ZonaPay

Automated timezone-aware payroll for remote global teams

Score: 7.7/10BrazilMedium BuildReady to Spawn
Brand Colors

The Opportunity

Problem

Remote teams struggle with payroll software that fails to effectively manage payments for distributed workers across different timezones and currencies.

Solution

ZonaPay schedules payroll runs based on employee timezones, ensuring payments hit bank accounts at optimal local times. It handles multi-currency conversions automatically using real-time rates. HR managers can approve and track everything from one dashboard without manual timezone math.

Target Audience

HR managers and finance leads of remote teams with 10+ internationally distributed workers

Differentiator

Exclusive focus on timezone intelligence prevents payment delays and employee frustration common in generic payroll tools

Brand Voice

professional

Features

Timezone Detection

must-have8h

Auto-detects and assigns employee timezones from IP or manual input

Scheduled Payroll Runs

must-have12h

Triggers payments at local business hours across zones

Multi-Currency Payouts

must-have15h

Converts and pays in local currencies via integrated gateways

Employee Dashboard

must-have10h

Self-service portal for workers to view payslips and history

Approval Workflow

must-have10h

Multi-step approvals for payroll batches

Bulk Employee Import

must-have8h

CSV upload for adding international workers

Payment History Audit

nice-to-have6h

Downloadable reports for compliance

Email Notifications

nice-to-have4h

Alerts for approvals and payout confirmations

API Integrations

nice-to-have12h

Connect to HRIS like BambooHR

AI Anomaly Detection

future20h

Flags unusual payroll patterns

Total Build Time: 105 hours

Database Schema

users

ColumnTypeNullable
iduuidNo
emailtextNo
roletextNo

Relationships:

  • belongs to teams

teams

ColumnTypeNullable
iduuidNo
nametextNo
subscription_iduuidYes

Relationships:

  • has many employees, has many payroll_runs

employees

ColumnTypeNullable
iduuidNo
nametextNo
timezonetextNo
currencytextNo
team_iduuidNo

Relationships:

  • foreign key team_id -> teams.id

payroll_runs

ColumnTypeNullable
iduuidNo
statustextNo
run_datetimestampNo
team_iduuidNo

Relationships:

  • foreign key team_id -> teams.id

API Endpoints

POST
/api/teams

Create new team

🔒 Auth Required
POST
/api/employees

Add employee

🔒 Auth Required
POST
/api/payroll-runs

Initiate payroll run

🔒 Auth Required
PUT
/api/payroll-runs/:id

Approve or update run

🔒 Auth Required
GET
/api/employees

List employees for team

🔒 Auth Required

Tech Stack

Frontend
Next.js 14 + Tailwind + Shadcn/ui
Backend
Next.js API routes + Supabase Edge Functions
Database
Supabase Postgres
Auth
Supabase Auth
Payments
Stripe
Hosting
Vercel
Additional Tools
Resend (email)Cron Jobs via Vercel

Build Timeline

Week 1: Core auth and team setup

20h
  • User signup/login
  • Team creation

Week 2: Employee management

25h
  • Add/edit employees
  • Timezone UI

Week 3: Payroll engine

30h
  • Payroll run logic
  • Stripe integration

Week 4: Dashboards and flows

25h
  • Approval workflow
  • Employee portal

Week 5: Polish and testing

20h
  • Reports
  • Notifications

Week 6: Launch prep

15h
  • Landing page
  • SEO
Total Timeline: 6 weeks • 145 hours

Pricing Tiers

Starter

$0/mo

1 team

  • Up to 5 employees
  • Basic payroll

Pro

$20/mo

3 teams

  • Unlimited employees
  • Timezone scheduling
  • Approvals

Enterprise

$99/mo

Unlimited

  • All Pro + API access
  • Priority support

Revenue Projections

MonthUsersConversionMRRARR
Month 11003%$60$720
Month 68008%$640$7,680

Unit Economics

$40
CAC
$600
LTV
5%
Churn
92%
Margin
LTV:CAC Ratio: 15.0xExcellent!

Landing Page Copy

Pay Your Remote Team on Their Time

End timezone payroll headaches with automated scheduling and multi-currency payouts.

Feature Highlights

Smart timezone payroll runs
Instant currency conversion
Self-service employee portal
Compliance-ready reports
Stripe-powered security

Social Proof (Placeholders)

"'ZonaPay saved us hours weekly!' - HR Lead @ RemoteCo"
"'Finally, payments land on time globally.' - Finance @ DistroTeam"

First Three Customers

DM 20 HR managers on LinkedIn in remote work groups with a demo video; offer free 3-month Pro access for feedback. Post in r/remotework and IndieHackers 'show IH' thread targeting international teams. Attend virtual HR webinars and follow up with personalized emails.

Launch Channels

Product Huntr/SaaSIndie HackersLinkedIn HR groupsTwitter #remotework

SEO Keywords

remote team payroll softwareinternational payroll timezoneglobal employee paymentsmulti timezone payroll tooldistributed team payroll

Competitive Analysis

$49/employee/mo
Strength

Full EOR services

Weakness

Overkill for payroll-only, expensive

Our Advantage

Cheaper, focused on timezone automation

Papaya Global

papayaglobal.com
Custom enterprise
Strength

Compliance expertise

Weakness

No self-serve for SMBs

Our Advantage

Instant setup for 10+ teams

🏰 Moat Strategy

Proprietary timezone scheduling algorithm trained on global payroll data

⏰ Why Now?

Remote work boom with 30%+ teams distributed, but legacy payroll lags on timezones

Risks & Mitigation

technicalmedium severity

Payment gateway failures

Mitigation

Multi-provider fallback

marketlow severity

Low adoption by incumbents

Mitigation

Target underserved SMB remote teams

legalmedium severity

Payroll regulation changes

Mitigation

Partner with compliance experts

financiallow severity

High Stripe fees

Mitigation

Volume discounts

Validation Roadmap

pre-build7 days

Interview 10 HR managers

Success: 5 express interest

mvp14 days

Beta with 3 teams

Success: 90% retention

launch3 days

PH launch

Success: 200 signups

growth30 days

SEO content

Success: 10% MoM growth

Pivot Options

  • Timezone-agnostic expense reimbursements
  • Global contractor invoicing
  • Remote team time tracking

Quick Stats

Build Time
145h
Target MRR (6 mo)
$1,000
Market Size
$5000.0M
Features
10
Database Tables
4
API Endpoints
5