If you're paying 20, 50, or 100 contractors every month, you've probably been told you need an EOR platform to "manage the complexity." But here's the reality: mass payouts don't require an EOR—they require organization.

EOR platforms charge $49-99 per contractor per month, hold your money for 3-5 days, and add layers of complexity you don't need. Meanwhile, you can coordinate mass payouts directly through Wise, PayPal, or Payoneer, keep full control of your cash flow, and maintain a complete audit trail—all for a fraction of the cost.

The math on mass payouts

Let's say you pay 50 contractors twice per month (100 total payments). Here's what that costs with different approaches:

Method	Monthly Cost	Annual Cost
EOR Platform ($49/contractor)	$2,450	$29,400
Direct via Wise (avg $3/payment)	$300	$3,600
Kontrable + Wise	$399 ($99 + $300)	$4,788

The EOR costs you $29,400/year. Direct payments via Wise cost $3,600/year. Kontrable (which adds organization, tracking, and audit trails) costs $4,788/year—saving you $24,612 annually compared to an EOR.

Payment provider options

You don't need an EOR to send international payments. Here are the main options for mass payouts:

Wise

Best for: International contractors in 70+ currencies

Fees: $0.50-5 per transfer + 0.5-1% FX markup. Supports batch uploads via CSV. Payments arrive in 1-2 days.

PayPal

Best for: US contractors and freelancers who prefer PayPal

Fees: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction (domestic), 4.4% + fixed fee (international). Instant transfers available. Mass pay feature for bulk payments.

Payoneer

Best for: Contractors in emerging markets

Fees: $1-3 per transfer + 1-2% FX. Good coverage in Asia, Latin America, Africa. Batch payment support.

The mass payout workflow

Here's how to coordinate mass payouts without an EOR:

1. Collect invoices (ongoing)

Contractors submit invoices as work is completed. Store them in one place (email folder, Google Drive, or contractor management tool). Each invoice should include: contractor name, amount, currency, payment method, and invoice date.

2. Review and approve (1-2 days before payout)

Review all pending invoices. Verify amounts match agreements. Flag any issues or questions. Approve invoices for payment. This takes 30-60 minutes for 50 contractors.

3. Prepare payment batch (payout day morning)

Export approved invoices to CSV with: contractor name, email, payment method (Wise/PayPal/Payoneer), amount, currency. Group by payment provider if using multiple.

4. Execute payments (payout day)

Upload CSV to Wise/PayPal/Payoneer. Review the batch (double check amounts and recipients). Authorize the payments. Takes 15-30 minutes for 50 contractors.

5. Track confirmations (1-3 days after)

Mark each payment as "sent" in your tracking system. Upload payment confirmation screenshots. Send notification to contractors: "Payment sent, confirm when received." Track confirmations as they come in.

6. Handle exceptions (as needed)

If a payment fails: contact contractor, verify details, resend payment, document the issue. If a contractor doesn't confirm: send reminder after 48 hours, follow up after 5 days.

Tracking and reconciliation

The key to mass payouts without an EOR is maintaining a clear audit trail. You need to track:

•Invoice received: Date, amount, contractor, work description
•Payment sent: Date, amount, payment method, transaction ID
•Payment confirmed: Date contractor confirmed receipt
•Proof: Screenshots, transaction receipts, confirmation emails

This can be done in a spreadsheet, but it's tedious and error-prone at scale. A contractor management tool (like Kontrable) automates this tracking, sends reminders, and generates reports for accounting.

Common pitfalls

Pitfall: Missing payment details

You go to pay 50 contractors and realize 5 haven't provided their Wise email or PayPal account. Now you're chasing people down on payout day.

Solution: Collect payment details during onboarding. Verify them before the first payment. Keep them updated in your system.

Pitfall: No confirmation process

You send 50 payments. Three don't arrive (wrong account, bank issue, etc.). You don't find out until contractors message you days later asking where their money is.

Solution: Require contractors to confirm receipt within 48 hours. Send automated reminders. Flag unconfirmed payments for follow-up.

Pitfall: Poor record keeping

Tax time arrives. Your accountant asks for payment records. You have 600 payments across 12 months scattered in emails, bank statements, and screenshots. It takes 20 hours to reconstruct.

Solution: Maintain a single source of truth for all payments. Export monthly reports. Keep all proof in one place. Make it easy to generate year-end summaries.

When to use Kontrable

If you're paying 5-10 contractors, a spreadsheet works fine. But once you hit 15-20+ contractors, the manual tracking becomes a time sink. That's where Kontrable helps:

•Contractors submit invoices directly in the platform
•You review and approve with one click
•System tells you exactly who to pay, how much, and via which method
•You send payments via Wise/PayPal/Payoneer (your accounts)
•Upload proof, contractors confirm receipt automatically
•Export clean reports for accounting and tax filing

You still control the money. You still use your preferred payment providers. But you eliminate the spreadsheet chaos and get a complete audit trail—all for $99/month instead of $2,450/month with an EOR.

Frequently asked questions

Can I really pay 50+ contractors in one day without an EOR?

Yes. With proper organization (a dashboard or spreadsheet with payment details), you can batch process payments through Wise, PayPal, or Payoneer. The key is having all contractor details, amounts, and payment methods organized in advance. Most payment platforms support bulk uploads via CSV.

How do I track who confirmed receipt?

Use a simple tracking system (spreadsheet or contractor management tool) where contractors can mark payments as received. Send a confirmation link or form after each payment. This creates an audit trail showing not just that you sent payment, but that it was received.

What if a payment fails or gets delayed?

Payment failures happen (wrong account details, bank issues, etc.). Have a process: 1) Get notified immediately when a payment fails, 2) Contact the contractor to verify details, 3) Resend the payment, 4) Document the issue and resolution. Most failures are resolved within 24-48 hours.

Is this compliant for tax purposes?

Yes, as long as you maintain proper records: contractor agreements, invoices, payment confirmations, and tax forms (W-9 for US contractors, W-8BEN for international). The payment method doesn't affect compliance—the documentation does. Keep everything organized and accessible for tax time.

How much time does mass payout processing actually take?

With proper setup: 30-60 minutes for 50 contractors. This includes reviewing invoices, initiating payments, uploading confirmations, and notifying contractors. The first time takes longer (2-3 hours) as you set up your process, but it gets faster with each cycle.

Mass payouts without an EOR