The Evolution of MegaPay

MegaPay has come a long way over the years! From its early days as an on-premises payroll system to becoming a market leading  cloud-based solution, it has constantly evolved to meet the needs of businesses across Ireland and the UK. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and see how MegaPay has transformed and what exciting things are in store for the future.

1996

Back in 1996, we heralded the start and end of the Atlanta Olympics, enjoyed an extra day in February due to the leap year, and saw the first photos of Pluto. But that’s not all - it was also the naissance of a now familiar payroll software! MegaPay was developed by Intelligo, with a simple yet powerful goal: to make payroll easier for businesses, and it did just that.

1998

In 1998, the growing Intelligo team had to contend with software market changes. At the time, MegaPay was a DOS product, but the market was crying out for a Windows product. To get familiar with the new world of Windows, the growing team created a HR product for SMEs in Ireland – VIP HR.

2000

In 2000, while the rest of the world contended with jelly shoes, the movie Gladiator, and whether or not Y2K was going to get us, MegaPay was undergoing some necessary changes. The team were very busy replacing old bespoke mainframe payroll systems with MegaPay – in many cases, the older systems had been coded with a two-character system – 97, 98, 99 – and so couldn’t understand how 00 could come after 99!

2002

On January 1, 2002, we said farewell to the Irish punt. For the MegaPay team, this meant a huge amount of work was needed to seamlessly convert all clients' payrolls from punts to euros. For the year before and the year after, all payslips had to show both the euro and punt value.

From 2002, the team developed the next generation of MegaPay. In the late 90s and early 2000s, pressure for a Windows option only grew, and in 2003 the team launched MegaPay for Windows.

2002-2004

For the next two years, the team upgraded all MegaPay clients to Windows, only losing a single client in the process.

2004

A year later in 2004, the Employee Self-Service module of MegaPay was launched, giving employees more access and control over their payroll information.

2005

In 2005, the team held their first MegaPay User Conference, with all users gathered for the first time in the Pavillion Leopardstown Racecourse.

2012

As MegaPay’s popularity grew, so did its reach. In 2012, MegaPay UK was introduced, expanding its capabilities to serve the UK market with the same attention to compliance and performance. It was no mean feat and meant a lot of development work and intensive activity in the UK securing HMRC accreditation. A number of our Irish clients who had footprint int the UK were delighted by this expansion and eagerly brought MegaPay to their UK offices. 

By 2012, software integration was the word of the moment, and a great deal of work was done to see that MegaPay would integrate with up-and-coming HR and other applications. Workday was the first major solution to integrate with MegaPay and we continue to be a Global Certified Payroll Partner for PECI and external payslips.

2017

In 2017, MegaPay went mobile with the launch of the Mobile Payslip App making it even easier for employees to securely access their payslips on the go.

2019

PAYE Modernisation was formalised in 2019, but work had been ongoing for years beforehand to ensure MegaPay was ready for the upcoming changes.

2020

In 2020, the pandemic meant that payroll pressure was mounting, and the team, working remotely, had to pull together as the Temporary COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme wreaked havoc on payroll. With patience and a lot of work, the team made sure that correct payments went out on time and every time.

Over the years, MegaPay has become the trusted choice for companies of all sizes, from growing businesses to large enterprises handling tens of thousands of employees. It is especially well-known for its reliability, accuracy, and flexibility - essential qualities in the world of payroll.

Customers have stayed loyal to MegaPay not just because it works - but because it works for them. MegaPay is renowned for its bespoke nature, allowing organisations to customise and configure the platform to meet their specific needs.

It offers unlimited elements, a universal payroll engine that updates live, multiple off-cycle payroll runs, masterfile imports, timesheet imports, and much more. These capabilities make MegaPay a versatile and powerful solution that can adapt to even the most complex payroll requirements.

It's no surprise that many of our clients have been with us since the very beginning, relying on MegaPay throughout its entire lifespan and still do to this day. MegaPay serves clients like BT, Nandos, and Circle K, to name but a few, and is on a record growth trajectory!

As technology advanced, so did MegaPay. What started as an on-premises system transitioned into a cloud-based platform from 2018 with Aryzta and Derrycourt, making payroll processing smoother, faster, and more accessible than ever.

Companies no longer had to worry about installing updates or managing servers—everything was handled securely in the cloud. Plus, with seamless integrations with HR platforms like Workday, payroll became more efficient and connected.

MegaPay has also continuously evolved to meet regulatory changes with yearly updates that incorporated major developments, including:

• The move to the euro (2002), ensuring seamless currency transition for Irish businesses
• PAYE Modernisation (2019), enabling real-time reporting to Revenue
• Gender Pay Gap Reporting (2022), helping companies comply with new transparency legislation
• Enhanced Reporting Requirements (2024), which added more granular data submissions in real time
• And most recently, the preparation for Pensions Auto-Enrolment (2025), Ireland’s upcoming retirement savings scheme

Each of these changes represented a major shift in payroll and compliance practices, and MegaPay was right there with seamless, timely, reliable updates to help clients stay ahead

In 2022, MegaPay entered an exciting new chapter when SD Worx, a leading European HR and payroll services provider, acquired Intelligo. This move brought MegaPay into a larger family of payroll and HR solutions, expanding its capabilities while keeping the best of what made it great.

For customers, this means even more innovation, access to a new suite of integrated products to ensure payroll runs smoothly, no matter how complex the needs.

“The thing about MegaPay is that it's so powerful and feature rich, and there's so much that I still don't even know that it can do – I learned something new last week!”

- Breda O’Kelly, Managed Payroll Services Manager

So, what’s next? With SD Worx backing its growth, MegaPay is set to get even smarter. Expect AI-driven payroll insights, more automation, APIs, and a user-friendly experience that makes managing payroll easier. Designed to make everyday tasks faster and more intuitive, with simplified navigation, smoother workflows, and additional features to allow users to accomplish even more with MegaPay. MegaPay will continue expanding its reach, supporting growing SMEs like never before with an SME tailored SaaS solution.

And coming soon - the next-generation of payroll with a new MegaPay user experience, bringing the full power of the system into a sleek, web-based interface. 

This elevated version will combine the robustness of MegaPay’s engine with cutting edge usability and design. The combination of mobile accessibility and intuitive dashboards will ensure that payroll professionals can stay on top of things wherever they are.

“It’s clear that the new MegaPay experience is the future - it's about time that we had a web-based version of MegaPay. It’s wonderful that it will be able to reach many more people and they can also enjoy using MegaPay in a way that suits them best!”

- Nick Delany, Product Manager/ Architect

From its humble beginnings to becoming a key player in SD Worx’s payroll ecosystem, MegaPay has always been about making payroll simple, efficient, and stress-free. As technology continues to evolve, one thing is certain MegaPay will keep innovating to help businesses pay their people accurately and on time, every time. Our journey to transform your HR and payroll experience in well underway. We’re bringing you new, more connected solutions, smarter tools, deeper insights, and even stronger supports. We’re making great progress and will of course, keep you informed along the way.