Compare the whole bill: the employee’s costs, the provider’s fees and the cash you must fund upfront. A low advertised fee is useful only when the rest of the quote is clear.
What are you actually paying for?
Keep three amounts separate. Only the first two are costs; a refundable deposit is money tied up until the agreed return conditions are met.
01 · Employment
Your employee’s costs
Salary, employer National Insurance, pension and agreed benefits. These exist even if you employ directly. A statutory charge is not a hidden provider fee.
02 · Service
The EOR’s charges
Management fee, conversion margin, payment charges and any onboarding, benefit administration or exit service. Ask what is included.
03 · Funding
Cash paid in advance
Payroll prefunding, reserves and refundable deposits. Ask how much, where it sits, what can be deducted and when it comes back.
One shared example
What might a £50,000 UK hire cost?
For a £50,000 employee in England, the basic annual employment budget is about £58,063 before the EOR fee. This example uses 2026/27 rates, standard employer National Insurance and the minimum employer pension on qualifying earnings.
Annual cost of one £50,000 UK employee, excluding EOR fees
Cost
Calculation
Annual amount
Gross salary
£50,000 salary
£50,000.00
Employer National Insurance
15% × (£50,000 − £5,000)
£6,750.00
Employer pension
3% × (£50,000 − £6,240)
£1,312.80
Employment subtotal
Before service fees and extras
£58,062.80
Assumes a full year, an eligible enrolled employee, no salary sacrifice, no National Insurance relief or Employment Allowance, and no bonus or enhanced benefits. Pension scheme rules and payroll rounding can change the result. This is a budgeting illustration, not a payroll calculation.
Next add 12 months of the agreed EOR fee, any benefits and confirmed one-off charges. Convert foreign-currency fees at the agreed rate. Show taxes and any deposit separately. This gives you a fair twelve-month comparison without pretending every provider has the same contract.
Why do some pound prices say “est.”?
All comparison prices are shown in pounds. Teamed publishes its fee in GBP. Where a provider advertises in US dollars, we show an estimated pound equivalent, rounded to the nearest pound.
We used the European Central Bank reference rates dated 22 September 2026. One US dollar was about £0.7483. This makes the starting fees easier to compare; it is not a provider’s GBP offer or the rate your bank will use. Check the invoice currency, conversion margin and final UK fee in your written quote.
How can FX change the total?
Exchange-rate movement and an EOR’s conversion margin are different things. The market rate can change between quote and payment even when a provider adds no markup.
Ask for the benchmark rate, the time it is fixed, the markup and the amount it applies to. For budgeting, apply the markup to the full employment amount being converted, including salary, employer costs and any benefits in that payment. Bank and payment-processing charges may be separate again.
Budget for FX on the full employment cost. At 2.5–3%, a markup on the whole £58,062.80 annual employment budget adds £1,451.57–£1,741.88 a year for one employee.
The calculation includes salary, employer National Insurance and employer pension. This example has no additional benefits; include them in the conversion base if your contract does. The EOR service fee and refundable deposit remain separate.
Illustrative FX markup applied to the full annual employment cost
FX markup
Annual calculation
Extra per year
Monthly equivalent
2.5%
2.5% × £58,062.80
£1,451.57
£120.96
3%
3% × £58,062.80
£1,741.88
£145.16
The 2.5–3% range is an illustrative budgeting scenario, not a verified charge for every provider. It assumes the full employment cost is converted. Check your provider’s actual rate, conversion base and any separate charge on service fees.
Request a sample invoice in your actual funding currency. If you fund in GBP and the employee is paid in GBP, ask whether any other conversion still takes place in the payment chain.
What extra fees should you check?
These notes separate published provider statements, unresolved terms and customer experience. “Not established” means the checked evidence does not settle the point. It does not mean free, and it does not prove a provider concealed a charge.
Remofirst
Cost 4.5/ 5 · Overall 4.1/ 5
From £149 est.per employee / month
Price conditions
Country-specific quote. No annual contract advertised.
FX & payments
No fixed EOR conversion margin established. Ask for the benchmark, timing and amount being converted; contractor pricing is a different product.
Additional services
Provider says no setup or termination service fee. Benefits, immigration and other optional services can add cost.
Deposits & funding
Offboarding guidance describes a deposit refund after final costs, but no standard amount or fixed deadline was established.
Commitment & exit
No annual commitment advertised. Employment notice and final payroll obligations still apply.
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE · CONTEXT, NOT A GUARANTEE
The sampled G2 accounts praise helpful support and timely pay. Some ask for clearer benefit information and better self-service. The recent sample was seller-invited or incentivised; it is not a UK service test.
Commercial and review evidence was captured in September 2026. The full evidence record preserves dates, country, product scope and provider responses. No hands-on payroll test was performed.
Teamed
Cost 4.5/ 5 · Overall 4.0/ 5
Flat £479per employee / month
Price conditions
Published GBP price. Monthly terms; employment costs are separate.
FX & payments
Provider states zero markup across currency pairings and an invoice rate shown against a mid-market reference. Verify those terms for your funding and payroll currencies.
Additional services
The page says no setup fees. Optional services and statutory employment costs must still be itemised in the quote.
Deposits & funding
Pricing guidance describes a one-month deposit. Confirm its calculation and return conditions rather than counting it as a service fee.
Commitment & exit
No exit fee.
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE · CONTEXT, NOT A GUARANTEE
Sampled G2 accounts praise personal help and prompt responses. Others describe onboarding or communication delays and ask for clearer payslips or fewer contacts. Country and case circumstances vary.
Commercial and review evidence was captured in September 2026. The full evidence record preserves dates, country, product scope and provider responses. No hands-on payroll test was performed.
Deel
Cost 4.0/ 5 · Overall 4.2/ 5
From £448 est.per employee / month
Price conditions
EOR starting fee. Ask for UK terms and included support.
FX & payments
The help guide explains forward exchange rates but gives no universal percentage margin. Payment-processing fees are separate and depend on the payment method.
Additional services
Check immigration, non-local-currency payroll and payment-method charges against your hire. A PEO promotion is not an EOR commitment.
Deposits & funding
A deposit may be required. Refund guidance ties release to termination and settlement; get the applicable deadline in your agreement.
Commitment & exit
Confirm offboarding and legal service charges separately from notice, accrued holiday and other employment costs.
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE · CONTEXT, NOT A GUARANTEE
The existing evidence supports platform breadth. Customer reports also raise specific invoice-escalation and case-ownership problems. These accounts do not establish how often a UK customer would experience them.
Commercial and review evidence was captured in September 2026. The full evidence record preserves dates, country, product scope and provider responses. No hands-on payroll test was performed.
Remote
Cost 4.0/ 5 · Overall 4.1/ 5
From £523 est.per employee / month
Price conditions
Standard advertised management fee; negotiated terms may differ.
FX & payments
Remote publishes a monthly Remote FX rate. Its terms permit a margin and transaction charges; a universal percentage was not established.
Additional services
Ask which benefits, immigration services and other additions are outside the management fee.
Deposits & funding
Payroll is funded in advance and later reconciled. Additional reserves can depend on risk; request the actual UK funding schedule.
Commitment & exit
Confirm the notice, final reconciliation and any service charges for ending or transferring employment.
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE · CONTEXT, NOT A GUARANTEE
The score evidence supports established employment workflows. Treat general platform reviews separately from UK EOR delivery. For urgent problems, confirm the human contact route and resolution ownership.
Commercial and review evidence was captured in September 2026. The full evidence record preserves dates, country, product scope and provider responses. No hands-on payroll test was performed.
Oyster
Cost 3.5/ 5 · Overall 3.7/ 5
From £523 est.per employee / month
Price conditions
Annual discounts advertised; compare the commitment before accepting.
FX & payments
Pricing material says conversion charges can apply when invoice and contract currencies differ. The applicable margin needs a quote.
Additional services
Benefits, visa services and specialist people advice can be additional charges. Ask for included usage and the price beyond it.
Deposits & funding
Confirm the required advance funding or deposit for your UK hire; no universal amount is assumed here.
Commitment & exit
Annual seats can be prepaid and non-refundable, although reusable. Employment notice and service-fee end dates need separate confirmation.
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE · CONTEXT, NOT A GUARANTEE
G2 accounts in the existing sample describe helpful local guidance and onboarding, alongside slow email responses, ticket-closure concerns and reporting limitations. Several are incentivised and concern countries outside the UK.
Commercial and review evidence was captured in September 2026. The full evidence record preserves dates, country, product scope and provider responses. No hands-on payroll test was performed.
PPapaya Global
Cost 3.5/ 5 · Overall 3.6/ 5
From £373 est.per employee / month
Price conditions
EOR starting fee; scope and country pricing require a quote.
FX & payments
Published policies distinguish EOR funding rates from transfer rates. Processing components or buffers may apply; no single universal spread is established.
Additional services
Ask for the precise EOR package and any implementation, benefit, immigration or payment charges. Payroll-only prices are different products.
Deposits & funding
Request a UK-specific deposit and funding schedule, including release conditions. Do not apply another customer’s negotiated contract.
Commitment & exit
Get the fees, notice and transfer process for your signed package. A contractor plan’s no-deposit statement does not establish EOR terms.
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE · CONTEXT, NOT A GUARANTEE
The existing G2 material includes both praise for payroll visibility and requests for simpler access to local partners. Some criticism concerns historical cases; it does not establish current UK performance.
Commercial and review evidence was captured in September 2026. The full evidence record preserves dates, country, product scope and provider responses. No hands-on payroll test was performed.
Rippling
Cost 3.0/ 5 · Overall 3.6/ 5
Price on requestTailored EOR quote
Price conditions
Core platform and chosen modules affect the package price.
FX & payments
Get the UK funding currency, conversion benchmark and full margin in the quote. An unknown margin is not zero.
Additional services
Core platform and selected modules affect the package. Ask which charges are mandatory and which can be removed.
Deposits & funding
Confirm advance funding, reserves and any deposit in the EOR agreement; general software pricing does not answer this.
Commitment & exit
Check the EOR schedule and platform renewal together. Removing an employee may not cancel every module or commitment.
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE · CONTEXT, NOT A GUARANTEE
General Rippling reviews cover HR, payroll and IT products as well as EOR. They include praise for consolidation and concerns about navigation or mobile features; these cannot be read as a UK EOR service rating.
Commercial and review evidence was captured in September 2026. The full evidence record preserves dates, country, product scope and provider responses. No hands-on payroll test was performed.
Remote People
Cost 3.0/ 5 · Overall 3.4/ 5
From £149 est.per employee / month
Price conditions
Flex plan. Plus has different price, headcount and annual terms.
FX & payments
A UK-specific FX margin was not established. Country contracts found in earlier research are not universal UK terms.
Additional services
Recruitment and specialist advice are separate. Ask which benefit administration costs apply to the UK employee.
Deposits & funding
Flex deposit terms need confirmation. Plus advertises no deposit but has a higher fee, annual terms and a minimum of five employees.
Commitment & exit
Refund guidance links timing to final settlement, not simply the last working day. Confirm any transfer or post-exit charges.
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE · CONTEXT, NOT A GUARANTEE
The G2 sample praises organised onboarding and named help. Other buyers describe delayed documents, limited reporting or late disclosure of mandatory costs. Evidence spans countries and includes material from the former Horizons brand.
Commercial and review evidence was captured in September 2026. The full evidence record preserves dates, country, product scope and provider responses. No hands-on payroll test was performed.
Multiplier
Cost 3.0/ 5 · Overall 3.3/ 5
From £343 est.per employee / month, billed annually
Price conditions
Core plan. Mandatory additions and implementation may apply.
FX & payments
Terms allow provider-determined conversion rates and currency shortfalls. A universal percentage cap was not established.
Additional services
Current pricing expressly identifies compliance-mandated add-ons and an implementation fee where applicable. Benefits administration can add cost.
Deposits & funding
Ask for deposit, payroll and benefit prefunding separately, with the refund schedule for each.
Commitment & exit
The displayed Core price is billed annually. Confirm cancellation, remaining service fees and benefit commitments before signing.
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE · CONTEXT, NOT A GUARANTEE
Sampled G2 accounts praise payroll self-service and helpful support. Other accounts raise invoicing, benefit or hand-over issues. Incentives and country gaps limit how far these experiences can be generalised.
Commercial and review evidence was captured in September 2026. The full evidence record preserves dates, country, product scope and provider responses. No hands-on payroll test was performed.
Native Teams
Cost 3.0/ 5 · Overall 3.0/ 5
From £74 est.per employee / month
Price conditions
Advertised starting price; UK scope and service terms need a quote.
FX & payments
General terms allocate exchange-rate changes and gateway fees to users. No fixed public EOR margin was established; service terms may differ.
Additional services
Confirm which payment, benefit and administration charges are included in the UK EOR service rather than the wider platform.
Deposits & funding
Deposit guidance describes mandatory tiers without a universal public EOR amount or fixed release deadline.
Commitment & exit
General subscription terms include a three-month minimum and refund limits. Confirm whether these apply or are replaced by your EOR agreement.
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE · CONTEXT, NOT A GUARANTEE
The sample includes smooth EOR onboarding and helpful support, alongside billing or communication complaints. Many reviews concern freelance payments or wallets; these are different services and are kept separate.
Commercial and review evidence was captured in September 2026. The full evidence record preserves dates, country, product scope and provider responses. No hands-on payroll test was performed.
What can poor service cost you?
Unclear answers can mean more time chasing an invoice, correcting payroll inputs or explaining a payslip to an employee. A slow offboarding response can also make it harder to meet deadlines. We do not attach invented monetary losses to review complaints.
Look for the person who owns a case, the human support hours and the escalation route. A promise to reply in one day is different from a promise to fix the problem in one day. Balance complaints with positive experiences and check whether the reviewer used EOR in the UK.
What should your written quote answer?
One employee, twelve months
All monthly fees, mandatory extras and optional benefits, using the same salary and start date.
Every currency conversion
Benchmark, timestamp, full margin, conversion base and separate payment fees.
Upfront cash and refunds
Deposit formula, payroll funding dates, deductions and the deadline for returning unused money.
A realistic exit
What you owe after three months and twelve months, including notice, unused commitments and transfer charges.
Remofirst
