How is a Contractor of Record different from an Employer of Record?

An Employer of Record becomes the legal employer of your staff and runs payroll and benefits. A Contractor of Record is for independent contractors: Ruul contracts with them and pays them, and they stay independent. Ruul doesn't employ your contractors or run payroll.

Why choose Contractor of Record over paying contractors directly?

Contractor of Record gives you a safer, more consistent way to work with contractors. It reduces compliance risk by adding a formal contracting layer, standardizes onboarding with built-in checks and paperwork, and keeps cleaner records for finance and audits. It also helps you scale contractor payments without building extra process internally.

What compliance checks are included, and when do they run?

Ruul runs built-in KYC and AML checks for contractors, and KYB checks for businesses to help protect platform integrity. Checks are completed during onboarding and may be re-run as needed for ongoing monitoring and risk prevention.

Which tax forms do you support, and when do they apply?

Ruul supports storing and managing common contractor tax paperwork, where applicable. This includes W-9 for US contractors, W-8 forms for non-US contractors when requested, and 1099 documentation for US reporting needs. What applies depends on your contractor’s tax status and where they are based, and the platform guides you to the right form when it’s needed.

What fees should I expect, and who pays them?

Ruul charges a flat 5% commission per payment, with no setup or monthly fees. For a single payment you choose whether your business or the contractor covers it; on bulk payments your business covers it.

Do my contractors need a Ruul account?

Yes. They set up their account from your invite, verify their identity and add a payout account. You can create a payment before that; it reaches them once they're set up.

[CONTRACTOR OF RECORD]

Your contractors. Ruul's contracts.

Ruul is the legal counterparty for each contractor. It checks who they are, collects tax forms and pays them in 140+ currencies.

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No setup cost · No monthly fees

4.9 out of 5 See reviews on G2

Trusted by thousands of teams & organisations

[I] HOW IT WORKS

Ruul stands between your company and your contractor, from the agreement to the payout.

Your contractor joins Ruul

Send an invite link. Your contractor creates an account, verifies their identity, and contracts with Ruul.

You send a payment

Choose the contractor and the amount, then pay Ruul by card or bank transfer.

You get a business-ready invoice

Ruul invoices your company for the payment, with complete issuer details for your accounting.

Ruul pays your contractor

Your contractor gets paid within 1 business day after your payment clears.

Supported in 190 countries

with payouts in 140+ currencies

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[II] WHO DOES WHAT

What Ruul handles, and what your team decides.

Your company Decides the work

Who you work with and on what terms
The scope, rate, and day-to-day work
Which payments to approve

Your company remains responsible for its own taxes.

Ruul Contractor of Record

A contract with each contractor, as the legal counterparty
Identity and AML checks
Tax forms (W-9, W-8, 1099 where applicable)
A business-ready invoice for every payment
Payouts to each contractor

Working through Ruul helps reduce misclassification risk.

Your contractor Does the work

Joins from your invite link
Verifies their identity before the first payout
Gets paid to the bank account or wallet they already use
Handles their own income tax

[III] THE DIFFERENCE

What changes when Ruul is your Contractor of Record.

Your company works with one counterparty: Ruul.

Paying contractors directly

A contract with each contractor

Payments to each country and currency

Invoices collected from each one

Checks and tax forms, one by one

With Ruul as Contractor of Record

Ruul contracts with them

You pay Ruul, Ruul pays them out

Every invoice comes from Ruul

Identity checks and tax forms in one place

[IV] THE COST

No monthly fee per contractor.

You pay 5% when you pay a contractor, and nothing in the months you don't. On a $2,000 payment, the fee is $100. No setup cost.

Who covers the fee On a single payment, you choose whether your company or the contractor covers the fee. On bulk payments, your company covers it.
Rates that follow your volume Discounted rates are available, depending on how much you pay.

Custom pricing for high volumes

[V] TRUST

Trusted by the people who pay.

4.9 out of 5

See reviews on G2

Read the review on Trustpilot

“I am glad I found Ruul to make payments to my freelancers from 3 different continents.”

Ellie L. Client · France · Jul 2023

Read the review on Trustpilot

“Perfect service, I recommend for everyone with remote contractors.”

O. Dogan Client · United Kingdom · Jan 2023
Read the review on Trustpilot

“Their service makes my life easier and I’ve never had trust issues with them.”

Anne Peters Client · Netherlands · Jun 2023
Read the review on Trustpilot

“In general, I recommend any new freelancer that I am working with to use Ruul.”

U. Lacin Client · Sweden · Aug 2026

Selected reviews from Trustpilot, written by clients. Read all reviews

[VI] FAQ

Questions about Contractor of Record.

Beta Ruul AI can make mistakes. Check the articles it links.

What businesses ask about Contractor of Record

A Contractor of Record stands between your company and your independent contractors. With Ruul as your Contractor of Record, Ruul contracts with each contractor, invoices your company, collects your payment, and pays the contractor out. Your company deals with one counterparty and gets a business-ready invoice for every payment, instead of separate contracts, invoices, and cross-border transfers for each contractor.
An Employer of Record becomes the legal employer of your staff and runs payroll and benefits. A Contractor of Record is for independent contractors: Ruul contracts with them and pays them, and they stay independent. Ruul doesn't employ your contractors or run payroll.
Contractor of Record gives you a safer, more consistent way to work with contractors. It reduces compliance risk by adding a formal contracting layer, standardizes onboarding with built-in checks and paperwork, and keeps cleaner records for finance and audits. It also helps you scale contractor payments without building extra process internally.
Ruul runs built-in KYC and AML checks for contractors, and KYB checks for businesses to help protect platform integrity. Checks are completed during onboarding and may be re-run as needed for ongoing monitoring and risk prevention.
Ruul supports storing and managing common contractor tax paperwork, where applicable. This includes W-9 for US contractors, W-8 forms for non-US contractors when requested, and 1099 documentation for US reporting needs. What applies depends on your contractor’s tax status and where they are based, and the platform guides you to the right form when it’s needed.
Ruul charges a flat 5% commission per payment, with no setup or monthly fees. For a single payment you choose whether your business or the contractor covers it; on bulk payments your business covers it.
See pricing
Yes. They set up their account from your invite, verify their identity and add a payout account. You can create a payment before that; it reaches them once they're set up.