Error: 'This email address is already in use'

Solution Properties

Solution ID:

220810082739103

Last Modified Date:

Fri Nov 14 15:09:44 UTC 2025

Taxonomy Path:

Case category//I have a problem with...//processing

Author:

[email protected]

Error: 'This email address is already in use' - Sage HR Online Services

Description

NOTE: These steps are for Sage HR Online Services. If you use Sage Online Bureau, follow the steps in the article for the error: 'Email address is already in use' - Online Bureau.

When uploading online payslips, you can receive this error:

'This email address is already in use' followed by the email address in question.

Cause

Resolution

Can you use a different email address?

To resolve this, you can use a different email address for their record in Sage 50 Payroll. If you enter a new email address, go to Company then Online Services Settings. Go to Step 4 and enable online services for this employee and check the email address is correct.

When you upload their payslip will either link their new profile with that email address, or link to an existing if you create an employee profile in Sage HR Online Services first. This will automatically link to it.

NOTE: Make your employee aware that they must use this email address and not their previous email address to log in to Sage HR Online Services.

Need to use the same email address used previously?

To be able to re-use a returning leavers email address, you need to do the following:

TIP: Click each step to view more details, and select Completed when you've done that step.

1. ▼ Remove email address and disable Online Services in any previous employee records in Sage 50 Payroll for that employee In Sage 50 Payroll, go to Employee. Double-click to open the employee record. NOTE: You can Show leavers on your employee list. In the employee record, select the Analysis tab. Under Online Services, delete the email address. Next to Enable Online Services, deselect the checkbox. Select Save.	Completed
2. ▼ Check you've deleted the employee's old profile in Sage HR Online Services The employee's old profile must be both terminated and deleted in Sage HR Online Services. Log in to sage.hr as an administrator user. Select Company on the main menu, and check the employee doesn't appear here. TIP: You can also search for the employee to see if they come up. If the employee appears in the Company directory This means you haven't terminated the employee's old record. Terminate an employee's profile. Delete an employee from Sage HR Online Services from the Terminated employees report. If the employee isn't in the Company directory. This means you've terminated the employee in Sage HR Online Services. However, you still need to check whether you've deleted from the Terminated employee's report before you continue. On the main menu, select Reports. Select Employee data, then Terminated employees. This provides a list of employees you've terminated in Sage HR Online Services. If the employee isn't on the list, this means they're already deleted, and you can move on to Step 3. If the employee is in this report, click the rubbish bin icon next to their name. Then confirm you want to delete them by clicking, Yes, go ahead. Once you've deleted the employee profile in Sage HR Online Services, move on to the next step.	Completed
3. ▼ Add an email address and enable Online Services in the employee's new record in Sage 50 Payroll In Sage 50 Payroll, open up an employee's new record. In the employee record, select the Analysis tab. Under Online Services, enter their email address. Select the Enable Online Services checkbox, then enter the email address. Select Save. You can now move onto the next step to recreate the employee's new profile in Sage HR Online Services	Completed
4. ▼ Upload the employee's payslip Now upload the employee's payslip again. If successful, a new profile creates in Sage HR Online Services, with their uploaded payslip and Sage HR Online Services will send a welcome email. NOTE: We recommend not to upload a historical payslip to ensure the most up to date employee record imports into Sage HR. If you still get the error, double check you've completed every step above. If you've completed every step, move on to the workaround explained in the section below.	Completed

If the issue persists

After completing the steps above, if you still encounter the issue this could indicate that some information is stuck in the background of the portal.

This issue has been resolved so you shouldn't experience it again. However, if the information has previously been stuck in the background, contact Sage technical support.

Steps to duplicate

Can you use a different email address?

Need to use the same email address used previously?

If the employee appears in the Company directory

If the employee isn't in the Company directory.

If the issue persists