· Adventure · Money
Payslip Decoder: free payslip game, learn gross vs net pay
Gross, net, taxes, contributions. Drag every line to the right box and find out where your salary really goes.
What is Payslip Decoder?
Three example payslips, each longer than the last: base salary, overtime, income tax, pension, employer contributions, net pay. Sort every line into Gross, Deductions, Employer cost or Net, and see where a salary really goes.
Payslip Decoder is a free game about reading a payslip. You get three example payslips, each with more lines than the last: base salary, overtime, bonuses, income tax, pension and health contributions, union dues, employer contributions and net pay. Drag or tap every line into the right box: Gross, Deductions, Employer cost or Net.
Each line explains itself once it's placed, and each payslip ends with the sum that matters: gross minus deductions equals net, with the employer's own costs on top. Rates are generic examples, not the rules of any country.
At a glance
- Category
- Adventure
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Play time
- 3–5 min
- Price
- Free, in your browser, sign-up optional
How to play
- Pick a line
- Tap a line of the example payslip, or drag it. On a keyboard: Tab to it and press Enter.
- Drop it in a box
- Gross, Deductions, Employer cost or Net. Tap the box, or press 1 to 4.
- Learn the line
- Every placed line explains itself; each payslip ends with gross − deductions = net.
- Score
- 100 points per right line, plus up to 50 more each for a fast payslip.
Scoring
Each line in the right box scores 100 points. Finish a payslip fast for up to 50 more per right line: the bonus shrinks to zero at 10 seconds per line.
Three payslips of 4, 7 and 10 lines, 21 in all. Wrong lines score nothing but still show where they belong. Your best score is kept in this browser.
What it trains
- Reading a payslip
- Telling gross pay, deductions, employer costs and net pay apart.
- Money vocabulary
- Income tax, contributions, allowances and pension lines, each explained in one sentence.
- Quick sums
- Checking that gross minus deductions really equals net.
Strategy and tips
- Start from gross
- Gross is everything you earn: salary, overtime, bonuses, allowances. Every deduction is worked out from it.
- Deductions leave your pay
- Tax, your pension and insurance shares and loan repayments come off before the money reaches you.
- Employer cost is on top
- Lines marked "employer" are paid by the company in addition to your salary. They never come out of your pay.
- Net is one line
- Net pay is what lands in your bank account: gross minus deductions.
- Check the sum
- If gross minus deductions doesn't match the net line, ask your employer. Mistakes happen.
Why play Payslip Decoder?
Most people sign a contract for a gross salary and live on a net one, without knowing what sits in between. Sorting the lines yourself a few times makes every real payslip readable at a glance.
Frequently asked questions
Is Payslip Decoder free?
Yes. It is free and runs in your browser, with no download. Signing up is optional.
Are the tax rates real?
No. They're round example rates. Real rates depend on your country, income and situation.
What's the difference between gross and net?
Gross is your pay before anything comes off. Net is what's left after tax and contributions: the money you actually receive.
What is employer cost?
What your employer pays on top of your gross salary, like their share of social contributions. It shows on some payslips but never comes out of your pay.