Payroll software in Kuwait: PIFSS, WPS and end-of-service
A payroll in Kuwait has to get three things right every month: PIFSS contributions, the Kuwait WPS salary file, and end-of-service accruing on the right wage. Here is what each involves, how AhlanHamad runs them, and how the payroll systems that serve Kuwait compare.
What a payroll in Kuwait must do
Social insurance
Public Institution for Social Security (PIFSS) contributions apply to Kuwait's nationals and other GCC nationals; expatriates are not enrolled. The employee and the employer each pay a share, and the contributory wage has a ceiling — a single flat percentage gets higher earners wrong. Details
The WPS file
Kuwait has no single national wage-file format: salaries go through your own bank's salary-transfer service, and the bank reports the transfer to the Public Authority for Manpower (PAM). Details
End-of-service
End-of-service is set by Kuwait Labour Law No. 6 of 2010 and computed on the full wage (basic plus the fixed allowances). Ask to see each employee's accrual every month, not only at exit. Details
How AhlanHamad runs payroll in Kuwait
- Approve the month's run; PIFSS is calculated for each employee it applies to, on the employee and employer shares.
- Yes — builds the bank salary-upload (WPS) file from each approved payroll run
- Each employee's end-of-service accrues on the statutory wage basis, so the liability is visible every month, not only at exit.
- Payslips go out in Arabic and English, and employees see them in the employee app on their phone.
Payroll systems for Kuwait compared
Last updated:
| Software | Kuwait WPS salary file | PIFSS calculation | Arabic interface | Public pricing | Free trial | Hosting region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AhlanHamad | Yes — builds the bank salary-upload (WPS) file from each approved payroll run [1] | Yes — PIFSS employee and employer shares, with the contributory-wage ceiling [2] | Yes — the full product and site in Arabic and English [3] | Yes — prices published per employee [4] | Yes — 30 days, no card required [5] | A Convex cloud region on AWS, outside the GCC; in-country hosting available by contract [6] |
| ZenHR | Not stated publicly for Kuwait — its FAQ names Saudi Arabia and the UAE for WPS [7] | Yes — states it calculates employee and employer PIFSS contributions [8] | Yes — Arabic and English interface [8] | Quote-based; its FAQ says prices start at US$8 per user per month, billed annually [7] | Not stated publicly [9] | Not stated publicly — says "regional data centers" without naming a country [8] |
| Zoho Payroll / Zoho People | Yes — Zoho Payroll's Kuwait edition states it generates wage files for Kuwait WPS [10] | Yes — Zoho Payroll's Kuwait edition states it manages PIFSS for Kuwaiti and GCC nationals [10] | Not stated publicly for the product — an Arabic edition of the website is offered [11] | Yes — Zoho Payroll from US$10 per organisation per month billed annually, 5 employees included, then US$2 per additional employee [12] | Yes — 14 days for Zoho Payroll [12] | Data centre set by the country chosen at signup; Kuwait is not a listed region [13] |
| Menaitech | Yes — its Kuwait FAQ says it generates WPS-compliant CSV payroll files [14] | Yes — states PIFSS contribution calculations and statutory reporting [14] | Yes — states it is fully bilingual across interfaces [14] | Quote-based — depends on employees, modules and compliance needs [14] | No time-limited trial stated; a free "Freemium" payroll plan for up to 30 employees is offered [15] | Not stated publicly — cloud, with on-premises possibly available [14] |
| gulfHR | States automated WPS file generation; the country is not specified [16] | Not stated publicly [16] | Yes — states "Arabic language support" [16] | Quote-based — "Get Your Free Demo & Quote" [16] | A 30-day free pilot for companies with 500+ employees [16] | Not stated publicly — says cloud hosting, without naming a country [16] |
Methodology: every fact about another product comes from that vendor's own public website on 15 October 2026, and links to the page it was read from. Where a vendor's site does not say, the cell reads "Not stated publicly" — we do not infer. No ratings or reviews are included. Details change; confirm with each vendor before deciding, and tell us if anything here is out of date so we can correct it.
Sources
- AhlanHamad: https://ahlanhamad.com/kw/en/wps/ — accessed 15 October 2026
- AhlanHamad: https://ahlanhamad.com/kw/en/social-insurance/ — accessed 15 October 2026
- AhlanHamad: https://ahlanhamad.com/kw/ar/ — accessed 15 October 2026
- AhlanHamad: https://ahlanhamad.com/kw/en/pricing/ — accessed 15 October 2026
- AhlanHamad: https://ahlanhamad.com/kw/en/ — accessed 15 October 2026
- AhlanHamad: https://ahlanhamad.com/legal/subprocessors/ — accessed 15 October 2026
- ZenHR: https://www.zenhr.com/en/faqs — accessed 15 October 2026
- ZenHR: https://www.zenhr.com/en/hr-software-kuwait — accessed 15 October 2026
- ZenHR: https://www.zenhr.com/en/zenhr-pricing — accessed 15 October 2026
- Zoho Payroll / Zoho People: https://www.zoho.com/en-kw/payroll/features/ — accessed 15 October 2026
- Zoho Payroll / Zoho People: https://www.zoho.com/ar-kw/payroll/ — accessed 15 October 2026
- Zoho Payroll / Zoho People: https://www.zoho.com/en-kw/payroll/pricing/ — accessed 15 October 2026
- Zoho Payroll / Zoho People: https://www.zoho.com/know-your-datacenter.html — accessed 15 October 2026
- Menaitech: https://menaitech.com/en-kw/faqs-kuwait/ — accessed 15 October 2026
- Menaitech: https://menaitech.com/en-kw/free-payroll/ — accessed 15 October 2026
- gulfHR: https://gulfhr.com/ — accessed 15 October 2026
Free Kuwait payroll tools
Details of other products are taken from each vendor's public website on 15 October 2026 and may have changed since. Product names are trademarks of their owners and are used only to identify them. General information, not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Who pays PIFSS in Kuwait?
Public Institution for Social Security (PIFSS) contributions apply to Kuwait's nationals and other GCC nationals; expatriates are not enrolled. The employee and the employer each pay a share, and the contributory wage has a ceiling — a single flat percentage gets higher earners wrong.
How does the Kuwait WPS salary file work?
Kuwait has no single national wage-file format: salaries go through your own bank's salary-transfer service, and the bank reports the transfer to the Public Authority for Manpower (PAM). AhlanHamad builds the file from your approved run; you stay in control of the submission.
How is end-of-service calculated in Kuwait?
End-of-service is set by Kuwait Labour Law No. 6 of 2010 and computed on the full wage (basic plus the fixed allowances). Ask to see each employee's accrual every month, not only at exit.
How much does AhlanHamad payroll cost?
Prices are published per employee per month on the pricing page, with every module included, and there is a 30-day free trial with no card required.