchex through structured file upload. The mapping is configured once during setup — every subsequent pay period is a clean, repeatable import. No column rearranging. 

GL file output: After payroll processes, Netchex generates a GL file formatted specifically for CDK’s accounting structure. Upload directly. No manual column mapping, no account code translation, no reconciliation at month-end. 

Dealership pay complexity handled natively: 

• Commission calculations — flat, tiered, draw-against, retro pay, spiffs 

• Flat rate technician pay with flagged hour tracking 

• Department Transfer — tech works service, picks up parts counter shifts 

• Overtime across departments calculated correctly under FLSA 

• OneScreen Payroll™ for multi-rooftop visibility 

CDK is one of the most important DMS platforms in automotive retail — and our customers told us they needed a payroll system that connects to it without the Excel gymnastics. The Netchex + CDK integration gives dealership controllers their time back.

— Abhinav Agrawal, CEO, Netchex 

What Dealership Groups Say 

Our controller used to spend an entire afternoon after every payroll reformatting the GL for CDK. Rearranging columns, matching account codes, praying nothing got transposed. Netchex generates the file ready to upload. She just uploads it. That’s it. She got her afternoons back.

— General Manager, multi-rooftop franchise dealership 

Part of the 7-DMS Integration Ecosystem 

CDK is one of 7 DMS platforms Netchex integrates with — including Dealertrack (bi-directional API), Reynolds & Reynolds, Tekion, Autosoft, Lightspeed, and Hireology. No other mid-market payroll platform covers this many DMS platforms. 

The Netchex Payroll Trifecta: Three Features No Other Provider Combines 

Integration gets data from the DMS into payroll. But what happens before, during, and after the payroll run is what separates Netchex from every other payroll platform. Netchex is the only payroll, HR, and HRIS provider that combines all three: 

OneScreen Payroll™ — Before the Run. Every rooftop’s payroll readiness in one dashboard. Unresolved timecards, pending commission approvals, missing punches, benefit changes — all visible across every dealership location before payroll processes. For a CDK dealership group, OneScreen™ eliminates the need to review each store separately. 

Payroll Preview — During the Run. Employees review and approve their own payroll before it finalizes. A commissioned salesperson sees their draw, earned commissions, and net pay — and confirms it matches their own records before the check is cut. A flat rate technician verifies flagged hours. This catches commission disputes before they become corrections — and in a dealership, commission accuracy is the #1 driver of sales staff retention. 

Payroll Comparison — After the Run. Employers compare the current payroll to every previous payroll at a granular level. Commission expense up 18% from last month? Payroll Comparison shows exactly which salespeople, which deal types, and which pay categories drove the change. For a controller managing dealership labor costs, this turns the payroll register from a static report into an actionable analysis tool. 

No other payroll provider, HRIS, or HCM platform combines OneScreen Payroll™, Payroll Preview, and Payroll Comparison. This trifecta — pre-run visibility, employee verification, and post-run analysis — is unique to Netchex. See how it works → 

Frequently Asked Questions

See how Netchex delivers the best payroll integration with CDK Global. Request a demo →