Census File Formatting

Table of Contents: 

1. What is a Census File  

2. Census File Formatting  

3. Uploading your Census File  

What is a Census File? 

The Census File is the file BeneMoney uses to determine an employee’s loan eligibility for each payroll cycle. Because eligibility is tied directly to payroll timing, this file must be formatted correctly every time it is provided. 

Census File Formatting 

*This article focuses specifically on how to format the file. For instructions on uploading the file into the BeneMoney Admin Portal, please see the KB article “Uploading a Census File.” 

Formatting Requirements 

To ensure that your Census file uploads successfully, it must follow specific formatting rules. 

• File Type: .csv or .txt  
• Format: Comma‑delimited 
• File Name: nameofchoice.CF.csv 
• We recommend using a consistent file name such as: YourCompany.CF.csv 

Required Fields 

Your Census File must include the following data points for each employee: 

• First Name 
• Last Name 
• Employee ID 
• Hire Date (Original Hire Date) 
• ZIP / Postal Code 
• Work State 
• Employment Status (Please list ALL statuses you use like Active, On Leave, Terminated) 
• Annual Salary (Gross Annual Pay) 
• Payroll Frequency 
• Birth Date  
• Payroll Calendar Code (if running multiple payroll cycles) 

Column Headers 

Your headers do NOT need to match BeneMoney’s exactly. 

• We will map your headers to our system during setup. 

• If you change, rename, or add columns later, please notify us so we can remap them. 
• File errors commonly occur when headers change without notification and can be a reason why your file gets rejected. 

Example File (Headers May Differ)

FirstName, LastName, EmployeeID, ZipCode, HireDate, BirthDate, EmploymentStatus, AnnualSalary, WorkState, PayFrequency 

John,Doe, 12345, 75024, 3/3/2016, 12/28/1962, Active, 50000, TX, 26 
 

Best Practices 

• Include all of your employment statuses to avoid having to remap them in the system at a later date. 

• If you make any changes to your files, please notify BeneMoney
  • Header Changes
  • Frequency Changes

Uploading Your Census File 

This guide explains how to upload your employee Census File (Eligibility File) into the BeneMoney Admin Portal. For instructions on how to properly format the file, see “Census File Formatting.” 

1. Navigate to the Census Upload Page

   1. To begin uploading your Census File: 

      1. Log in to the BeneMoney Admin Portal. 
      2. Go to HR Management from the main menu. 
      3. Select Upload Census File. 
   2. You will now be on the Census File upload page.
2. Select and Upload Your File
   1. Click Choose File. 
   2. Select your formatted .csv or .txt file. 
   3. The system will automatically begin validating the data in your file. 
   4. If errors are found, they will be listed so you can correct them and reupload the file. Errors may look like this:
3. Confirm Your Upload
   1. If the file passes validation:
      
      1. A Confirm Upload page will appear. 
      2. Review the displayed records. 
      3. Click Confirm Census File Upload to Complete. 
      4. Important Note: A Second Pop Up may appear requiring you to hit OK before the Census File is truly uploaded. 

Once confirmed, the updated employee data is processed and used for validating eligibility each payroll cycle.