Best International Payroll Services Reviewed by Crazy Egg

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International payroll services help companies process payroll for workers in other countries. We spent 10 days reviewing more than 15 international payroll services to find the best ones. As a result, we decided that Papaya Global is the best for most because of its flexible tools, payment features, and immigration services. 

The Best International Payroll Services for Most 

The best international payroll service for most is Papaya Global. The ability to process payments with third-party agencies, along with the expense management tools and advanced data security, means you get everything you could possibly need with Papaya Global—it’s a comprehensive solution.

We also like the statutory and customized reporting and expansive immigration services that obtain work permits without hassle. Read on for more about this superb payroll service and while you’re at it, see our other top picks, too.

The Best International Payroll Services To Consider

Papaya Global – Best for Most

CloudPay – Best Payroll Service Mobile App

Oyster – Best for Compliance

Remote – Best for Paying Contractors

Rippling – Best for Reports

When It Makes Sense To Invest In International Payroll Services

Before we look at our top picks, it’s worth thinking about when it makes sense to invest in an international payroll service.

For example, if you have international employees, there’s a good chance you must observe the regulations in place. The rules typically involve making payments into local bank accounts and signing extra contracts than those required domestically. Following these regulations can be confusing, and it can take up a lot of time. A good international payroll service can help you deal with these regulations quickly, keeping you up to date and within the law.

You might be in a situation where you need to hire a new employee at home or abroad and get them onboarded. The company system will need to be smart enough to integrate each new hire, and most aren’t up to the job. An international payroll service can ensure you successfully onboard new hires without added difficulty, all while keeping lawful.

Perhaps you’re finding payroll errors to be an increasingly common occurrence in your company. There may be teething problems and other significant disruptions, which can seriously impact your employees’ well-being and their overall lives globally. Going for an international payroll service instead allows payroll to be processed accurately and on time. Any new locations are set up in the system immediately, stopping these problems in their tracks.

If any of these problems sound like something your business contends with, international payroll service is the answer.

#1 – Papaya Global – The Best for Most

Papaya Global is an international payroll service that works for most companies because of its bevy of helpful features and flexibility.

Take the robust document management system that keeps employee data in one place or the automated payroll processing that prevents human error so your staff gets paid accurately and on time. We like the fact that employees can log in to the platform on their own as well. From there, they’ll be able to view payslips, report PTO, track their working time, and even direct questions straight to you.

Through automation, Papaya collects all of the required documentation for employees, wherever they happen to be across the globe. All of their information is synced and updated automatically, and helpful alerts get sent to employers when they need to check documents.

Papaya Global starts at $20 per employee per month for all-inclusive payroll. They also have a contractor plan that supports both foreign and domestic contractors, starting at $25 per contractor per month.

If you need an employer of record in other countries, Papaya Global offers this service at $650 per employee per month.

You can get started here or request a free demo today.

#2 – CloudPay – The Best Payroll Service Mobile App

Having a great mobile app your employees can use to view their wages is becoming more critical—luckily, CloudPay more than delivers here.

The mobile app features easy navigation, and employees can see a detailed breakdown of their wages wherever they are—signing into the app takes less than a minute on average. Employees can also better achieve their goals with guides and valuable resources on financial well-being found within the app.

Impressively, the content for the app is automatically localized depending on where your employees are, updating them with information on the fly so they can continue to earn without trouble. If they have any problems, CloudPay offers dedicated and localized support teams that can step in to help out when required.

Add to that direct access to payroll experts, detailed analytics, and the ability to integrate existing payroll data with leading HCM (human capital management) software, and you have the complete package. CloudPay doesn’t offer its prices directly, and you’ll need to reach out for a custom quote.

#3 – Oyster – The Best for Compliance

Staying compliant with payroll is an important issue that businesses around the world face. Fortunately, Oyster offers a solution that keeps you on track.

The software offers a variety of top-notch compliance features, ensuring that privacy and security requirements in every country get met. The software designs specific contracts to reduce your liability and protect you against country-specific risks wherever in the world you decide to hire.

You’ll be able to hire contractors or full-time employees in minutes, and once you find the right candidate, you can generate a new contract in a few clicks. You can also manage all of the contracts in one place, and if you have any doubts, a network of legal and HR experts is available to step in and assist.

Oyster also offers complete employee onboarding, an employment cost calculator and contractor risk assessment, and access to the Oyster Academy to train your team further.

Oyster’s Contractor plan starts at $29 per contractor per month and supports localized contractor payments in more than 120 different countries. But most of you will likely need the Employee plan, which is $499 per month per employee when paid annually upfront and $599 per month per employee when on a month-to-month plan.

#4 – Remote – The Best for Paying Contractors

Contractors are more than beneficial for most companies today. Still, international contracting often creates a series of problems that can be off-putting, to say the least—this is where Remote steps in.

Remote—yes, that is the full name—allows you to pay contractors in over 170 countries in a single click, with no extra fees. You’ll be able to manage invoices and payouts using the platform quickly, and localized contracts are reviewed and guaranteed to be compliant with local tax and labor laws so that you can rest easy.

That’s without mentioning the expert support team ready to step in whenever you need them and the built-in protection for your IP and invention rights. Industry-leading security also backs up the platform and actively detects and neutralizes threats, so your data stays safe.

Remote offers a simple and affordable plan designed specifically for managing and paying international contractors. You’ll pay just $29 per month per active contractor with zero exchange fees.

It comes with everything you need to onboard contractors with localized contracts, and you can automatically generate 1099s for US contractors.

For those of you who need help paying international employees in addition to contractors, Remote has an employer of record plan that starts at $599 per employee per month. This comes with everything you need from local payroll to taxes, compliance, IP and invention rights, legal support, and more.

Additionally, qualified startups can receive a $1,000 discount for an unlimited number of hires for 12 months. They can also receive 15% off monthly contractor management services.

You can get started right here.

#5 – Rippling – The Best for Reports

Reporting features allow companies to make better, more informed decisions and are crucial to success. Rippling offers reports which empower you to make smarter choices as a result.

You’ll be able to use a library of pre-built reports or even create custom ones using your existing employee information. You can break down these reports by divisions, dates, and other variables and can then visualize and share them across your departments for better decisions all around.

Rippling allows you to track where time is spent and the cost of that time by task, location, and client—you can update employee pay rates as they change jobs too. That data then gets synched with over 400 apps, from accounting software such as QuickBooks to time-tracking tools like TSheets.

There’s a complete mobile app where employees can see their pay stubs, request time off, and view their W2s out and about, and you can pay employees and contractors wherever they are in the world in a matter of seconds—all from the same platform.

Rippling starts at $8 per month per user, but you’ll have to reach out for a custom quote for an exact price.

Methodology for Choosing the Best International Payroll Services

Here are the most significant factors you need to consider when picking the best international payroll services for your needs.

Self-Service

We think all international payroll software should allow employees to use self-service features whenever they want.

In other words, your employees need to be able to log in and view their digital pay stubs and year-end tax forms quickly and easily. Not only does this build trust, but it also gives them a sense of ownership.

Almost all businesses will benefit from employee self-service functionality, so be sure it’s available—not all software on the market offers it.

Payroll Support

There will always be times when companies need help with their payroll; after all, it’s a complex area, and it only gets harder when paying multiple people across different countries.

Look for international payroll software that offers help when you need it. This help could be through a dedicated support team or a single expert assigned to you as a central point of contact.

Most businesses will need help at some point with their payroll, especially those with international contractors. We think this is far more than just nice to have, so think carefully about your choice.

Mobile App

Mobile apps today are expected, and international payroll services that offer them instantly have an advantage.

A reliable mobile app will not only be bug-free, but it will allow your employees to check their wages and stay up to date whether they’re in the office or not.

While not an essential requirement, we still think a payroll service offering a complete mobile app is suitable for most companies, certainly for remote-based firms.

Further Reading

Our team here at Crazy Egg has extensively covered payroll topics on our blog. To learn more about payroll, including how to run it accurately and remain compliant, check out these resources below:

Summary

Processing payroll for workers in other countries will only become more commonplace in the ever-growing digital world, so it’s best to pick wisely.

The best international payroll service for most is Papaya Global, while for mobile app enthusiasts, CloudPay has you covered.

For worries about compliance, opt for Oyster, and if you pay multiple contractors in other countries, Remote is a solid choice. For reports that allow you to get ahead, Rippling offers that and much more.

When choosing the best international payroll service for you, be sure to consider the support available and the self-service features that will benefit your employees.