Vistra, a prominent player in corporate business services, has announced its move to acquire iiPay, a cloud-based payroll solutions provider known for its strength in multi-country payroll delivery.

The deal is poised to catapult Vistra into the top four global payroll providers, significantly expanding its scale in serving midsized and enterprise-level clients managing complex international operations.

Enhancing payroll solutions

Once the ink dries on the agreement, the combined entity will process nearly 10 million payslips annually and operate across more than 170 countries. It’s a merger designed not just for size, but for synergy – blending iiPay’s outbound payroll strengths in North America, Europe, and Latin America with Vistra’s entrenched presence and advisory clout across Asia Pacific and EMEA.

At the heart of the deal lies a strategic alignment of capabilities. iiPay brings to the table a scalable, tech-forward platform that cuts through the red tape of global payroll management. It eliminates manual processes, enhances employee experience, and saves valuable time for HR leaders navigating multiple jurisdictions.

When integrated with Vistra’s on-the-ground payroll delivery teams and robust network of in-country affiliates, the result is a full-spectrum, end-to-end payroll engine built to handle compliance intricacies with ease.

Expanding into new markets

This acquisition is more than a numbers game. It’s about building a future-ready payroll ecosystem. iiPay’s innovation-led culture and technical know-how have already earned it a loyal client base – multinational companies seeking to simplify payroll complexities as they expand into challenging regulatory landscapes. These clients now stand to gain broader access to Vistra’s comprehensive suite of services, including multi-country entity management, tax, accounting compliance, and HR advisory.

Simon Webster, CEO of Vistra Group, set the tone for this next chapter: “A seamless payroll experience is key to Vistra's vision of making operating globally feel borderless and frictionless. Our solutions help our clients to navigate complexity in both their domestic and international markets, and to operate efficiently and compliantly wherever they need to. The acquisition of iiPay means we will be able provide high-volume multi-country payroll while adding to our deep bench of specialist expertise. It is also an accelerator of our platform strategy that aims to redefine how the world does business, making corporate compliance effortless and driving progress without friction.”

On the other side of the table, T. Curtis Holmes, CEO of iiPay, sees this as a pivotal moment for both companies: “This is a landmark moment for both iiPay and Vistra, marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter in global payroll. This transformative acquisition propels iiPay and Vistra into a market leadership position in the global payroll industry. Together, we are combining our strengths to accelerate product innovation, expand our capabilities, and create opportunities for our teams. Most importantly, this positions us to deliver an exceptional experience for our valued clients on a global scale, which remains our top priority.”

In business terms, the payroll function, often seen as back-office plumbing, is now being reimagined as a lever for global growth and employee satisfaction. By stitching together iiPay’s cloud-based engine with Vistra’s boots-on-the-ground expertise, the deal brings to life a unified global payroll service that’s built to scale, simplify, and support tomorrow’s workforce.

As organisations continue to globalise and workforce borders blur, Vistra’s move puts it in pole position to lead the payroll pack – ensuring that businesses don’t just keep pace with regulatory change, but stay ahead of it.