Payroll Companies in the UK

Managing payrolls can be carried out two ways, within an organisation or by hiring payroll companies. The first option, also known as in-house solution, is when a company manages the payrolls themselves with dedicated software. The other option is when the payroll management is outsourced to specialised payroll companies.

The main task of such companies is to ensure that employees of client firms are paid properly, and on time. Furthermore, ensuring compliance and dealing with legal obligations are also included in the duties of payroll companies.

After 2013, when new legislative changes were made in the UK, payroll companies with outsourcing services started experiencing significant changes. The number of firms deciding to invest in external payroll companies began to increase, as more companies found payroll services complicated.

Interested in outsourcing your payroll services? The first step is to compare prices and benefits of payroll companies to find the best one for your business. Rather than spending hours researching and calling payroll companies, we can help you easily get quotes for free. Get up to 4 quotes from payroll companies for your business by clicking the button below.

One key factor of deciding on which company to choose for outsourcing payroll, is the associated costs. In the UK, the average monthly cost ranges from £4 to £13 per employee. Of course, the different price comes with different set of services, starting from the very basic packages (£4-£6 per employee) to the most advanced ones (£10-£13 per employee).

However, always keep in mind that, as most payroll companies customise their prices, it might not be reasonable to provide one exact figure for which your business could outsource payroll management.

Although, some of the firms discussed below offer payroll software, the following list is created based solely on companies providing payroll outsourcing services.

One of the biggest payroll companies out there is ADP. As a leader in business outsourcing they have been providing complete payroll solutions for local and global businesses. ADP has been offering payroll solutions with on-hand support for more than 55 years. The company has over 650,000 clients, in more than 110 countries and received numerous rewards. In 2016, ADP was awarded with the HR Management Solutions Company of the Year title. One year later, in 2017, the company received the Top Company for Women Technologists award.

Furthermore, ADP was ranked #1 in the Security Magazine’s 2016 Security 500 in the Business Category. The company’s payroll solutions cover a broad range. From multi-currency deposits and calculations to tax remittances, ADP focuses on ensuring 100% compliance with the GDPR, and other legislation.

FMP Global is an award-winning payroll outsourcing and software company. They have been offering flexible solutions from partly to fully managed payroll services for more than 40 years. As an HMRC and BACs approved firm, FMP Global provides services across 135 countries. In relation to quality service, FMP Global possesses numerous certifications, including ISO 9001, ISO 14000, and ISO 27001.

The core client base of the firm ranges between 1 and 6,000 employees including partners like PwC and Publicis. In 2016 FMP Global team received the Best Payroll Support Team award. Whereas in 2017, Justin Cottrell, the CEO of the company won the Best Leader award.

SD Worx is the longest serving provider of payroll services in the UK. With over 50 years of experience, and 3,600 global employees, SD Worx has served more than 66,000 global clients. Since 2016, SD Worx reached the title of the second largest payroll provider in Europe. Some of these customers include large brands, such as Atlas Air, British Heart Foundation, and Universal Music Group.

When dealing with such prominent businesses SD Worx is obligated to make sure client data is securely stored. This is achieved by ISO 27001 Information Security certification. As a result of the firm’s quality services, SD Worx has been awarded several titles throughout the years. In 2017, the company received the Employer of the Year title. Whereas in 2016, SD Worx won the Payroll Provider of the Year award.

With over 14 year's experience and 500 satisfied, long standing clients, JPS has been offering fully managed, flexible payroll solutions. The company provides outsourcing services to a broad range of clients. From small businesses to larger corporations and institutions, JPS has been providing solutions, both for local and global markets.

To ensure compliance and secure data storage, JPS acquired ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 certifications in 2013 and 2015. The company’s goal is to provide extremely accurate service for every single client, regardless of their sizes. Some of the numerous partners JPS has been working with throughout the years, includes businesses like Webexpenses and CIPHR.

Dataplan, has been providing outsourcing solutions for more than 45 years and over 1,000 organisations all over the UK. Although, the company deals with payrolls of all sizes, the core business focuses on payrolls between 50 and 10,000 employees.

With the expertise behind Dataplan, the company has the confidence to offer a unique Client Guarantee. This ensures, that all customers of Dataplan are satisfied with the firm’s services. Thanks to Dataplan’s expertise, in 2013, the company was awarded with the Payroll Service Provider of the Year title.

CPS has over 15 years of experience in providing fully managed payroll services. Thanks to the company’s unique cloud-based payroll software, CPS is the only firm worldwide being able to provide access 24/7. Together with the CIPP qualified staff, CPS can provide two-hour payroll processing, and unlimited automatic reports for clients all-year-round.

The ISO 9001 quality standard ensures that CPS focuses on client needs and that the firm aims for customer satisfaction. Accordingly, plenty of medium and large businesses chose CPS as the outsourced payroll provider over the more than 15 years.

Naturally, there are other payroll companies available, and the above shown 6 firms are represented simply as examples. But as these are the most sought-after payroll companies in the UK, they provide a good starting point.

For easier comparison, have a look at our table above, including all payroll companies from above. Or simply request a quote at the top of this page to get tailored offers from our qualified team members. It only takes 1 minute, and you can get up to 4 custom-made quotes! Our offer is non-binding!

When deciding on which payroll companies to outsource, businesses must consider several factors. From relevant things, such as the services offered, to the maturity of the company. Moreover, the number and prestige of partners or certifications of the company may also influence which payroll companies you feel are the best for your firm.

Therefore, we believe this is something that must be individually assessed and carefully evaluated in order to find the right match for your specific needs.

The best way to do this is by contacting a payroll company and requesting a tailored quote. It shouldn’t just stop there though. It’s important to get multiple quotes so that you can compare them and weigh up the pros and cons. We understand it can be an unexpectedly tedious task depending on your business’s size and requirements.

We can help you streamline this by providing you with up to 4 quotes from payroll companies for free and with no obligations. It all starts by clicking the button below and answering a few questions about your company’s needs.