Hiring globally is easier than ever but paying your international team compliantly, efficiently, and on time is where things often get complicated.
The wrong payroll platform can result in payment delays, legal penalties, compliance risks, and an overwhelmed finance or HR team. And when you're managing a global workforce, even small errors can lead to costly consequences.
Whether you're a CFO, Head of People, or Global Ops Manager, asking the right questions before choosing a global payroll solution is critical.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through 10 essential questions to ask when evaluating a global payroll platform and show how RemotePass checks every single box.
1. Does it support both contractors and full-time employees?
If your payroll platform only supports one type of worker, you’ll be forced to manage separate tools, systems, and processes, leading to inefficiencies, compliance risks, and unnecessary complexity. For this reason, choose a platform that supports the full lifecycle of employees and contractors, including:
- Generating compliant contracts for each worker type
- Offering localized benefits packages for employees
- Supporting tax documentation (e.g., W-8BEN, W-9, 1099s for contractors; payslips and contributions for employees)
- Handling onboarding, offboarding, and payments for both groups from a single dashboard
How RemotePass fits the bill:
RemotePass supports full-time employees and independent contractors, so you don’t have to compromise.
- Through our Employer of Record (EOR) model, we help you compliantly hire full-time employees in 150+ countries without needing to set up local entities.
- For flexible, project-based, or fractional hires, our Contractor of Record (CoR) solution ensures your contractor agreements, tax compliance, and payments are handled smoothly and legally wherever they are.
This dual support makes it easy to scale globally with confidence, while keeping your HR, finance, and legal teams aligned.
2. In how many countries can it process payroll compliantly?
Whether you're expanding into emerging markets or hiring across multiple continents, you need a solution that’s already built to scale without legal or operational friction. Look for a platform that:
- Covers 100+ countries with real compliance infrastructure, not just basic payment rails
- Offers localized support, contracts, and payroll processing in each country
- Understands local tax laws, benefits requirements, and social contributions
- Can help you stay compliant whether you’re hiring employees or contractors
How RemotePass fits the bill:
RemotePass supports compliant hiring and payroll processing in 150+ countries and we're constantly expanding. We provide country-specific guidance, generate locally compliant contracts, and manage contributions like taxes, pensions, and statutory benefits.
Whether you're onboarding an engineer in Egypt, a designer in Portugal, or a sales rep in Kenya, we handle the heavy lifting so your team doesn’t have to.
3. Can it localize benefits and deductions by country?
If your payroll platform can't localize benefits and deductions by country, you risk non-compliance, poor employee experience, and ultimately, higher attrition. And so, select a platform that understands the local context of each country you hire in. Specifically, it should:
- Offer country-specific benefits, such as health insurance, paid leave, and allowances
- Handle mandatory contributions, including taxes, pensions, and social security
- Automate compliance with local labor laws around payroll deductions and statutory benefits
- Adapt to regional expectations like end-of-service benefits in the GCC or 13th-month pay in parts of Latin America
How RemotePass fits the bill:
RemotePass localizes benefits and deductions for each country you hire in, whether you're hiring contractors or full-time employees.
- We offer tailored benefits packages, including healthcare, allowances, and perks aligned with regional norms.
- We manage statutory deductions and employer contributions so your payroll stays compliant with local laws.
- For employees, we ensure your company meets all local requirements, while providing a competitive benefits offering that helps you attract and retain top talent globally.
4. How fast can you onboard new team members?
Your payroll platform should make onboarding fast, seamless, and compliant. That includes:
- Automated contract generation with localized templates
- E-signature capabilities for quick turnaround
- Built-in KYC/AML checks to validate worker identity without manual bottlenecks
- A user-friendly experience that works across devices and geographies
- Notifications and task tracking to avoid back-and-forth delays between HR, finance, and the new hire
How RemotePass fits the bill:
RemotePass offers one-click onboarding for contractors and full-time employees, designed for speed without sacrificing compliance.
- Contracts are generated instantly and pre-vetted for legal compliance in 150+ countries.
- New hires receive a smooth digital experience with self-serve onboarding workflows, document upload, and e-signing.
- Our built-in KYC and AML verification ensures your team is fully verified before day one with zero hassle.
With RemotePass, you can go from offer to fully onboarded in a matter of days, not weeks.
5. Does it help with tax compliance and documentation?
Your payroll platform should handle tax compliance with built-in intelligence and automation. Key things to look for:
- Support for country-specific tax forms, such as W-8BEN, W-9, and 1099-NEC for U.S. compliance
- Automated generation and distribution of payslips and tax reports
- Built-in tax withholding calculations based on local laws
- Year-end reporting, social contributions, and audit-ready records
- Alerts or updates when tax laws change in relevant countries
How RemotePass fits the bill:
RemotePass automates tax compliance and documentation across all supported countries.
- We collect the right tax forms from the start—W-8BEN, W-9, and others—so you're protected from the get-go.
- Payslips, tax summaries, and statutory filings are automatically generated, stored, and accessible at any time.
- We ensure the correct withholdings and contributions are made based on each worker's location and classification (contractor or employee).
- Our platform is constantly updated to reflect local tax changes, so you stay compliant without lifting a finger.
6. How transparent is pricing (and what’s included)?
You should choose a platform that offers clear, upfront pricing with full visibility into what you’re paying for. Specifically:
- A simple pricing structure that scales with your business
- No hidden fees for onboarding, offboarding, or adding users
- All-inclusive pricing that covers contracts, compliance, tax filings, and support
- Visibility into FX rates and transaction fees for international payments
- Easy access to billing records and real-time usage dashboards
How RemotePass fits the bill:
RemotePass offers transparent, all-inclusive pricing.
- You get one predictable monthly fee per worker, whether contractor or employee
- The fee includes everything: onboarding, contracts, payments, benefits support, and compliance handling
- You’ll have full access to invoices, worker costs, and usage breakdowns in your dashboard
With RemotePass, you’ll always know exactly what you’re paying for, so you can plan, scale, and spend with confidence.
7. Can I pay in multiple currencies?
When workers receive payments in unfamiliar or unstable currencies, it creates frustration, additional bank fees, and delays in accessing funds. Worse, you may lose talent to competitors who offer faster, localized payouts. This is why you need a platform that supports:
- Local currency payouts to workers in their home country
- A multi-currency wallet or treasury function so you can hold and manage funds in various currencies
- Competitive FX rates and clear visibility into any conversion fees
- The ability to process bulk international payments with accurate timing
- Local banking integrations to reduce delays and rejections
How RemotePass fits the bill:
RemotePass supports payments in 100+ local currencies, so your team always gets paid on time and in their preferred currency.
- You can fund your account in USD, EUR, AED, or other major currencies, and we’ll handle the conversion and disbursement at transparent, competitive FX rates.
- Workers see exactly how much they’ll receive, with no hidden deductions or conversion surprises.
- Our infrastructure is built with local banking partnerships, ensuring speed, accuracy, and reduced transaction failure.
With RemotePass, you eliminate the payment friction that slows global teams down and keep your workforce happy, wherever they are.
8. Is there dedicated customer support?
Choose a provider that prioritizes human, responsive, and knowledgeable support. Specifically, look out for:
- Access to real humans, not automated bots, during critical moments
- In-app support chat or a direct line to your account manager
- Fast issue resolution with clear SLAs
- Regional experts who understand local laws, time zones, and language
- A dedicated Customer Success Manager (CSM) if you’re scaling rapidly
How RemotePass fits the bill:
RemotePass offers dedicated, human support across every time zone we serve.
- You can reach us directly via in-app chat, with real people on the other end—no scripts, no bots
- Our regional experts understand local requirements, holidays, and banking systems, so we resolve issues fast and with context
- For growing teams, we offer a Customer Success Manager to help you scale smoothly and strategically
9. Is it secure and GDPR compliant?
With increasing global regulations around data privacy—especially GDPR in the EU—security and compliance should be a top priority when evaluating any payroll platform. Ensure your provider goes beyond basic password protection. Look for:
- GDPR compliance (especially if you have EU-based team members)
- ISO 27001 certification or similar security standards
- End-to-end data encryption in transit and at rest
- Role-based access controls and multi-factor authentication (MFA)
- Comprehensive audit logs for actions taken within the platform
- Regular security audits and penetration testing
How RemotePass fits the bill:
RemotePass is built with enterprise-grade security and privacy-first infrastructure:
- We are fully GDPR-compliant, ensuring your EU data is stored, processed, and protected in line with the highest legal standards
- All data is encrypted at rest and in transit, using the latest protocols to safeguard sensitive information
- We use role-based access controls and MFA to prevent unauthorized access
- Our platform maintains detailed audit trails so you always know who did what and when
- We continuously invest in security reviews and testing to stay ahead of evolving threats
With RemotePass, you get peace of mind knowing your global payroll data is secure, compliant, and fully protected.
10. Does it integrate with my existing tools (accounting, HR, etc.)?
Even the best payroll platform can become a bottleneck if it doesn’t fit into your existing tech stack. Without proper integrations, your team is left manually exporting data, reconciling spreadsheets, and double-checking entries, wasting valuable time and increasing the risk of errors. Your platform should support:
- Out-of-the-box integrations with accounting platforms like QuickBooks, Xero, or Wafeq
- Real-time data syncing between payroll, finance, and HR systems
- Open APIs that allow you to build custom workflows or connect with internal tools
- Auto-generated journal entries for payroll expenses
- Integration with expense management, benefits, or time-off tracking tools
How RemotePass fits the bill:
RemotePass integrates with your core systems to make global payroll part of a frictionless financial workflow:
- We offer real-time integration with Wafeq, one of the leading accounting tools in the MENA region, syncing payroll and expenses automatically
- Our platform is built to sync payroll transactions to mapped accounts, eliminating the need for manual reconciliation
- For teams needing custom setups, RemotePass supports open API access so you can automate and extend functionality
- Our roadmap includes additional integrations with top global accounting and HR tools, helping you scale smarter
With RemotePass, your payroll operations become part of a fully integrated, data-rich ecosystem, no more toggling between systems or chasing missing numbers.
Simplify Your Global Payroll with RemotePass
These 10 questions will help you cut through the noise, evaluate your options with confidence, and select a solution that truly scales with your team and your vision.
If you’re looking for a platform that checks every box—from onboarding and compliance to localized benefits and global payments—RemotePass is built for you.
Book a demo and discover how easy global payroll can be when it’s all in one place.