Frequently Asked Questions for Small Employers

Get your employees paid faster. Reduce admin. Improve cash flow.

Is Crezco Right for My Business?

Q: I run a small business with 10–15 employees. Can I use Crezco?

A: Yes, absolutely. Crezco is ideal for small businesses. You need to use a supported bank (we work with 16 UK banks) and stay within that bank's transaction and volume limits. For most small businesses with 1–25 employees, this is straightforward.

Q: Can I use Crezco if I have more than 25 employees?

A: Yes. Crezco is available to any business size, but the real constraint is your bank's limits. Some banks support thousands of transactions, while others have lower limits. The key questions are: (1) Does your bank support bulk payments? (2) Are you within your bank's transaction and volume limits? If the answer is yes to both, you can use Crezco.

Q: What are the main benefits for me as an employer?

A: Three main advantages:

Same-day payments: Your employees get paid faster (typically same day vs. 3–5 days with BACS), boosting morale and cutting down payment queries.

Less admin for you: Set up is simple, and once authorised, payments process automatically. No more manual BACS entries or chasing payment confirmations.

Better cash flow control: Pay on your chosen day, every time, with no delays or unexpected hold-ups.

Q: Do I need to have special software or payroll system?

A: Crezco works with BrightPay. If you use BrightPay to manage your payroll, you can set up Crezco directly. The setup is straightforward and takes just a few minutes.

Which Banks Are Supported?

Q: Which banks does Crezco work with?

A: Crezco is available if you bank with one of these 16 UK banks:

Bank of Scotland, Barclays Business, Barclays Corporate, Coutts & Company, HSBC Business, Lloyds Business, NatWest Business, NatWest Bankline, RBS Business, RBS Bankline, Revolut Business, Santander Business, Santander Corporate, Ulster Business, Ulster Bankline, Virgin Money

These banks cover approximately 80–90% of UK small businesses, including those in GB and Northern Ireland.

Q: My bank isn't on the list. What are my options?

A: If your bank doesn't support Crezco, you can continue using traditional payment methods (BACS, cheques) or speak to your bank about switching to one that supports faster payments.

Q: I'm based in Northern Ireland. Is Crezco available to me?

A: Yes. Crezco is available during Beta to businesses across the UK, including Northern Ireland. As long as you use one of our supported banks and meet the eligibility criteria, you can use Crezco.

Payment Speed & Bank Limits

Q: How fast will payments reach my employees?

A: Crezco typically processes payments same-day (subject to bank processing times and daily cut-off times). This is significantly faster than BACS (3–5 days) or cheques. Your employees will see the money in their accounts almost immediately.

Q: What are the bank transaction and volume limits?

A: Limits vary significantly by bank. These are the key limits to understand:

NatWest Business: 3,000+ transactions per payment, no volume limit (best for larger payrolls)

Santander Business: 3,500+ transactions per payment, up to £250,000 per payment

Barclays Business: 50 transactions per payment, £100,000 limit

HSBC Business: 25 transactions per payment, £100,000 limit

Lloyds Business: 25 transactions per payment, £250,000 per month

Example: If you have 30 employees and bank with Barclays (50 transaction limit), you could still pay everyone in one batch. If you have 100 employees with Barclays, you'd need to split across two payment runs.

Q: What if my payroll exceeds the bank limit?

A: You can split payments across multiple days or batches. For example, pay part of your team on Thursday and the rest on Friday. You'll have full control to set this up in BrightPay. Your bank will reset the limits after 24 hours.

Cost & Free Trial

Q: What does Crezco cost?

A: Crezco is free for the first two pay periods (two monthly payment runs, or equivalent for weekly/fortnightly pay). This gives you a chance to try it out and see if it works for your business at no cost.

Q: What will Crezco cost after the trial?

A: The proposed pricing is 60p per employee per payment period. Here are some examples:

10 employees, monthly pay: £6 per month (£72 per year)

20 employees, monthly pay: £12 per month (£144 per year)

50 employees, monthly pay: £30 per month (£360 per year)

10 employees, weekly pay: £6 per week (£312 per year)

Note: This is proposed pricing based on Beta feedback. Final pricing may adjust based on your input.

Q: What happens after the free trial?

A: After your two free trial payment runs, we'll ask for your feedback on whether Crezco saves you time and admin. Based on feedback from Beta users like you, we'll confirm final pricing. We'll let you know the cost before the trial ends, so you can decide whether to continue.

Q: Will you ask me how much I'd be willing to pay?

A: Yes. During the Beta phase, we're actively gathering feedback from users like you on:

How much time and admin Crezco saves you

Whether the proposed pricing (60p per employee per period) represents good value

What improvements you'd like to see

Your input directly shapes the final pricing and features. We'll send you a quick feedback survey after your trial ends.

Q: Is the proposed pricing worth it compared to BACS?

A: That's for you to decide based on your trial! Consider:

Time saved on admin (no manual BACS setup, fewer payment queries)

Improved employee morale (same-day payments = happier staff)

Better cash flow management (predictable payment dates)

Savings on BACS fees (typically £0.30–1 per batch). For a 10-person team paying monthly, that's £3.60–12/year saved
Accuracy of data for reconciliation purposes in your accounts

For many businesses, the time savings alone justify the cost. Your feedback during the trial will help us validate this.

Security & Risk

Q: Is Crezco secure? Can I trust it with my payroll?

A: Yes. Crezco uses bank-level security (open banking standards and HTTPS encryption). Your bank authenticates and approves every payment before it's processed. It's just as secure as your own online banking.

Q: What happens if a payment fails?

A: You'll be notified immediately. Common reasons for failed payments include:

Incorrect employee bank details (misspelled name, wrong sort code)

Employee's account closed or on hold

Bank limit reached

You can correct the details in BrightPay and retry the payment at no extra cost.

Q: Can someone access my account or steal money?

A: No. When you authorise Crezco, it can only send payments from BrightPay to your employees' bank accounts. It cannot access your personal account, transfer money elsewhere, or be used for anything else. You maintain full control.

Setup & Getting Started

Q: How do I set up Crezco?

A: Setup is straightforward:

Check you use a supported bank and stay within its transaction/volume limits

Log into BrightPay and find the Crezco option

Authorise Crezco with your online banking (takes 5 minutes)

Run a test payment to confirm everything works

Q: Can I test it before using it for real?

A: Yes. We recommend running a test payment with a small number of employees or a test amount first. This lets you confirm everything works before going live with your full payroll.

Q: Do my employees need to do anything?

A: No. They'll just see their pay arrive faster in their accounts. No action needed from them.

Practical Questions

Q: Can I pay different employees on different days?

A: Yes. You can set up different payment schedules in BrightPay. For example, part time staff on Friday and salaried staff on Thursday.

Q: What if I need to make a one-off payment outside regular payroll?

A: For ad-hoc payments, you can use traditional methods (BACS, cheque, or your bank's payment tools). Crezco is designed for regular payroll runs.

Q: Can I switch back to BACS if I change my mind?

A: Absolutely. There's no lock-in period. If you want to switch payment methods, just disable Crezco in BrightPay and revert to BACS or cheques whenever you like.

Q: What if my business grows and I hit my bank's limit?

A: You can split payments across multiple batches, or consider switching to a bank with higher limits. For example, if you outgrow Barclays' 50-transaction limit, you could switch to NatWest, which supports 3,000+ transactions.

Troubleshooting

Q: A payment failed. What do I do?

A: Check the reason in BrightPay (usually incorrect bank details, closed account, or a limit issue). Fix the issue and retry. If you need help, contact BrightPay support.

Q: Why is my payment taking longer than expected?

A: Most same-day payments arrive within hours. Delays can be caused by bank processing times, daily cut-off times, or weekends. Check with your bank if a payment is delayed beyond the expected timeframe.

Q: My bank says I've hit a limit. What now?

A: Split the payment across multiple days or batches. Set up the first batch for Thursday, the second for Friday. Your bank will reset the limit after 24 hours.

Beta & Your Feedback

Q: Why is this a Beta feature?

A: We're launching Crezco as a Beta to gather real feedback from users like you before we finalise pricing and features. Your input is crucial in helping us shape this feature.

Q: What feedback do you want from me?

A: After your two free trial runs, we'll ask you:

How much time did Crezco save you compared to BACS?

How much admin burden did it remove?

Is the proposed pricing (60p per employee per period) fair value?

What features or improvements would you like to see?

Q: Will my feedback influence the price?

A: Yes. We're using Beta feedback to help with pricing. If users consistently report significant time savings, that will be reflected in our pricing model.

Q: What happens if I don't want to pay after the trial?

A: That's completely fine. You can turn off Crezco and go back to BACS or cheques whenever you like. No commitment, no lock-in.

Help & Support

Q: Where can I get help if I have questions?

A: You can:

Check BrightPay's help documentation and FAQs

Contact BrightPay support directly if you have technical questions

Contact your bank if you have questions about their specific limits or requirements

Ready to Get Started?

If you use BrightPay and use a supported bank, you can enable Crezco directly from your account. It takes just a few minutes to set up and test. Your first two payment runs are completely free.

We'd love your feedback during the trial. Your input will help shape the future of Crezco!