This case study was developed in collaboration with Marc Falzon, a senior software engineer at PayFit with a background in DevOps and infrastructure. Marc has been with the company for several years and recently moved into the team overseeing identity and permission management. His role places him directly in charge of PayFit’s authentication systems, including multi-factor authentication (MFA) architecture and delivery performance.

PayFit, one of France’s leading tech unicorns, provides cloud-based HR and payroll solutions to thousands of businesses across Europe. With over 700 employees and an infrastructure supporting more than 18,000 customers, the company requires rock-solid systems—especially for securing account access through MFA.  WIth a focus on maintaining optimal value and scalability, at some point, PayFit proactively chose to explore other solutions.

In early 2025, PayFit made a rare, fast procurement decision: they replaced Twilio with Prelude to power SMS-based MFA and the results were decisive:

• ~35% annual cost savings on MFA-related SMS delivery

• Seamless in-house integration

• High confidence in reliability and support

• Interest in deepening the partnership over time

The Case for Change

PayFit’s engineering and procurement teams are encouraged to identify opportunities to reduce costs without compromising reliability. Twilio’s steady price hikes over the years, with limited added value, made it a prime candidate for reevaluation.

"Our procurement department challenges us engineers to get the most value from the tools and services we use."

Yet PayFit, like many large tech companies, doesn’t switch core services lightly. Typically, infrastructure changes are preceded by lengthy benchmarking phases and extensive proof-of-concept testing. According to Marc:

"The decision process is usually very long" and often stretches over a year.

But with Prelude, it was different. As their Twilio contract neared expiration, Prelude offered a combination of clear value, solid functionality, and responsive support that made the decision straightforward.

"It was relatively quick to decide and switch. We didn’t want to renew for another year. Prelude’s offer made it an easy call."

Swift Integration and Developer-Friendly Design

PayFit’s engineering team handled the integration of Prelude’s API entirely in-house. The implementation, led by Falzon, was completed without external support.

"I implemented the Prelude integration myself and made the switch from Twilio."

Prelude’s documentation was clear and functional. Although there were some minor limitations, such as the absence of a native Auth0 integration at the time, the engineering team was able to bridge these easily.

"The system worked out of the box.The documentation was fairly straightforward."

When minor issues arose, Prelude’s engineering team responded promptly. Adjustments and fixes were delivered quickly, further reassuring PayFit that they were working with a technically capable and attentive partner.

A Rare Confidence in Reliability

Post-integration, Prelude’s service has continued to perform without interruption. The team monitored closely during the first few weeks, but soon realized that the system didn’t require ongoing attention.

"Now it’s been running fine and smoothly for months."

For PayFit, this silent reliability is a core value. As a company responsible for managing critical employee information and access, having dependable infrastructure is non-negotiable.

Quantified Savings and Long-Term Efficiency

Prelude’s pricing model proved effective: PayFit now sees approximately 35% annual savings on MFA-related messaging costs. That reduction, achieved without service degradation, has had a tangible impact.

By minimizing unnecessary platform overhead and focusing on efficient SMS delivery, Prelude has helped PayFit reduce spend while maintaining secure user authentication.

Conclusion: Built for Scale, Trusted by Scale-Ups

The fact that PayFit transitioned to Prelude so quickly, despite their scale, speaks volumes about the technical and business alignment.

The combination of robust infrastructure, fast integration, strong support, and transparent pricing proved compelling enough to override a traditionally long decision cycle.

Prelude delivered where it mattered: cost efficiency, performance, and peace of mind.

"The technical team has a really high level of understanding and proficiency.When we had questions or reported issues, they were addressed efficiently and in a timely manner."