Welcome to 2026.👋
Welcome to our first news update of 2026. We hope everyone has had a great January and is all settled into the new year.
This update covers a number of important items for Crystal Payroll users, including recent system and server upgrades, and upcoming changes to our Xero integration that may impact costs for some businesses.
Crystal Payroll 2025 Top Partner Awards
Before we dive into what’s coming up, we want to say a huge thank you to everyone who made 2025 such a special year for Crystal Payroll. Last year marked 20 years of payroll clarity, and we loved celebrating this milestone alongside our customers, partners, and wider community.
During our 20th Anniversary Gala in late November last year, we recognised a group of outstanding partners with our Crystal Payroll 2025 Top Partner Awards. These awards were presented to partners who showed exceptional commitment, performance, and care in supporting their clients and delivering the best possible payroll experience using Crystal Payroll.
We’d like to formally acknowledge and thank our award recipients:
| Company | Recipient |
| TimeHub | Steve Nathan |
| Booksmart Accounting | Pal Shah & Shirish Vithani |
| TAS NZ Bay | Neetu Kaur (not pictured below) |
| Singh & Associates | Arti Singh & Ravi Singh |
| AllanMcNeill | Catherine Jacobs & Lyndell Gates |
Congratulations to our 2025 Top Partner Award winners, and thank you for the continued trust and partnership you bring to Crystal Payroll.
We’d also like to give a shout-out to everyone who took part in our anniversary raffle on the night. Congratulations to all of our raffle prize winners and we hope you’re enjoying your prizes!
📸 Gala photos
If you attended the gala and would like to browse the full photo gallery, you can view it here:
https://azphotography17.pixieset.com/crystalpayroll/
Xero API Changes – what you need to know
From 2 March 2026, Xero will retire its current revenue share model and move to a commercial, usage-based API pricing model. This means there will no longer be free API access, and software providers will incur costs based on usage.
For Crystal Payroll customers, this affects our Xero integration.
Here’s what this means in practice:
- Xero will begin charging us for API access from 2 March 2026
- We’ll need to pass on a monthly charge to customers using the Xero integration
- We have developed a free CSV-based integration as an alternative option for customers who don’t wish to use the paid API connection
We’ll be communicating these changes clearly via an upcoming newsletter, as well as a separate email directly to customers who may be affected by this change, so you’ll have plenty of notice and options, as well as resources to help you navigate this change.
Server Upgrades🚀
We’ve recently completed upgrades to our server infrastructure, including the addition of a new server to help distribute system load more effectively. These changes are designed to improve overall performance and reliability, particularly during peak payroll processing periods.
These improvements mean:
- Faster processing and performance times across the system
- Improved performance during peak usage
- Faster report generation, particularly for businesses with large employee numbers or complex reporting requirements
These upgrades also improve our ability to scale as demand increases, helping reduce wait times and minimise the risk of slowdowns or downtime during busy periods. We’ll continue to invest in our infrastructure to ensure Crystal Payroll remains stable, responsive, and dependable as more businesses rely on the system.
Accredited Advisor Programme Updates🎓
We’ve made some changes to our Accredited Advisor Programme to make it more flexible and accessible.
Previously, the programme was delivered as a scheduled course with set modules and Zoom sessions. The programme has now been updated so it can be completed in your own time, rather than across three Zoom meetings over six weeks.
If you’re a Crystal Payroll partner or simply want deeper training on how to get the most out of the system, this programme is a great way to build your knowledge and confidence. Enroll to get your certification and become a Crystal Payroll expert.
We’d love your feedback
As always, we’re focused on making Crystal Payroll the clearest, most reliable payroll system for New Zealand businesses.
If you have feedback, feature suggestions, or ideas — whether it’s about the system, our website, or your overall experience — we’d love to hear from you. Your input helps shape how Crystal Payroll continues to improve.
Here’s to another year of clarity in 2026.
