The Union Depository Contract in GTA Online: Full Guide (Setups, Vault Code and Payout)

The Union Depository Contract is the best-paying job on the Auto Shop's Contracts board, and it is also the trickiest one to plan around because it only shows up when the rotation gives it to you. Here is exactly how to unlock it, run both prep missions, and clear the finale without losing your gold to a sniper on the roof across the street.

Essentials

• Unlocked by: owning an Auto Shop and completing the "Impounded" setup mission for Sessanta
• Where to start it: the Contracts board on the Auto Shop's mezzanine
• Requirement: you must be registered as a VIP, CEO or MC President
• Structure: 2 free-mode prep missions (Elevator Key, Vault Code) plus 1 finale
• Payout: roughly $270,000 to $375,000 before Sessanta and KDJ take their cut, making it the highest-paying of the eight Auto Shop Contracts by a wide margin
• Players: fully solo-able, or run with a crew

How to unlock the Union Depository Contract

The Union Depository Contract is not a heist you select from a menu. It is one of eight jobs that can appear on your Auto Shop's Contracts board, and the board only shows three of them at a time, rotating at random. If our full Auto Shop guide is any indication, KDJ will text you whenever the board refreshes, so keep an eye on your phone and check the mezzanine after every notification until the Union Depository job shows up.

Once it is available, examine the board to accept it. You need to be registered as a VIP, CEO or MC President before you can start any Contract, so activate whichever organization you have if you have not already. Everything from here can be done alone, which is part of why this Contract is worth prioritizing over slower money makers like Agency Security Contracts.

Prep 1: The Elevator Key

The first setup sends you after a corrupt businessman who can get you access to the vault floor. Head to the marked apartment, work through the guards protecting it, and take down the businessman to recover the elevator key card. Play this one carefully: going in loud draws a wanted level fast, and losing the cops with a slow personal vehicle wastes more time than a clean, quiet approach would have cost you.

Grab any nearby vehicle to leave the area once the card is in your pocket, since your own car will not always be parked close enough to matter.

Prep 2: The Vault Code

The second prep is the more involved one. From the setup board, steal a Police Maverick at Los Santos International Airport. Airport security responds almost immediately, so get the helicopter into the air and put distance between yourself and the wanted stars before doing anything else.

Once you have lost the police, fly to the Union Depository parking lot and use the Maverick's onboard scanner to sweep the area for the bank manager. The scanner reveals his location, and finding the dirt on him is what convinces him to hand over the vault code for the finale. Keep the helicopter steady while scanning; the search takes a few seconds and getting shot at mid-scan resets your progress.

The finale: the robbery

With both preps done, the board unlocks the finale. The full sequence looks like this:

1. Deliver your getaway car to the marked parking lot.
2. Head into the Union Depository and reach the elevator.
3. Swipe the ID pass you earned from the first prep at the elevator keypad.
4. Ride down to the vault level and open the vault door with the code from the second prep.
5. Fill your bag with gold bars.
6. Take the elevator back up and make your way out of the building.
7. Get into your getaway car and lose the police.
8. Deliver the gold to the client to collect payment.

Keep your weapon holstered on the way in; walking through with a gun drawn draws unwanted attention before you even reach the vault. The dangerous part comes on the way out: snipers positioned on the balcony across the road from the Union Depository open fire the moment you step outside with the gold. Bring a sniper rifle of your own and clear them from a distance rather than sprinting for the car under fire, which is how most solo attempts lose armor and, occasionally, the run itself.

Payout and the cut

The Union Depository Contract pays out more than any other Auto Shop Contract, with reported totals landing between $270,000 and $375,000 depending on bonuses and any active double-money promotion. Sessanta and KDJ take a combined cut of the total, roughly 10 percent, before the rest lands in your account. Running it during a GTA Online bonus week is the easiest way to push the payout toward the top of that range without changing anything about how you play it.

If you are chasing efficient Auto Shop income between Contract rotations, pairing this with Hao's Special Works upgrades on your delivery vehicle shaves real time off the finale's getaway, since HSW speed and handling gains carry over into the wanted-level chase at the end.

Tips for a clean run

• Solo works fine, but a second player speeds up both preps. One person can scan for the manager while the other keeps the helicopter clear of gunfire during the Vault Code mission.
• Swap to a fast, low-profile car for the finale getaway. You will be dropping straight into a police chase the second you leave with the gold, so anything you have upgraded at Benny's Original Motor Works is worth taking over a stock ride.
• Do not skip the sniper rifle. It is the single biggest reason solo runs fail on the way out of the building.
• Check the board daily. Since the Union Depository Contract is only one of eight possible jobs, the fastest way to run it often is simply logging in and checking the mezzanine rather than waiting for a specific in-game event.
• Use a Terrorbyte if you already own one. It is not required for this Contract, but if you are debating whether it is worth the investment for your broader Auto Shop and business rotation, the vehicle workshop access makes prepping for Contracts like this one noticeably faster.

Is it worth running more than once?

Yes. Unlike a Heist you plan once and clear for a story beat, a Contract resets as soon as it cycles off the board, and there is nothing stopping you from running the Union Depository Contract every time it comes back up. Because both preps are short and the finale rarely takes more than ten minutes once you know the vault route, it holds up well as a repeatable money maker alongside other Auto Shop work, rather than a one-time event you clear and move on from.

The Union Depository Contract rewards patience more than firepower: the preps are about information and access, not combat, and the finale only goes wrong when you rush the exit. Clear both setups methodically, bring a sniper rifle for the getaway, and it becomes one of the most reliable payouts on the Auto Shop board.