What is a payment file?

The payment file generated by PayFit is designed to match a specific format accepted by your bank or payment provider. It's usually a .txt or a .csv file and contains information about the payments to make, including your employee's bank details and the payment values. The payment file might be used for BACS payments, which must be uploaded to your bank two working days before payday, or Faster Payments, which allows you to make payments as early as the same day. Your bank or payment provider can confirm which payment types they use.

When is the payment file generated?

The payment file is automatically generated when you run your payroll. To find the generated file:

From the left, choose Documents, then Company documents.
Open the Bank files folder, then the relevant month's folder.
Click the Actions button (three dots), then Download to save a copy of the file.

Tip: Although we don't recommend manually manipulating a payment file, if your payment file is in CSV format, you should avoid opening it in spreadsheet software. This is because the software may reformat some values, invalidating the file format.

If you do need to edit the file, you should use a text editing software.

If you'd like to preview the payment file before running payroll, please get in touch.

Choosing your payment file type

Before running your payroll, you must choose your bank or payment provider (HSBC, Revolut, etc), and the file format (.xlsx, .csv, or .txt). To do this:

From the left, choose Company settings then Payroll set-up.
Under the Payment and payslips section, click Edit.
Under the Paying my employees section, change the Payment method to Bank file.
From the Do you need a bank file drop-down, select Yes.
From the Bank file name drop-down, select your payment provider.
From the Bank file format drop-down, choose the relevant format. If you're not sure which to choose, please contact your payment provider.
Enter a Payment reference, this appears on your employee's bank statement along when they receive their pay.
If applicable, select whether you'd like a Bank file for HMRC too.
Click Save.

If your employees aren't already paid via a bank file, you'll now need to change their payment method.

Changing employee payment methods

You may have some employees who you don't want to be paid through their bank, so you may need to change the payment method for an individual employee. Otherwise, if you usually pay your employees using another payment method, you can change the payment method in bulk.

Change an employee's payment method

To change an individual employee's payment method:

From the employee's record, click the Employment tab.
Under the Contract section, click Edit Contract.
Under the Salary & payments section, change the How do you pay the employee? drop-down to Bank file.
Click Save.

Change a payment method in bulk

To change the payment method for multiple employees:

From the left, choose Imports, then More Imports.
Under the Personal details section, click Bank account information change.
Download and complete the template, before adding the completed template to PayFit.

For further information about bulk imports, please refer to our Help Centre article.

Organising a penny test

If you're using a payment file type for the first time, you might prefer to test that the payment file works with your bank or payment provider. To test this, we can perform what's known as a 'penny test'. A penny test sends £0.01 to selected employees in advance of your payday. This confirms that your payment details and file format are correct. settings are correct, and that your payment account is set up correctly.

To arrange a penny test, please get in touch and include the following information:

Note: Please allow for around 5-7 working days for the penny test before your payroll is run. This ensures that the payment file can be created on time, and that the penny can be received and confirmed by the chosen employee(s) in advance of your pay date.

Payment date - The date you'd like the penny to be paid to a particular employee.
Recipient(s) - Which employee(s) should receive the penny.
Payment file type - So we can test the same payment file type you'll use for your actual pay date.

FAQs

What if my bank file isn't listed?

If your payment file is not listed in PayFit, we may still be able to add it to the list. To do this, we'll need a 'file specification document', from your bank or payment provider. This usually confirms the exact format of every field and value in your payment file.

Which payment files can I use on PayFit?

The following table displays the payment provider or bank name, the file format, and the type of payments that the file can be used for. Please get in touch if your payment file is not listed, as we may still be able to add it for you.

Payment provider	File format	Payment type
Barclays	.txt or .csv	Faster Payments
Citibank	.txt	BACS
Clearbank	.csv	Faster Payments
Coutts	.xlsx or .txt	Faster Payments
Enumis	.csv	Faster Payments
HSBCnet	.txt	BACS
HSBCnet	.csv	Faster Payments
JP Morgan	.xlsx	Faster Payments
Lloyds	.csv	BACS
Metrobank	.txt	Faster Payments
Natwest	.txt or .csv	Faster Payments
RBS	.txt	Faster Payments
Revolut	.csv	Faster Payments
Santander	.txt	BACS or Faster Payments
Santander	.csv	Faster Payments
SmarterPay	.csv	BACS
SVB	.txt or .csv	BACS, Faster Payments or CHAPS
TransferWise	.csv	Faster Payments