Quest Pay Solutions

What Quest Pay Solutions does

Quest Pay Solutions (QPS) is a UK-based, compliance-focused payroll and financial services platform serving recruitment agencies, individual contractors (with a heavy emphasis on the construction/CIS vertical), and SMEs. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Chester, the company operates five integrated service lines: Accountancy (including the AgencyBooks recruitment-agency module), Financial (contractor mortgages, SIPP pensions, protection insurance), Payroll (umbrella PAYE, CIS sole trader, CIS Plus, recruitment agency PAYE, employee benefits), Global (Contractor of Record / EOR, entity setup, visa handling, in-country PAYE/HR), and Funding (100% risk-free recruitment funding, invoice factoring, IR35 assessments). Differentiated by FCSA and SafeRec accreditations, QPS positions regulator-grade HMRC, IR35, and CIS compliance as its core value proposition.

The platform combines proprietary client portals (QPS Payroll, QPS Global, QPS Rewards) with embedded third-party systems such as FreeAgent for accountancy and Circular Benefits for employee benefits, presenting recruitment agencies with a single-vendor workflow across payroll, employment outsourcing, accountancy, finance, global mobility, and working capital. Customer segments are segmented vertically by industry (recruitment, construction, IT, engineering) and by persona (agencies vs. individual contractors vs. SMEs), with primary pain points being multi-jurisdiction compliance and contractor payroll complexity.

QPS operates a hybrid go-to-market combining direct sales (phone outreach at 01244 555 123 and callback forms targeting enterprise agencies) with self-serve online registration portals for individual contractors. Revenue mechanics are diversified across recurring payroll fees, professional-services accountancy fees, financial-services commission, and transaction-based factoring income; pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, and the company activates a £80-per-referral programme alongside LinkedIn-led and Google-review-driven demand generation. The company is privately held, founder-led (Alex Grant, Founder and Managing Director), with no disclosed funding rounds and no disclosed revenue figures.

Name

Quest Pay Solutions

Legal name

Quest Pay Solutions

Website

https://quest-pay.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Quest Pay Solutions (QPS) is a UK-based, FCSA- and SafeRec-accredited payroll and financial services platform serving recruitment agencies, contractors (especially in the CIS/construction vertical), and SMEs with integrated payroll, accountancy, funding, and global workforce mobility services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Payroll & Workforce Management Services

NAICS

Payroll Services (541214), Professional Employer Organizations (561330)

SIC

Services-Computer Processing & Data Preparation (7374), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPACAIAB

Payroll Software & Payroll-as-a-Service (SaaS)

Business & Public Services/HR, Staffing & Recruitment Services/Payroll Services & Workforce Administration

SECONDARYBPACAKAD

Payroll Outsourcing & Pay Administration (Multi-country/Managed Payroll)

Business & Public Services/HR, Staffing & Recruitment Services/HR Outsourcing (HRO) & Shared Services

SECONDARYBPACAGAD

Contractor Payroll, Invoicing & Payment Services

Business & Public Services/HR, Staffing & Recruitment Services/Contract Staffing & Independent Contractor Management

SECONDARYFSAMAKAC

Contractor / Freelancer Payments

Financial & Insurance/Payments & Transaction Processing/Payroll & Payouts / Disbursements

SECONDARYFSAMAIAC

International Payroll & Contractor Payments

Financial & Insurance/Payments & Transaction Processing/Cross-Border Payments & Remittances

Keywords

• Contractor payroll services
• Umbrella PAYE solutions
• Recruitment agency payroll
• CIS payroll processing
• Global workforce mobility

Headquarters

HQ city

Chester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Payroll Processing Services: QPS earns recurring fees from managing payroll for recruitment agencies, contractors, and CIS sole traders on an ongoing basis. Services include umbrella PAYE, CIS sole trader payroll, and outsourced agency PAYE, all billed on a per-worker or per-period basis.
2. Accountancy Services: Accountancy services for contractors, freelancers, and SMEs including self-assessment tax returns, CIS tax returns, and Ltd company accounting, typically billed as recurring service fees.
3. Financial Services & Insurance: Financial services including contractor mortgages, specialist mortgages, SIPP pensions, Ltd company pensions, and protection insurances — managed and facilitated by QPS, generating commission or fee income.
4. Recruitment Funding & Factoring: Funding and invoice factoring solutions for recruitment agencies, providing cash flow advance against unpaid invoices, generating transaction fees or interest on the funded amounts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Quest Pay Solutions (QPS) provides outsourced payroll, accountancy, financial, global employment, and funding services primarily to UK recruitment agencies and their contractors. The company processes Umbrella PAYE, CIS sole trader, and recruitment agency PAYE payroll, supported by an integrated cloud-based platform with multiple client portals (Accountancy, Global, Payroll, Rewards). It also delivers recruitment invoice funding, contractor mortgages, pensions, IR35 assessments, and global Employer/Contractor of Record solutions.

Product overview

Quest Pay Solutions (QPS) is a compliance-focused payroll and financial services platform serving recruitment agencies, contractors, and SMEs. The platform operates as a modular solution combining five core service areas: Accountancy (including AgencyBooks recruitment-specific module), Financial services (mortgages, pensions, insurances), Payroll (umbrella PAYE, CIS solutions, agency PAYE), Global (contractor of record, entity setup, in-country PAYE/HR), and Funding (recruitment factoring, IR35 assessments). The company is FCSA and SafeRec accredited, emphasizing compliance as a core differentiator. The platform integrates proprietary portals for accountancy, global, and payroll management alongside third-party accounting software partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AgencyBooks: Recruitment agency accountancy software/service

Products and services

• Payroll

Quantifiable outcome

• 7+ years of continuous client relationship with a construction agency (testimonial evidence)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Deel: Global EOR, contractor of record, and international payroll platform serving recruitment agencies and businesses placing contractors cross-border. Comparable to QPS's Global / Contractor of Record service line as an emerging, well-funded competitor in the international contractor payment space.

Direct peers

• Orange Genie: UK-based umbrella payroll, accountancy, and IR35 compliance provider serving recruitment agencies and contractors. Comparable to QPS on compliance-led positioning, IR35 services, and bundled accountancy/payroll offering.
• Nixon Williams: UK online accountancy firm specialising in contractors, freelancers, and recruitment agencies. Closely comparable to QPS's accountancy and CIS tax services, with overlap on contractor financial planning.
• Brookson Group: UK contractor services provider offering umbrella, accountancy, and financial services (mortgages, pensions, insurance) to contractors and freelancers — a near-mirror of QPS's bundled service proposition in the same customer segment.
• Giant Pay: UK-based umbrella and PAYE payroll provider serving recruitment agencies and contractors. Closely matches QPS on umbrella PAYE, CIS, and compliance-accredited positioning, with similar self-serve and agency-led GTM.
• SJD Accountancy: One of the UK's largest specialist contractor accountancy firms, serving Ltd company contractors with tax, accountancy, and IR35 services — a scaled, more established version of QPS's accountancy line and directly competitive on contractor segment.
• JSA Services: UK contractor accountancy and payroll firm serving freelancers and Ltd company contractors, providing umbrella, accountancy, and IR35 services — directly overlapping QPS's core contractor services portfolio.
• PayStream Accounting Services: UK umbrella PAYE and contractor accountancy provider, part of the broader MyPayStream group, directly competing with QPS on umbrella payroll and limited company accounting for UK contractors and recruitment agencies.
• Clearsky (umbrella business): UK umbrella PAYE and contractor payroll specialist serving recruitment agencies, with similar FCSA accreditation and CIS-focused offerings. Directly comparable on core umbrella payroll services to QPS.
• Parasol Group: One of the largest UK umbrella and contractor payroll providers, offering umbrella PAYE, CIS, accountancy, and global contractor services — directly comparable in product mix, target customer (recruitment agencies and contractors), and FCSA-accredited positioning to QPS.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/QuestPaySolutions

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Quest Pay Solutions