The Toku Payroll API: Embed Global Payroll, EOR, and Stablecoin Payments Into Your Product (2026)
A practical guide to Toku's partner API: the six domains you can build with, the three integration patterns, authentication, rate limits, stablecoin funding, and how to get started.
You already run a platform, and payroll keeps coming up: your customers want to pay people, in many countries, increasingly in stablecoins. Building that yourself means entities, compliance, and on-chain settlement you do not want to own. A payroll API lets you offer it without building any of that. Here is what Toku's API does, and how you connect to it.
TL;DR
- Toku's partner API lets your platform embed payroll, EOR, and stablecoin payment capabilities without building compliance infrastructure yourself.
- It covers six domains: authentication, payroll, Employer of Record, payslips, webhooks, and stablecoin funding.
- Three integration patterns fit different needs: an embedded iframe, an SSO redirect to Toku's portal, or a headless API where you build your own interface.
- Authentication is a Bearer token; endpoints are rate-limited; a sandbox is available on request.
- Onboarding is partner-led: you contact Toku for credentials, create a token, configure webhooks, run a test payroll, then go live.
Toku's partner API lets your product embed payroll, Employer of Record, and stablecoin payment workflows without building compliance infrastructure. It exposes six domains over a REST API, supports embedded, SSO, or fully headless integration, authenticates with a Bearer token, and settles payroll on-chain in stablecoins through institutional custody. The full reference is public at docs.toku.com.
What can you build with the Toku API?
The API is organized into six core domains. Each one maps to a stage of running payroll, so you can adopt the whole flow or only the part you need.
| Domain | What you can build |
|---|---|
| Authentication | Provision scoped API tokens and manage their lifecycle. |
| Payroll | Create payroll runs, validate them, approve, and track disbursement. |
| Employer of Record | Onboard EOR employees and manage profiles and onboarding progress. |
| Payslips | Generate, upload, and retrieve payslips with presigned download URLs. |
| Webhooks | Subscribe to real-time events over HTTPS. |
| Stablecoin Funding | Pre-fund payroll with on-chain stablecoin transfers. |
Beyond these, the published reference also covers token grant administration, vesting and distribution schedules, invoices, and custody configuration. The point is modular: as Toku frames it, if you already have systems in place, you use only the tools you need, from stablecoin payouts to compliance modules.
How do you integrate: iframe, SSO, or headless API?
Toku supports three integration patterns, and the right one depends on how much of the experience you want to own.
An embedded iframe renders Toku's hosted interface inside your product. It is the least engineering effort: you drop in a frame and Toku handles the UI. An SSO redirect sends an authenticated user to Toku's portal under your authentication context, so they get the full interface without a second login. A headless API integration calls the endpoints directly and leaves the interface entirely to you. Use the headless pattern when your platform needs full control over the payroll and EOR experience.
How does authentication work?
The API uses Bearer token authentication. Every request includes a personal API token in the Authorization header, plus a header that sets the permission context for the calling user. You create a token through the authentication API, or have a Toku administrator provision one.
Tokens are short-lived, so refresh them before expiry to keep requests from failing mid-cycle, and store your token securely when it is issued. The full flow, including token lifetime and the refresh call, is in Toku's authentication guide.
How do you fund payroll and settle in stablecoins?
Funding is on-chain. You pre-fund a payroll run with stablecoin transfers, and disbursement runs against that balance. Settlement executes through institutional custody providers documented in the API reference, including Fireblocks, Anchorage, and Safe, so funds move from your own custody setup rather than a pooled account you do not control.
This is also where token compensation fits. The same API administers token grants and their vesting and distribution schedules, with tax details tracked per schedule before settlement. For a platform serving companies that pay in both fiat and digital assets, that means one integration instead of separate payroll and token-comp systems.
How does your system stay in sync?
Through webhooks. You register an HTTPS endpoint and subscribe to real-time events for payroll, EOR, and payslip updates, which keeps your product's state current without polling the API on a timer. Payload signing and delivery guarantees are documented in the webhooks reference.
What are the limits, and how do you test?
Every endpoint is rate-limited, so batch requests and back off as you approach the limit; the exact thresholds and response codes are in the API reference. Before going live, you can request sandbox credentials and provision a test organization to run an integration end to end. Treat the sandbox as the place to validate the full payroll lifecycle, from token creation to a test disbursement, before switching to production.
How do you get started?
Onboarding is partner-led, in five steps. First, contact Toku to request partner access and provision your organization. Second, create an API token with your organization credentials. Third, register your HTTPS webhook endpoint for payroll, EOR, and payslip events. Fourth, create a draft payroll run with test employees to verify the integration end to end. Fifth, switch to production credentials and begin processing real runs.
Because access is provisioned rather than self-serve, the first step is a conversation, not a signup form. That is also where scope and supported flows for your specific use case get confirmed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can you build with the Toku payroll API?
Toku's partner API exposes six core domains: authentication, payroll, Employer of Record, payslips, webhooks, and stablecoin funding. In practice that means you can create and approve payroll runs, onboard EOR employees, generate payslips, fund payroll with on-chain stablecoin transfers, and receive real-time event updates, all from your own product. The full reference is published at docs.toku.com.
Do I have to replace my existing payroll system to use the API?
No. The API is designed so you use only the parts you need. You can add stablecoin payouts or a specific compliance workflow on top of the systems you already run, or build the full payroll and EOR flow through the API. The integration depth is your choice, from an embedded interface to direct API calls.
How does authentication work?
The API uses Bearer token authentication. Each request sends a personal API token in the Authorization header plus a header that sets the permission context. You create a token through the authentication API, and tokens are short-lived, so you refresh them before expiry. Full details are in the authentication guide.
Is there a sandbox, and what are the rate limits?
Yes. Sandbox credentials are available on request so you can test an integration end to end before going live. API endpoints are rate-limited, with exact thresholds and response codes documented in the integration guide.
How do payments actually settle?
You pre-fund payroll with on-chain stablecoin transfers, and disbursement runs from there. Settlement executes through institutional custody providers documented in the API reference (Fireblocks, Anchorage, and Safe), so funds move from your own custody setup rather than a pooled account. Webhooks notify your system as each stage completes.
Ready to build payroll into your product?
If your platform needs to offer global payroll, EOR, or stablecoin payments without owning the compliance and settlement layer, the Toku API is built for exactly that. Read the full reference at docs.toku.com, then talk to the Toku team to provision partner access and confirm the flows for your use case.
Toku provides compliance infrastructure and is not a law firm. This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or tax advice. Consult your legal counsel for jurisdiction-specific guidance.
