Once you pass three or four sites, tip administration stops being an operational task and becomes a governance one. Groups need one set of rules, per-site allocation, consolidated reporting for finance, and an independent troncmaster whose position holds up if HMRC reviews the group rather than a single venue.
Consistency versus local fairness: Group rules must be consistent enough to defend and flexible enough to reflect very different sites. Per-site pools under a common rulebook solve this.
Finance reporting: Finance teams need the tronc reconciled to the P&L each period, by site and cost centre. We deliver allocation files in the format your system consumes.
Acquisitions and new openings: New sites must join the scheme cleanly, with staff communication and TUPE-transferred arrangements reviewed rather than inherited.
Typical allocation model: Common rulebook, per-site pools, role-weighted points within each site.
Groups distributing £1m+ a year across their estate routinely release six-figure annual employer NIC savings.
Should a group run one tronc or one per site? One scheme with per-site pools is usually best: consistent governance, but tips stay where they were earned.
How do acquisitions join the scheme? We review the inherited arrangement, communicate the change to staff, and bring the site onto the group rulebook at a clean period boundary.
Can you work with our existing payroll provider? Yes. We issue allocation instructions in the format your payroll bureau or in-house system needs — we do not require you to change provider.