Thank you, BrightPay, for a couple of years' great service, incredibly at no cost, for a tiny handful of simple director only companies with no auto enrolment needs. It's been brilliant and I've been happy to recommend you. However, for a tiny tax practice doing 5 payrolls for a total 9 employees, the £229 plus Vat is a steep price hike I can't recover.
Will look again at Moneysoft. How have others found Capium or other HMRC approved free payroll providers for very simple needs? (reluctant to go back to using PAYE tools!)
Replies (42)
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Don't use Brightpay - but even at that price, surely you're charging each client more than £45.80 p.a.?
Whatever, Moneysoft is cheaper, and works well for auto enrolment.
I'm guessing he wants to turn a small profit and not spend every penny of his payroll turnover on software.
Brightpay works well for auto enrolment too.
Besides, 20 pounds + vat is not a huge increase. And they have kept the same price for a good few years with the same good service. It shouldn't be that costly to absorb.
Don't use Brightpay - but even at that price, surely you're charging each client more than £45.80 p.a.?
Whatever, Moneysoft is cheaper, and works well for auto enrolment.
yeah because all he wants to do is break even!
@JimH, @byGlennzy is correct, BrightPay is free of charge for employers with three employees or less. You shouldn't need to purchase a bureau licence.
I personally think the tiny price increase of £20 for a bureau licence is more than justified for this incredible software. Try getting a quote from Iris or Sage for a similar service, that will put it in perspective! I certainly won't be moving despite it being slightly more expensive than Moneysoft.
Best of luck!
I use the free version for my own payroll (2 people) but cannot run a paid for version on the same pc without buying a bureau licence
Moving from BrightPay to Moneysoft to save £9 per month doesn't seem worth it to me. Have you considered the amount of money BrightPay has saved you over the years?
I'm more than happy to pay an extra £20 for good payroll, in fact I'd have paid more but don't tell them that.
I certainly wouldn't use it but if the OP doesn't like Basic Tools and is very cost conscious then it is an option.
I use BrightPay and I am happy with it as long as their price is reasonable.
I can't see that £229 + VAT is a reason to change even if somebody only has a few clients on payroll but everybody has a different cost/value opinion.
The 2017/18 bureau licence has increased by £20 to £229. To be fair to BrightPay, this is the first price increase in many years and £20 seems more than fair IMO.
I know now but because of the way AccountingWeb orders messages I hadn't read it before posting. I am quite happy to make an announcement admitting that you were first if it makes you feel better.
Miaow! Don't be silly as it was meant to be said in a joking manner - that's the problem with things being 'said' in writing!
Maybe you were being the same with your reply to me? :)
Having used both Moneysoft and BrightPay, Brightpay is easier for autoenrolment. Also they are interested in helping if you have a problem with autoenrolment whereas Moneysoft's stock answer is to go and talk to NEST
Eh? I thought it was a £30 increase - was £199 but going up to £229?
Small increase IMO - you will probably pay more that £229 for support only from Sage!
I won't be moving from Brightpay anyway - excellent software, excellent support.
Yeah, that's why I am good at bookkeeping - well that is what my clients say you understand - its not me saying it! :)
I didn't have a chance to read that email yet so I wasn't aware of this change. Have you spoken to BrightPay? I've always found them very reasonable. They might be able to suggest some kind of workaround. Worth a shot!
I am moving on from BP in April. For me, as I have mentioned before' it fails on:
1) ADVERTS
2) BP logos everywhere
3) Can only email payslips from BP.
4) No Batch processing of payrolls
5) Overall fails on efficiency and too much flogging of BP at my face.
I will be moving back to efficient and subtle moneysoft. They do not need to flog their wares.
Karen of BP will come along soon...
I am moving on from BP in April. For me, as I have mentioned before' it fails on:
1) ADVERTS
2) BP logos everywhere
3) Can only email payslips from BP.
4) No Batch processing of payrolls
5) Overall fails on efficiency and too much flogging of BP at my face.
I will be moving back to efficient and subtle moneysoft. They do not need to flog their wares.
Karen of BP will come along soon...
1. Adverts for what? and where?
2. As has been pointed out, you can remove logos from within settings.
3. Save/export payslips as pdfs and email from whatever email program you prefer.
4.5. No batch processing of multiple payrolls, if that what you mean, but I'm not sure that any do, and the speed with which I can process in BP saves loads of time over others that I've used.
The Auto Enrolment features of BP alone make it worth having, IMHO, and much more intuitive than any others I've come across. But add on the other features and I'm more than happy to stick with it
4.5. No batch processing of multiple payrolls, if that what you mean, but I'm not sure that any do, and the speed with which I can process in BP saves loads of time over others that I've used.
If by "batch processing of multiple payrolls", you mean batch filing of RTI returns for multiple payrolls, Moneysoft does it.
jcace wrote:
4.5. No batch processing of multiple payrolls, if that what you mean, but I'm not sure that any do, and the speed with which I can process in BP saves loads of time over others that I've used.If by "batch processing of multiple payrolls", you mean batch filing of RTI returns for multiple payrolls, Moneysoft does it.
As does 12Pay
FirstTab said: "I am moving on from BP in April. For me, as I have mentioned before' it fails on:
1) ADVERTS
2) BP logos everywhere
3) Can only email payslips from BP.
4) No Batch processing of payrolls
5) Overall fails on efficiency and too much flogging of BP at my face.
I will be moving back to efficient and subtle moneysoft. They do not need to flog their wares."
1 What adverts?
2 What logo?
3 Not true
4 Practically all my clients who don't have non-director salaries don't need monthly payroll so it's not an issue
5 I think it's great software; Sage Payroll wanted 10 times the price.
I'm moving to Brightpay. Support is good, product far more user friendly and for auto enrolment its a godsend.
Moneysoft is great but fails massively on auto enrolment.
This appears to be a case of complain about the price rise and BP might think twice next year. I get that. We all must look after our own pockets but I can't see there will be many moving from BP based on this. Whilst I'm losing my status as a new convert I'm still a happy one.
As for the licence allowing bureau use if all employers had less than three employees. Well, good while it lasted but was probably never intentional.
Quite amazed at this. The "free license" offered by Brightpay for 3 users or less is to help very small business running their own payroll not a small bureau with loads of small clients wanting a free license for each. Can't afford under £300? Rubbish. Can factor that in to fees. The product and support from Brightpay is second to none and I think it represents excellent value for money.
I am currently using Payroo - which is free.
Granted, not as slick as Moneysoft. It's cloud based and a bit of a pig, but I just have two one person payrolls to do - so not worth the full Moneysoft fee.
Granted, if I had payrolls any more complex than this, I would revert to Moneysoft.
I even have the pleasure of Sage Payroll in my 'day job' too!
(I won't even tell you how much we pay for 30 staff)
OFHS
Next, we will have someone complaining about HMRC withdrawing their free CT Online software from agents.
I honestly do not have an issue with the increase - the software is more than worth it. I do understand that many of you have been in the lucky position of getting the software free of charge up to now, but as the original poster said - it really was incredible that this fantastic software was available free to such an extent!!