Best Contractor Payment Software: Features and Pricing

Contractors have become an integral part of the modern workforce. As a result, businesses need to ensure they can pay them for their services and do so efficiently.

Contractor payment software is a specialized payroll software. This article will explore the features of the best payroll systems for contractors. We’ll help you to decide which one is the right solution for your business.

You'll also learn about how Wise Business could be a great option for paying your contractors abroad, with the ability to pay them in bulk and across currencies.

Looking for a great way to pay your international contractors?

Pay your contractor
with Wise Business >>

Wise Trustpilot Score: Great ¹⁸
No minimum balance required and no monthly fees
Save on cross-currency payments with the mid-market rate

Table of contents
1. Wise Business for Contractor Payroll 2. Patriot³ 3. Bill.com 4. Rippling 5. Melio 6. Remote 7. Tipalti 8. Oyster 9. Veem

1. Wise Business for Contractor Payroll and Invoice Payments

Wise offers a competitive option for paying contractors because of its transparent fee structure and low-cost domestic and international transfer options.

Unlike many traditional banks and payment services, Wise uses the mid-market rate.

You can also hold money in 40+ currencies so you can pay in your contractor’s preferred currency. There is even a convenient batch payment option if you’re paying more than one contractor at a time.

Ways to Pay Contractors
Invoice Payment: Pay invoices quickly with domestic payments coming at no extra cost. Cross-currency payments start from 0.43%, and you can manage all cross-currency payments in one account (Hold 40+ currencies in one account).
Payroll: Pay employees, consultants, and freelancers wherever they choose to work with the mid-market rate and low transfer fees.
Batch Payment: Pay up to 1,000 invoices in one instance

Wise Business Account Features:

The Wise Business account has various features that help you control your daily business activities with ease.

• Accounting Integrations: Connect your Wise Business account with your accounting software (Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent, Sage, Wave, and Netsuite).
• Permissions: Assigns various access levels and spending limits to ensure that your on top of your financials.
• Receive Payments like a local: Businesses can pay a one-time fee for accounts details in global currencies, such as USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, so they can receive money without any additional fees.

Pricing and Fees

Registering for a Wise account is free, and there are no monthly fees or minimum balances to worry about. Fees for sending money will vary by currency but start at 0.43%.

Looking to send and receive business payments at low cost?

Pay your contractor
with Wise Business >>

Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.

2. Patriot³

Patriot is an online payroll service tailored to small businesses. They help businesses who want to pay both employees and 1099 contractors using contractor payroll software. They pride themselves as a low-cost option offering both accounting and payroll options. Currently, they allow new users to see a demo of their services or try them out for free with a 30-day trial.

Features
* Unlimited Payrolls with No Hidden Fees
* Easy Onboarding with a US Support Team
* Free 2-Day Direct Deposit

Pricing

Patriot is currently offering a 30-day free trial for their services. After this period, you will be enrolled in one of two pricing plans:

• Basic Payroll: $17/month + $4/employee or 1099 contractor
• Full Service Payroll: $37/month + $4/employee or 1099 contractor

3. Bill.com

BILL offers ACH payment processing for businesses. This can be used as a subcontractor payment software. They suggest that this is “a safer, speedy, and cost-effective way to pay and get paid”. BILL also offers accounting firm solutions and platforms. We’ll be focusing here on their business services because they are more relevant.⁴

Features⁴
* Average Processing Time of 2-5 Days
* Reduced Chance of Theft
* No Credit Card or Check Processing Fees for Payment

Pricing⁵

BILL offers several payment plans, depending on the type of services you’d like to receive:

Accounts Payable

• Essentials: $45/user/month
• Team: $55/user/month

Accounts Payable & Accounts Receivable

• Corporate: $79/user/month
• Enterprise: Custom Pricing

Spend & Expense: $0

They also have extra costs for certain services, including:

• Sending & Receiving ePayments/ACH Transfers: $0.49/transaction
• Mailing Checks: $1.69/check
• Mailing Invoices: $1.49/invoice
• Payment by Credit or Debit Card: 2.9%
• Getting Paid via Credit Card: 2.9%
• International Wire Transfer (USD): $14.99
• Sending and Receiving Faster ACH Payments: $9.99/transaction
• Pay Faster by Check (Overnight): $22.99
• Pay Faster by Check (Two Day): $17.99
• Pay Faster by Check (Three Day): $11.99

See the Best Banks for Small Businesses >>

4. Rippling

Rippling (compare with alternatives) is a workforce management platform that includes a contractor management system. It is known to be especially helpful as a construction payment software. This construction payments software allows you to “effortlessly manage contractors, no matter where they are”. By clicking “See Rippling” on their site, you can schedule a 30-minute demo of their services with access to an “expert Q&A” session.⁶

Features⁶
* Pay All Types of Contractors (including individuals, sole proprietors, and companies)
* Track Hours with Rippling’s Electronic Timesheet
* Automatic Payroll with E-Signature and 1099 Generation

Pricing⁷

Rippling starts at $8/month/user.

Find out how much you will pay when using Wise Business

5. Melio

Melio is a bill-paying service for businesses(see Melio alternatives). It allows you to pay contractors and freelancers. They allow you to use both ACH bank transfer and card for payments, “even where cards aren’t accepted”. You can sign up for Melio easily with email, or you can use existing accounts from Google or Intuit to log in.⁸

Features⁸
* Split, Scheduled, and Mobile Payments
* AI Risk and Compliance Tools
* International Payments

Pricing⁹

Melio does not have a monthly pricing model and is free to use. However, they have a few fees that apply to certain features:

• Check Mailing: first 2 free; $1.50 after
• Pay By Card: 2.9%
• Fast ACH Bank Transfer (Same Day): 1% (up to $30)
• Fast Check (Within 3 Business Days): $20
• International Payments (USD Only): $20 (flat fee)

6. Remote

As the name implies, Remote offers “Global HR Solutions & Employment Tools for Distributed Teams”. This includes contractor management. They allow you to “manage your contractors, automate admin, mitigate compliance risks and ensure swift payments in more than 180 countries”. Remote currently offers both a demo that you can book with them and a 30-day free trial of their services.¹⁰

Features¹⁰
* Self-service Onboarding and Contractor Benefits
* Automated Reporting and Tax Filing
* Full-service Contractor Management System

Pricing¹¹

Remote is currently offering a 30-day free trial for their services. After the trial, you will be enrolled in one of four pricing plans, depending on the services you choose:

• HRIS (Employee Management): Free
• Contractor Management (Including Payroll): $29/contractor/month
• Employer of Record (Paying Global Team): starting at $599/month
• Global Payroll: $50/employee/month

7. Tipalti

Tipalti is a finance automation tool with a focus on AP automation and mass payments. They don’t have solutions completely tailored to paying contractors and freelancers. But their services are very adaptable to that end. You can get a demo of their services online or contact sales to see what Tipalti could look like for you.¹²

Features¹²
* Accounts and Global Payables Solutions and Automation
* Scalable Global Mass Payments Solutions
* Control Over Spending and Expenses

Pricing¹³

The cost of Tipalti starts at $129/month.

8. Oyster

Oyster is an automated global employment platform that offers global contractor management. They automate “hiring, onboarding, paying, and managing contractors”. They give you the option to start a 30-day free trial, speak to an expert about their services, or get a demo of their platform.¹⁴

Features¹⁴
* Instant Collaboration with Compliant Contractors from Over 180 Countries
* Pay Contractors in Over 140 Currencies
* Centralized Dashboard for Managing Invoices, Expenses, and More

Pricing¹⁵

Oyster is currently offering a 30-day free trial for their Contractor services. After the trial, you will be enrolled in the Contractor plan.

These are the 3 pricing plans they offer:

• Contractor: $29/contractor/month (after a 30-day free trial)
• Employee: starting at $499/month (paid annually; $599/month paid monthly)
• Scale: custom pricing

9. Veem

Veem is a service for contractors, not employers, that simplifies the payment process for their clients. They serve “independent workers in over 100 countries”. They can also “easily accept digital payments from [their] clients, anywhere, anytime”. Veem allows you to sign up by email or by using your existing Google or Intuit accounts.¹⁶

Features¹⁶
* Receive Payments in Your Local Currency
* Accept USD or ACH/EFT Transfers and Credit or Debit Card Payments
* No Bank, Intermediary, or Wire Fees

Pricing¹⁷

Veem offers two pricing plans for their services:

• Basic Plan: Free
• Premium Plan: $14.99 (free for first 2 transactions)

These plans do come with extra fees, including:

• Sending Domestic Checks: $1.99 (US only)
• Sending Domestic Next Day Bank Transfer: 0.5%
• Receiving International Payments in USD: $29 ($39 for over $10K)
• Paying with Credit or Debit Cards: 3.5%
• Receiving Instant Deposits: 1%

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Sources used:

1. Patriot; Online Payroll for Small Business
2. BILL; ACH Payment Processing for businesses
3. BILL; Pricing & Plans
4. Rippling; Best Contractor & 1099 Management Software
5. Rippling; Rippling Cost
6. Melio; Payments Software for Contractors & Freelancers
7. Melio; Payment Platform Pricing for Businesses and Accountants
8. Remote; Global Contractor Management Software & Services
9. Remote; Pricing & Plans
10. Tipalti; Finance Automation that puts you in charge
11. Tipalti; Pricing
12. Oyster; Hire and pay global contractors anywhere
13. Oyster; Pricing
14. Veem; Contractor Invoicing
15. Veem; Pricing
16. Wise Trustpilot

Sources last checked on 13 December 2023.