There is no single right answer: weekly payroll suits businesses with hourly or shift-based staff whose hours change from week to week, while monthly payroll suits salaried teams and is simpler to run. Monthly pay gives you 12 pay runs a year instead of 52, but weekly pay is often what hourly workers expect. The best choice depends on your cash flow, your workforce and the norms in your sector.
This guide explains the four common UK pay frequencies, compares weekly and monthly payroll side by side, covers the “week 53” issue, and sets out what to think about before changing how often you pay your staff.
The four UK pay frequencies explained
Most UK employers use one of four pay frequencies. Each one sets how many paydays fall in a normal tax year, which runs from 6 April to 5 April.
- Weekly: employees are paid once a week, giving 52 paydays in a normal year.
- Fortnightly: employees are paid every two weeks, giving 26 paydays.
- Four-weekly: employees are paid every four weeks, giving 13 paydays. This is not the same as monthly, because 13 four-week periods fit into a year.
- Monthly: employees are paid once a calendar month, usually on a fixed date or the last working day, giving 12 paydays.
Whatever the frequency, the same rules apply to every pay run. You must calculate tax and National Insurance, produce payslips and send a Full Payment Submission (FPS) to HMRC on or before each payday. The more often you pay, the more often that cycle repeats.
Weekly vs monthly payroll: pros and cons
| Weekly payroll | Monthly payroll | |
|---|---|---|
| Cash flow | Wages leave the business in smaller, more frequent amounts | One larger wage bill each month, with more time to hold cash between paydays |
| Admin | 52 pay runs and 52 FPS submissions a year | 12 pay runs and 12 FPS submissions a year |
| Employee preference | Often preferred by hourly staff who budget week to week | Common for salaried staff and matches monthly household bills |
| Variable hours | Hours and overtime are paid soon after they are worked | Variable hours can take longer to reach employees’ pay |
| Typical sectors | Hospitality, construction, care, retail and other hourly or shift-based work | Office-based and professional roles on fixed salaries |
| Payslips per employee per year | 52 (53 in some years) | 12 |
Fortnightly and four-weekly payrolls sit between the two. They reduce the number of pay runs compared with weekly pay, while still paying staff more often than once a month.
Which businesses tend to use weekly payroll?
Weekly payroll is common where pay changes from week to week. If your staff work shifts, claim overtime or are paid by the hour, paying weekly means each week’s hours are settled quickly and errors are easier to spot. Many employers in hospitality, care, retail and construction pay at least some of their staff weekly. If you also pay subcontractors, our CIS payroll service can run alongside your employee payroll.
Monthly payroll suits businesses where most people are on a fixed salary. Pay rarely changes between periods, so a single monthly run is easier to manage. Many businesses use both: hourly staff on a weekly payroll and salaried staff on a monthly one.
Week 53: why some years have an extra payday
A tax year is not exactly 52 weeks long. It has 365 days, which is 52 weeks plus one day, or 52 weeks plus two days in a leap year. HMRC treats the leftover day or days at the end of the year as a whole tax week, called week 53.
If you pay weekly and your payday falls on that extra day, your employees will have 53 paydays in the year instead of 52. Fortnightly and four-weekly payrolls can be affected in the same way, with the extra payday reported as week 54 or week 56. HMRC’s guidance sets out how tax is worked out on that extra payment, which a payroll provider will handle for you.
For 2026/27, the tax year ends on Monday 5 April 2027, so employers who pay weekly on a Monday will have a week 53 payday. It is worth planning for, because it means an extra wage bill in that tax year. Monthly payrolls are never affected, as there are always 12 monthly pay periods.
Changing your pay frequency
How often an employee is paid is part of their terms of employment. The written statement of employment particulars must say how much and how often they will be paid, so a change of pay frequency is a change to their terms.
- Agree the change: GOV.UK explains that the employer and employee usually both need to agree to contract changes. Consult staff, explain your reasons and listen to their views.
- Put it in writing: employers must tell employees about changes to their written statement within one month of making the change.
- Plan the transition: moving from weekly to monthly pay creates a longer gap before the first new payday. Give staff plenty of notice so they can plan for it.
- Get the payroll right: HMRC has specific rules for National Insurance when pay intervals change, so the switch needs care in the payroll itself.
If you have a large workforce, a union or complex contracts, take HR or employment law advice before making the change.
How pay frequency affects payroll costs
Many payroll bureaux charge per payslip, so the number of pay runs directly affects what you pay. A weekly-paid employee receives 52 payslips a year, compared with 26 if paid fortnightly, 13 if paid four-weekly and 12 if paid monthly. In a week 53 year, weekly-paid staff receive one more.
At Payroll Service (UK) Ltd, pricing starts from £2.50 + VAT per payslip for weekly and fortnightly payrolls and from £3.50 + VAT for monthly and four-weekly payrolls, with no setup fees and no long-term contract. Larger payrolls can get lower per-payslip rates. Weekly payroll will cost more in payslip fees than monthly payroll for the same team, so it is worth weighing that against the benefits for your staff. See our payroll pricing page for details.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between four-weekly and monthly payroll?
Four-weekly pay happens every 28 days, giving 13 paydays a year. Monthly pay happens once a calendar month, giving 12. Four-weekly paydays fall on the same day of the week each time; monthly paydays do not.
Does weekly payroll mean more submissions to HMRC?
Yes. An FPS must be sent on or before every payday, so a weekly payroll means a submission every week. A payroll bureau handles these as part of each pay run.
Can I pay some staff weekly and others monthly?
Yes. Many employers run more than one pay frequency, for example weekly for hourly staff and monthly for salaried staff. We run weekly, fortnightly, four-weekly and monthly payrolls, including combinations of them. Small employers can find out more about our payroll services for small businesses.
Is week 53 a problem for monthly payroll?
No. Week 53 only affects weekly, fortnightly and four-weekly payrolls. Monthly payrolls always have 12 pay periods in a tax year.
Get help with your payroll, whatever the frequency
Payroll Service (UK) Ltd has run payroll for UK employers since 2011 and works with more than 500 clients across the UK from our base in Cardiff. Whether you pay weekly, fortnightly, four-weekly or monthly, explore our payroll services or contact us for a free, no-obligation quote.
About Payroll Service (UK) Ltd: we are a Cardiff payroll bureau, established in 2011 and run by director Jack Lloyd-Lewis. We run weekly, fortnightly and monthly payrolls, pension auto-enrolment and CIS for UK employers, overseas companies with UK staff, and accountancy practices that outsource their clients’ payroll, using Sage 50 Payroll and BrightPay.