Making the move from BrightPay Desktop

You can check which version of BrightPay you are currently using, Standard or Bureau, by looking at the top, right-hand corner of your software’s opening screen.

From April 2025, BrightPay standard licences will no longer be sold alongside BrightPay Connect. This means that your BrightPay Connect contract will be terminated, and from that date, you will no longer be charged.

If you migrate to BrightPay Cloud, you will retain your BrightPay Connect access for two years at no additional charge, until 5th April 2028.

If you choose not to transition to BrightPay Cloud, access to BrightPay Connect will end on 11th July 2026.

Once you have completed the form on this page, you’ll receive an email with a link asking you to log in using your BrightID, and to activate your subscription. Next, follow these 3 steps:  

Step 1: Log in using your BrightID 

You will be asked to log in using your BrightID. Instructions on how to set up a BrightID can be viewed here. 

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. 

When importing a company from BrightPay for Windows/Mac to BrightPay’s cloud software, the employer and employees’ details, pay elements, pension details, payslips, reports and any updated pay periods are imported. 

Please note, you will need to re-enter the HMRC Gateway credentials and Nest credentials, if the Nest is your pension provider. You will also need to send email invitations to other team members through the payroll, to give them access.

This import can be completed mid-year.

Please click here for guidance on how to invite employees to their Employee Self-Service Portals.

There are four types of users with different permissions in BrightPay: Owner,
Administrator, Payroll Processor and Billing Manager. Learn more about the user types here. 

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’. Learn how to invite a user here.

The Employee Data – Payroll and HR Documents can be imported from Connect to BrightPay Cloud, for more details click here  https://www.brightpay.co.uk/docs/bpol/importing-information-from-connect-into-brightpay-cloud/importing-information-from-connect-into-brightpay-cloud/ 

Almost all functionality of BrightPay Connect is available as part of BrightPay’s cloud software. 

Stay updated with our feature parity document, which outlines the current capabilities of our desktop and cloud software.

CIS functionality is not available in BrightPay Cloud. However, we have released BrightCIS, a separate solution designed to streamline CIS management in the cloud, which integrates with BrightPay Cloud. For more information, visit our website and click onto the BrightCIS product page.​

For 2026/27, BrightPay’s cloud software is currently restricted to 300 employees (including leavers) per employer upon release. 

If you require a licence for more than 300 employees please contact our team on brightpaysales@brightsg.com for assistance.