From 1 July 2026, the way employers pay superannuation will change significantly.

The Federal Government is introducing Payday Super, which will require employers to pay super at the same time as wages — instead of quarterly.

At the same time, the ATO Small Business Superannuation Clearing House (SBSCH) will close on 30 June 2026, meaning businesses currently using it will need a new solution in place.

This is a structural change to payroll processes. While the total super payable over a year does not change, the timing does — and that has important implications for systems, cashflow and compliance.

What Is Changing?

From 1 July 2026, employers must:

• Pay super at the same time as each pay run (instead of quarterly)
• Ensure contributions reach employees’ super funds within 7 business days of payday
• Use a SuperStream-compliant electronic clearing solution
• Transition away from the ATO SBSCH before it closes on 30 June 2026

What This Means for Your Business

1. Cashflow Changes

Super will no longer be paid four times per year.

Instead, it will leave your bank account every pay cycle — weekly, fortnightly or monthly.

This means:

• Cash outflows occur more frequently
• Less flexibility to “hold” super funds
• More precise cashflow forecasting required

July 2026 will be particularly challenging, as businesses may be paying:

• June 2026 quarter super (under the old rules), and
• The first per-pay-run super amounts under Payday Super

Planning early avoids pressure.

2. Tighter Deadlines

Super must reach funds within 7 business days of payday

Late approvals or delays in processing payroll could now trigger late super issues more easily.

Super approvals will become just as important as payroll approvals.

3. SBSCH Is Closing

If you currently use the ATO Small Business Superannuation Clearing House:

• It closes completely on 30 June 2026
• You must transition to a compliant electronic alternative
• You must download historical SBSCH data before closure for audit purposes

Waiting until mid-2026 will create bottlenecks.

Why Start Now?

Although the change begins in July 2026, early preparation allows you to:

• Review payroll and super processes
• Clean up employee super details (USIs, member numbers, fund data)
• Enable integrated payroll super solutions (such as auto super)
• Model cashflow impacts
• Run “practice” pay cycles before the deadline

Businesses that prepare early will transition smoothly.

What We Recommend at Xperion

If you are an employer, now is the time to:

✔ Review your payroll system capability
✔ Activate auto super if using Xero Payroll
✔ Transition off SBSCH well before 30 June 2026
✔ Update internal payroll approval processes
✔ Build super into monthly cashflow forecasts

Integrated payroll and super systems significantly reduce compliance risk and manual handling

Payday Super is a significant operational change — but with the right systems and planning, it can be smooth and stress-free.

📞 Contact Xperion today to prepare your business well before July 2026.