Why am I now on a paid plan?
To help you know why you're on PRO, you'll see tiles based on your usage. Here's the master list:
4 You've grown beyond the three-person FREE+ limit.
P You've used a paid pension feature (see below).
C You've paid a person who's a CIS subcontractor.
W You've paid people with weekly paydays.
F You've paid people with fortnightly paydays.
H You've paid people with hourly pay rates.
S You've paid people with student loans.
D You've paid directors.
R You've filed a payday.
Which pension features are free?
Some pension features are free, and some are paid:
| FREE | PAID |
|---|---|
| FREE pension auto-enrollment | PAID pension calculations |
| FREE pension preview | PAID pension filing |
| Why they're FREE? | Why they're PAID? |
| • By law, employers are required to offer pension auto-enrollment to almost every employee. | • It's only when an employee's pension calculations are done on payday, that it becomes a PAID feature. |
| • When deciding to enrol in a pension, an employee needs to see a preview of how a pension affects their pay. | • As part of completing your Tax Filing, HMRC requires us to send exact info about each employee's pension. It's a PAID feature. |
Note: HMRC's Basic PAYE tools don't include any pension auto-enrollment, pension calculation, or pension filing features.
If you're ever not sure about which pension features you'll be needing, please contact 
1st Money's free support ... We're here Mon to Fri, 12 noon to 4 pm, UK time.
How do I find out if I'm on the PRO plan?
To find out if you're on the PRO plan:
- First, tap: "Menu", "Org", "Billing", then "GBP invoices"
- And you'll see a list of people you've paid during the month.
- If anybody's marked as "PRO", then you're on the PRO plan.
Can I do director reporting without 1st Money?
Director reporting and National Insurance calculations can only be filed with HMRC through HMRC recognised payroll software, including 1st Money. Read more on HMRC's website.
Do I need to report a student loan with no repayments?
Student loans need to be filed with HMRC even if the employee doesn't earn enough to make repayments (filing a £0 value student loan repayment with HMRC still counts as use of a PRO feature for that month).
Student loans can only be filed with HMRC through HMRC recognised payroll software, including 1st Money. Read more on HMRC's website.
How do I take an employee off their pension?
To opt an employee out of their pension:
- First, tap: "Person", "Pay", then "Pension"
- Then tap: Stop pension now
- The HMRC gets notified automatically, next time the person's paid.
- And that's it!
Note: Employers can't encourage or force an employee to opt out of a pension. Read more on HMRC's website.
Can I do employee pensions without 1st Money?
Employee pensions can only be filed with HMRC through HMRC recognised payroll software, including 1st Money. Read more on HMRC's website.
Updated: Sat, 24 Oct 2026.www.1st.money/uk/help/7._Other/Why_am_I_now_on_a_paid_plan
