Pricing that reflects the payroll you actually run.
We quote against the work involved rather than publish a misleading headline price. Your proposal will be based on your payroll frequency, employee volume, pay complexity, reporting requirements and pension-administration scope.
A quote should explain the work, not just state a number.
Payroll pricing is often presented as a low headline rate and then expanded later through setup charges, pension work, payroll amendments, additional reports or off-cycle processing.
Our approach is to understand the payroll before we quote. That means you can see the assumptions behind the proposal and decide whether the service is right for your business.
How we scope a payroll proposal.
How often staff are paid and how many distinct payroll runs are required.
The current employee volume, expected changes and number of payroll groups.
Whether payroll includes variable hours, overtime, commission, bonuses, multiple deductions, salary sacrifice or other non-standard items.
The level of workplace-pension support required and the provider/submission arrangements.
The reports, journals, payslip-delivery methods and finance-system requirements included.
The effort required to assess records, prepare data, configure the service and support the first live payroll.
Your proposal will make clear
- The agreed pay frequencies and number of payrolls
- Expected employee volume and charging mechanism
- Included payroll and reporting activities
- Workplace-pension administration scope
- Implementation and transition activity
- Out-of-scope work and how it is charged
- Invoicing, payment terms and VAT
- Review periods or minimum service commitments, if applicable
Questions worth asking any payroll provider.
What exactly is included in the recurring fee?
The recurring fee should cover the payroll runs, employee volume and included activities named in the proposal—not a headline rate with the real work added later. Our quotes set out the agreed pay frequencies, charging mechanism, included payroll and reporting work, and anything charged separately. If a fee does not name those items, it is not yet a complete price.
Is pension administration included, and what activities does that mean in practice?
Ask which activities sit inside the fee: workforce assessment support, contribution calculations, provider data, member changes and the related payroll files. Scheme selection and pension advice are a different matter. We support the payroll administration around your chosen workplace-pension arrangement. We do not recommend a scheme or provide regulated pension advice.
How are late changes handled?
After the agreed cut-off, a change may still be processed, held for the next payroll or handled as an off-cycle run. The right option depends on timing, the nature of the change and whether processing has already started. We assess late or incomplete information against the remaining time and set out the approach, and any charges, in the service terms and schedule.
What reports will we receive after each pay run?
This should be agreed before the first payroll, not assumed. Typical outputs include a payroll summary for approval, payslips, finance journals and any pension or statutory files in the service. We discuss report requirements during scoping so the proposal names the outputs you will actually receive.
Who approves payroll, and how is approval recorded?
Payroll should not be finalised on an informal message. There should be a named authorised contact, an agreed review point and a record that the payroll has been approved before processing. We issue the agreed summary before the pay run is finalised, and the approval route is set out in the service process.
What are the expected data cut-offs?
A cut-off is the last practical point at which complete, authorised information can still be checked, queried and included in the payroll summary. It should sit far enough before pay day to allow that work, not the day before. We agree cut-offs against your pay calendar, contacts and the complexity of the payroll.
Are off-cycle runs and corrections charged separately?
Often they are, because they sit outside the agreed timetable. A useful proposal says so in advance rather than treating every extra run as a surprise. Our quotes distinguish included payroll activity from out-of-scope work, including off-cycle processing and corrections, and how that work is charged.
How will our payroll data be transferred and secured?
Employee payroll data should move through an agreed, secure method with named contacts and appropriate access—not a public website form or an informal inbox. We provide a secure handover approach before you share records, and the ongoing transfer method is agreed during onboarding.
What is the notice period if we later need to move provider?
The contract should state the notice period, how data will be returned and what support is available around the final payroll. That matters as much as the monthly fee. Where a review period or minimum service commitment applies, it is set out in the proposal so you can plan a future move around a real pay date.
Which parts of the process remain our responsibility?
The employer remains responsible for supplying accurate employment and pay information, making workforce decisions, approving payroll and ensuring amounts due are paid. A provider can perform agreed administration; it cannot take on those employer duties. We do the detailed payroll work in your service schedule. You retain ownership of the business decisions behind it.
No pressure to commit before the scope is clear.
Axiom Inc Limited will discuss the service requirements before asking you to make a decision. If the payroll is not a good fit for the service we provide, it is better to identify that at the outset.
