BrightPay FAQs

Step 1: Login with your Bright ID 

Before you begin, you will be asked to login using your Bright ID. If you are already using BrightPay (desktop) or other Bright products, you will already have a Bright ID. 

Step 2: Create your organisation 

Once logged in, you will be asked to create your organisation. Here you need to enter your organisation name and address, choose your payment plan and add a payment method. 

Step 3: Import your employer(s) 

Select the option to ‘Import from BrightPay for Windows/Mac’. Select the employer file(s) you wish to import and BrightPay will import all of the required payroll data. 

BrightPay provides an import utility to bring across your company and employee details from a number of payroll packages including Sage, IRIS, and many more. Book your free no-obligation consultation with one of our migration specialists here.

You can select the ‘Create Organisation’ button on the welcome screen or create an organisation under > My Organisation > New Organisation

In the following screens, enter the name and address of your organisation, choose your payment plan and add your payment method.

Details of the Organisation can be viewed under > My Organisation > Organisation Details. Here you can also manage team members and manage your billing.

Once signed into BrightPay you will need to set up an organisation. An organisation is the central place where you can manage employers/clients, add team members and set up billing. An example of an organisation would be your accountancy practice or payroll bureau, or if you manage your own payroll, your company, partnership or trust.

Yes, on the import screen, select the Shift key on your keyboard and select multiple employer files you wish to import.

If the employer data files are password protected, you will need to enter the passwords to import the companies.

When importing a company from BrightPay (desktop) to BrightPay’s cloud software, the employer, and employees’ details, pay elements, pension, payslips, all reports are imported into the cloud software along with the pay periods updated in BrightPay (desktop).

Please note, you will need to re-enter the HMRC Gateway credentials and Nest credentials if the Nest is your pension provider.

No, the pension schemes and all pension details will be imported from BrightPay (desktop) to the cloud software.

Yes, you will need to re-enter the HMRC gateway and Nest credentials. To do this, click on the ‘Settings’ icon in the top right corner, then go to ‘Submissions’.

No, attachment orders are imported from BrightPay (desktop) to BrightPay’s cloud software.

Yes, the employer and employees’ bank details come across from BrightPay (desktop) to BrightPay’s cloud software. BrightPay (desktop) includes 19 default bank file formats and BrightPay’s cloud software includes 55 default bank file formats. You can also use our integration with Modulr if your required bank file is not catered for.

When you import from BrightPay (desktop) to BrightPay’s cloud software, the nominal ledger mapping and variations will be imported. However, you will need to set up any custom mapping again.

There are four types of users with different permissions in BrightPay: Owner, Administrator, Payroll Processor and Billing Manager. Click here to find out more about the permissions available for each of these users. 

Within ‘My Organisation’ select the ‘Team Members’ tab, followed by the ‘Invite New Member(s)’ button. Enter the email address for the user you wish to invite, and select whether you would like their role to be an ‘Administrator’, a ‘Payroll Processor’ or a ‘Billing Manager’. Click here for more details. 

You can have unlimited users in BrightPay’s cloud software. Four different user types can be added – owner, administrator, payroll processor, and billing manager.

Yes, multiple users can work on the same employer file at the same time.

Yes, you will be able to see which user is in the company at any given time and what they are working on.

Yes, if you mark a company as ‘admin only’ and you set up another user as a payroll processor, the user won’t have access to this company. Owners and administrators can access all companies.

Please click here for guidance on how to invite employees to the Employee Self Service Portal.

The option for sending invitation emails to welcome employees to use the Employee Self Service Portal will be available soon.

To enable employees access to Employee Self Service Portal, use our step-by-step guide.

Yes, you can enable or disable access to the Employee Self Service Portal globally for all employees or at the individual level.

BrightPay Connect is only designed to work with BrightPay (desktop). With BrightPay’s cloud software, you will have access to an Employee Self-Service Portal at no additional cost.

BrightPay Connect is a separate product to BrightPay Connect. You will be charged for this service if you continue to use it alongside BrightPay cloud. BrightPay cloud’s cost includes an Employee Self Service Portal and other similar features found in Connect. More Connect functionality will be added in the coming months. Click here to view a full feature comparison.

Click here to view a full feature comparison.

From April 2026, BrightPay will be provided exclusively in the cloud. BrightPay for Mac is no longer available. 2025/26 will be the final tax year that BrightPay for Windows is available.

BrightPay for Windows will be kept up-to-date with HMRC rules and legislation changes for the 2025/26 tax year. Starting in the 2026/27 tax year, BrightPay will be exclusively cloud-based. The desktop version will no longer receive updates, support, or legislative compliance.

Yes, you can use both versions of the software for different clients. Please be aware that they are separate systems and will not speak to one another.

Click here to access our pricing calculator. For bureau users with multiple clients, please enter the total number of employees across all clients.

No, BrightPay’s cloud software will feed into the following years’ version.

At the moment you would need to open each individual company from each tax year to run a report.

For 2025/26, BrightPay’s cloud software is currently restricted to 300 employees (including starters and leavers) per employer upon release. This limit will be increased in the future. If you require a licence for more than 300 employees please contact our team on brightpaysales@wordpress-1289392-5905446.cloudwaysapps.com for assistance.

With BrightPay cloud we have an Employee Self Service Portal, Manager’s Portal and Client Portal giving similar functionality to users of Connect.

Functionality includes employees being able to access payslips and HR Resources, view their personal details, request leave or change of personal details.

Managers can access employees’ personal data, manage employee requests.

Users on the Client Portal can access financial data. manage Employer and Employee information, Employee Requests & HR Resources.

Your work is always synced in real-time with the cloud, ensuring that your latest updates are always saved. While you can’t restore to a previous version, we continuously back up your data as you work.

BrightPay cloud securely stores your data online in real time, so there’s no need to create manual backups. While you can’t download a backup, your data is always protected and accessible in the cloud.

Yes. BrightPay’s cloud software includes integration with BrightBooks, Xero, Quickbooks, Sage, FreeAgent, ClearBooks, Kashflow, QuickFile and Zoho Books.

Yes, you can set up two or more monthly schedules with different period endings.

The emailing system is built into BrightPay – you cannot use Outlook.

The feature is now available on BrightPay’s cloud software.

CIS functionality is currently only available on BrightPay for Windows. We are developing a separate solution and this will be available later in 2025. If you wish to switch to BrightPay cloud, yet require CIS functionality now, you can use BrightPay for Windows for CIS alongside BrightPay cloud. Please contact our team on brightpaysales@wordpress-1289392-5905446.cloudwaysapps.com for assistance.

There is one A5 format available only.

Yes, you can use Modulr to pay employees or HMRC on BrightPay’s cloud software.

Our Payroll Year End resource hub has all the FAQs, checklists, videos and more resources to help you complete your year end in BrightPay.