Payday Protect · Flagship
Super now moves at the speed of payroll
From 1 July 2026, Australian employers must pay superannuation guarantee contributions in line with every pay cycle — and the money must reach the employee's fund within 7 business days of payday. Payday Protect gets you ready, then keeps you compliant.
What changed
The rate stayed the same. The timing didn't.
Until now, super could be paid quarterly. From 1 July 2026, contributions must be made at the same time as wages, and must be received by the employee's fund within 7 business days of payday.
The superannuation guarantee rate itself is unchanged at 12%. What's changed is that every pay run now carries a hard deadline — and the clock includes your processing time, your clearing house, and the fund's own settlement.
- Starts
- 1 Jul 2026
- Deadline
- 7 business days
- SG rate
- 12%
- Monitoring
- STP, near real time
Why it matters
Four things that get harder from the first pay run
Cash flow and process
Super leaves the business every pay cycle rather than quarterly. Payroll calendars, approval steps and funding all need to fit inside the 7-business-day window.
The redesigned SG Charge
Shortfalls now attract an administrative uplift and choice-loading penalties, with escalating charges where a shortfall is repeated or left unresolved.
Fair Work exposure
Super is an entitlement under many awards, so late payment can raise Fair Work Act and award compliance issues alongside the tax consequences.
Real-time visibility
Single Touch Payroll gives the ATO near real-time visibility of what you reported and what was paid. A risk-based approach applies in the reform's first year, but the data is already there.
What Payday Protect delivers
Five services, one continuous programme
Payday Super readiness assessment
A structured review of where you stand today against the 1 July 2026 obligations, with a prioritised gap list.
Payroll system & process review
How your payroll software, clearing house and approval chain behave against a 7-business-day deadline.
Ongoing compliance monitoring
Regular checks that contributions were paid and received on time, so issues surface internally first.
Penalty risk mitigation & remediation
Where historical or current shortfalls exist, a clear path to correcting and documenting them.
Staff and HR training
Practical training for the people running payroll, in plain English, so the new process holds.
Who it's for
Small and medium businesses and mid-market employers — particularly payroll, finance and HR leaders who own the process end to end and will be the ones answering for it.
How it works
A four-step sequence
- 01
Assess
Review current SG timing, payroll calendar, systems and OTE treatment against the new obligations.
- 02
Remediate
Close the gaps: correct calculations, fix lead times, resolve any existing shortfalls and document the outcome.
- 03
Implement
Stand up the new pay-cycle super process, update approvals and controls, and train the team who runs it.
- 04
Monitor
Ongoing checks that every contribution is paid and received inside the window, with exceptions escalated early.
Quick check
Six questions, an instant indicator
Most employers discover their exposure isn't the super calculation — it's the lead time between payroll approval and the money landing in the fund. This quick check points at where to look first.
Quick check · 6 questions
How ready are you for Payday Super?
An instant indicator, not an assessment. Nothing is recorded unless you share your details at the end.
01Do you know exactly which pay cycles your SG contributions currently follow?
02Do you know how long your clearing house or fund takes to get money to the employee's fund?
03Has your payroll provider confirmed Payday Super support for 1 July 2026?
04Have you modelled the cash flow impact of paying super every pay run instead of quarterly?
05Are you confident your ordinary time earnings (OTE) calculations are correct across all award and allowance types?
06Do you have a process to detect and correct a late or short contribution before the ATO does?
0/6 answered
Free assessment
Free Payday Super Readiness Assessment
Tell us a little about your payroll and we'll come back with a readiness view and the specific areas worth addressing before 1 July 2026.
FAQ
Common questions
ImportantThe information on this page is general information only and does not take your circumstances into account. It is not financial, legal or tax advice. Before acting, we recommend you also speak with your accountant or adviser, or refer to the ATO directly.