Delivery footprint
Outsourced payroll is a service, not just software – so where the people running your payroll actually sit matters.
- Proprietary multi-tenant cloud SaaS (Affinity Payroll Engine)
- 100% onshore: Melbourne, Sydney, Auckland, Whangārei
- Native AU & NZ processing on a unified database
- Proprietary cloud-native micro-pay engine (Definitiv Cloud Engine, The Access Group)
- Hybrid/onshore: Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, supported by global Access Group technical centres (Malaysia, UK)
- Strong Australian focus; selective New Zealand deployment
Why this matters: Definitiv's client-facing delivery from Perth, Sydney, and Melbourne is genuinely onshore for Australian operations, but it draws on The Access Group's global technical centres in Malaysia and the UK for underlying platform support, and its New Zealand coverage is selective rather than a core focus. Affinity's footprint is 100% onshore across both AU and NZ, with no offshore technical centres and equal engineering investment in both jurisdictions.
Calculation depth
Definitiv's award engine is highly visual and rules-based, capable of interpreting complex multi-award conditions in real time – a strength built specifically for mid-market Australian businesses with variable-hour workforces. On the New Zealand side, Definitiv supports standard NZ leave rate calculations and statutory templates, consistent with its selective rather than core NZ deployment.
Affinity's award engine covers the same category of AU complexity – a rule builder for intricate shift penalties, multi-tier EBAs, and allowances – paired with a native NZ Holidays Act engine tracking continuous gross earnings, OWP, ADP, and leave liabilities as a first-class, not supplementary, capability. Both providers offer full STP Phase 2, SuperStream, and Payday Super preparation. For an organisation running genuine trans-Tasman operations rather than a predominantly Australian business, that NZ depth gap is the calculation-side distinction to weigh.
Audit, QA & who owns support
Definitiv runs pre-finalisation exception registers, automated rule breach alerts, and real-time gross-to-net variance checks – a solid automated QA layer ahead of payslip finalisation. Affinity pairs equivalent pre-payslip automated checking (Payroll IQ) with a dedicated local payroll manager performing variance audits, adding a named human review step.
On support ownership, Definitiv's standard model retains client HR: your internal People & Culture team responds to staff pay queries directly, while Definitiv – through The Access Group's client support desk and managed payroll technical specialists – manages Tier-2 back-office operations. Escalation runs through that Access Group support desk rather than a dedicated local Payroll Manager.
Affinity's local AU/NZ team owns Tier-1 employee queries directly, with a named local Payroll Manager as the primary operational escalation point. If your goal in outsourcing is to remove payslip-query handling from your internal People & Culture team rather than keep it in-house with better tooling, this is the deciding difference between the two.
Banking & who carries the liability
Definitiv generates direct banking distribution files or manages disbursals via Access clearing solutions, giving clients flexibility in how funds move. Affinity operates a provider-managed trust and disbursal model as standard, executing net pay, ATO, IRD, and super fund payments directly or via ABA files.
Regardless of which banking or disbursal model is in place, statutory payroll compliance liability under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Australia) and New Zealand employment law is non-delegable to a third party – the employer remains accountable for correct payment and reporting no matter who executes the transfer.
Retained resourcing & implementation
| Dimension | Affinity | Definitiv |
|---|---|---|
| Retained customer FTE | 0.15 – 0.3 FTE per 1,000 employees | 0.25 – 0.5 FTE per 1,000 employees |
| Implementation velocity | 8 to 16 weeks (full parallel run testing) | 8 to 16 weeks |
| Ideal profile | 100 to 10,000+ employees; complex Modern Awards, EBAs, and trans-Tasman workforces | 100 to 5,000+ employees; mid-market Australian businesses with variable-hour workforces |
Both providers have similar 8–16 week implementation timelines. The larger differences here are retained FTE (0.25–0.5 for Definitiv vs 0.15–0.3 for Affinity, reflecting the Tier-1 support split) and headcount ceiling.
Where Definitiv excels
Definitiv is genuinely strong in areas outside Affinity's focus.
Visual, real-time award interpretation
A highly visual, rules-based engine that interprets complex multi-award conditions in real time – built specifically for variable-hour Australian workforces.
Access Group backing
Support from The Access Group's global technical centres in Malaysia and the UK gives Definitiv broader platform engineering resources than a standalone local provider.
Strong Australian mid-market fit
A 100 to 5,000+ employee ideal profile matches mid-market Australian businesses with variable-hour workforces particularly well.
Matching implementation timeline
An 8–16 week implementation puts Definitiv on par with Affinity for time-to-live, without a materially longer rollout.
Where Affinity excels
Affinity's advantages are specific to trans-Tasman depth and direct employee support.
Equal depth across AU and NZ
A native NZ Holidays Act engine with the same investment as the AU award engine, rather than selective NZ deployment with standard templates.
Direct Tier-1 employee support
Affinity's local team owns employee payroll queries directly, backed by a named local Payroll Manager – your People & Culture team isn't the default Tier-1 contact the way it is under Definitiv's standard model.
100% onshore with no offshore technical centres
Every stage of processing runs from Melbourne, Sydney, Auckland, or Whangārei – no reliance on global technical centres in Malaysia or the UK.
Lower retained FTE burden
A 0.15–0.3 FTE per 1,000 employees range, lower than Definitiv's 0.25–0.5, reflecting work absorbed by Affinity's direct support model.
Higher headcount ceiling
Affinity's ideal profile scales to 100–10,000+ employees, beyond Definitiv's 100–5,000+ range, for growing organisations.
Who's each provider best for?
- Run genuine trans-Tasman operations needing equal AU and NZ depth
- Want your HR/People & Culture team out of the Tier-1 payslip-query loop entirely
- Require 100% onshore processing with no offshore technical centres
- Are scaling past 5,000 employees
- Are a predominantly Australian mid-market business with a variable-hour workforce
- Want your People & Culture team to remain the Tier-1 contact for staff
- Value a highly visual, real-time award interpretation interface
- Have little or no New Zealand operation to support
- Are mostly Australian today but expect to expand into New Zealand
- Are weighing whether to keep People & Culture as Tier-1 or hand employee support to the provider
- Want to benchmark both providers' mid-market award interpretation tooling directly against your award set