Phone 1800 444 396
Web brightersuper.com.au
Email info@brightersuper.com.au
Post GPO Box 264, Brisbane QLD 4001

Frequently asked questions

Explore these frequently asked questions to understand what has changed under Payday Super and help your business stay compliant.

Jump to:   What is Payday Super? |   Calculating and paying super |   Penalties |   SuperStream updates   Changes for QuickSuper users |   Super Choice clearing house |   ATO’s SBSCH closure |   Preparing for Payday Super

What is Payday Super and when did it start?

Payday Super is an Australian Government reform that requires employers to pay superannuation at the same time as salary and wages, rather than quarterly. This change is designed to help employees grow their retirement savings faster and reduce the risk of unpaid or delayed super contributions.

Payday Super has been mandatory for all employers since 1 July 2026. Super contributions must now be paid at the same time as wages, following your regular pay cycle – weekly, fortnightly, monthly, etc.

New rules for calculating and paying super

What changes with Superannuation Guarantee (SG) calculations?

The Super Guarantee (SG) remains at 12%.
Payday Super introduces Qualifying Earnings (QE) - a new term to describe the types of payments used to calculate SG. For most employers, this change won’t affect the total SG contributions you currently make for your employees.  
Qualifying Earnings include: 

  • Ordinary Time Earnings (OTE) – regular pay for standard hours, plus certain types of paid leave, allowances, bonuses, and lump-sum payments. (The definition of OTE itself hasn’t changed under Payday Super.) 
  • Commissions – any commission payments made to employees.  
  • Salary sacrifice amounts – where the sacrificed amount would have counted as earnings if it hadn’t been redirected to super.  
  • Payments to certain contractors – independent contractors treated as employees because they are mainly paid for their labour.

Your payroll system or clearing house should handle this automatically, but it’s a good idea to check that all employee payments are correctly classified.

When must super be paid under Payday Super?

  • Under Payday Super, you must pay super at the same time you pay wages, following your usual pay cycle (e.g. weekly, fortnightly, monthly).  
  • Contributions must reach the employee’s super fund with all the required information to allocate to an account within 7 business days of payday.
  • For a new employee or when paying into a new fund, you have up to 20 business days after payday for the first payment.
  • Once received, funds have 3 business days to allocate the payment or return it if details are missing.

What do I need to do for new employees under Payday Super?

  • You still need to provide new employees with the Choice of Fund form. 
  • Employers may now show an employee details of their existing stapled fund when providing the Choice of Fund form during onboarding.
  • If an employee doesn’t choose a fund and if the ATO advises the employee does not have a stapled fund, contributions can be paid to your default fund.

Note: Different rules apply for some Queensland local government employees (see below).

  • For most employees, if they don’t choose a fund, you must request their stapled fund details from the ATO and pay super into that fund.
  • Queensland local government employees: Where an employee is covered by the Local Government Act 2009 (Qld) and associated industrial instruments, superannuation arrangements may be prescribed or restricted. In these cases, the standard super stapling requirements may not apply, and employers should follow the superannuation provisions set out under the relevant legislation or award. 

Many clearing houses or payroll providers, including our partner SuperChoice, may offer automated tools to validate fund details and streamline onboarding.

What are the new ATO reporting requirements for super?

Under Payday Super you must include both Qualifying Earnings (QE) and Super Guarantee (SG) amounts in your Single Touch Payroll (STP) reporting for every pay cycle. This gives the ATO visibility of contributions as they happen. Most payroll and clearing house systems are expected to update automatically but check with your provider that your system can report QE and SG correctly.

Penalties for late or missed super payments

What are the penalties if I pay super late or miss a payment?

A payment is considered late if the employee’s super fund hasn’t received the contribution within 7 business days of payday, including all the required information to allocate it to an account. For first payments to a new employee or a new fund, you have up to 20 business days after payday to make the contribution, allowing time to confirm details and fix errors. If you pay late or don’t follow the choice of fund rules, the ATO will apply a Super Guarantee Charge (SGC) for each payday (called a Qualifying Earnings day). In the first year, the ATO’s compliance approach recognises that employers who make a genuine effort to comply and resolve issues quickly will generally be considered low risk and should not be the focus of ATO compliance action.

Please visit the ATO’s Payday Super page for more information about late contributions and the SGC.

Will the ATO give employers time to adjust before penalties apply?

In the first year of Payday Super, the ATO has indicated it will take a risk-based approach to late or missed payments. This means they’ll focus on employers who make no effort to comply. Employers who make a genuine effort to meet the new rules and resolve problems quickly are less likely to face penalties. After this transition period (1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027), the ATO is expected to enforce penalties more strictly.

SuperStream updates for Payday Super

SuperStream is the national standard for sending super contributions electronically between employers, funds and the ATO. Under SuperStream 3.0, several improvements help reduce errors and speed up processing times:

  • Member Verification Request (MVR): Lets you confirm an employee’s super fund details before payment to prevent errors. MVR is expected to become more widely available through payment providers, helping employers validate member details before contributions are made.
  • New Payments Platform (NPP): All super funds must be able to accept NPP transactions, enabling near-instant transfers, often on the same day. 
  • Super fund changes: Payroll and clearing house systems will get early alerts about major fund changes, like mergers, so you can redirect contributions quickly. 

Important changes for QuickSuper users

Has Brighter Super changed its clearing house partner?

Yes, Brighter Super has consolidated its clearing house services to SuperChoice to help employers comply with Payday Super requirements.

QuickSuper is longer available through Brighter Super.

Our clearing house partner, SuperChoice, is available and offered to all of our employers at no cost.

Can I stay on QuickSuper?

You can use any payroll system or clearing house that is Payday Super compliant. 

QuickSuper is no longer available through Brighter Super for making contributions.

SuperChoice is ready now for anyone who would like to transition from QuickSuper. 

How can I register for SuperChoice?

If you’d like to use SuperChoice through Brighter Super, you need to register through our website.

Will I need to change the Unique Superannuation Identifier (USI) moving to SuperChoice?

The USI to use for Brighter Super members is QLG0001AU.

If you are using an old Energy Super USI, this will need to be updated to reduce failed or misdirected payments when moving to pay-cycle contributions. 

If your employee has a Brighter Super Corporate Offer arrangement (previously Optimiser), they may have provided you with an alternative USI – 23053121564123. Please continue to use this.

If I transition from QuickSuper to SuperChoice, will I need to update our payroll system or change the way I pay our super?

It is not expected that you will need to change your processes for how you use the clearing house. However, you may need to improve some of the data held for your employees to reduce the risk of errors for Payday Super.  

There are two ways to make a payment through SuperChoice:

  1. Upload a file from your payroll system. SuperChoice accepts most standard file formats such as Superannuation Alternative File Format (SAFF) which is offered by most payroll providers. If you have been using the QuickSuper format this is also likely to work for you in SuperChoice. Your first payroll file upload into SuperChoice will populate all the data needed for payments into this system.
  2. Enter contribution information manually. You can continue to do this on SuperChoice but will be required to set up your employees for the first time. If you have only a few employees, this will not take long to complete. 

SuperChoice – our clearing house partner

Why is Brighter Super moving to SuperChoice?

We’ve chosen SuperChoice to reduce manual work, speed up processing, and help you stay compliant with all your super requirements including Payday Super. SuperChoice will also offer: 

  • A smooth and secure platform 
  • Enhanced detection of fraudulent transactions 
  • Clear reporting features, together with streamlined onboarding and super fund functionality selection for new employees. These updates will be rolled out gradually, and we’ll keep you informed of the timeline.

I am currently using SuperChoice through Brighter Super – is that changing?

No. SuperChoice will continue as our clearing house partner.

Who is SuperChoice?

SuperChoice is a leading Australian clearing house provider used by thousands of employers. SuperChoice is a trusted, modern platform designed to make compliance simple and efficient. SuperChoice is already utilised by many of Brighter Super’s employers.  

Is SuperChoice Payday Super compliant?

Yes. SuperChoice will support Payday Super changes.

Is there a cost to use SuperChoice?

No. SuperChoice will be provided to Brighter Super employers at no cost for transactions and the other features offered.

Do I have to use the SuperChoice clearing house platform?

No. You can choose any payroll system or clearing house that is Payday Super compliant, however, SuperChoice is available to all our employers at no cost.

Can I pay super to employees not with Brighter Super on SuperChoice?

Yes. You will be able to make payments to Brighter Super and other funds including self-managed super funds (SMSFs) in one transaction.

How do I register for SuperChoice?

If you’d like to use SuperChoice through Brighter Super you will need to register.  
To register for SuperChoice, you can sign up through our website. The system has training materials available to support you to make payments, add new employees, or tell us that employees have left your employment. 

Will there be new features and, if so, when?

Yes. SuperChoice will offer some new features in the future, and we will communicate when they are available. 

These will include:

  • Automation in onboarding new employees and managing super fund selection
  • Improved detection of fraudulent transactions.

What is the typical processing time from clearing house submission to when contributions are received in employees’ super accounts?

Once the clearing house receives the submitted file and matching payment, contributions are forwarded to the respective super funds within 24 hours. SuperChoice is also working on implementing the New Payments Platform (NPP) to make payments even faster. 

What is Brighter Super’s Unique Superannuation Identifier (USI) for contributions?

The USI to use for Brighter Super members is QLG0001AU. 
If you are using an old Energy Super USI, this will need to be updated to reduce failed or misdirected payments when moving to pay-cycle contributions. 
If your employee has a Brighter Super Corporate Offer arrangement (previously Optimiser), they may have provided you with an alternative USI – 23053121564123. Please continue to use this.   

How do I get help with SuperChoice?  

If you have any questions about SuperChoice contact our Employer Services team on 1800 444 396 or email employers@brightersuper.com.au 

How do I reset my password?

On the login page for the SuperChoice clearing house choose ‘Forgot password’ and follow the prompts to reset your password.

How do I make a contribution?  

There are two ways to make a payment through SuperChoice:  

  1. Upload a file from your payroll system. SuperChoice accepts most standard file formats such as Superannuation Alternative File Format (SAFF) which is offered by most payroll providers. If you use the QuickSuper format this is also likely to work for you in SuperChoice. Your first payroll file upload into SuperChoice will populate all the data needed for payments into this system. 
  2. Enter contribution information manually. You can continue to do this on SuperChoice but will be required to set up your employees for the first time. If you have only a few employees, this will not take long to complete.

Resource link: Video – Submitting a contribution – Knowledge Base 

What can I do to ensure there are no delays in the clearing house processing super contributions?

  • Make payment on the same day the clearing house contribution data/file is submitted. 
  • Include the correct payment reference provided by the clearing house with the EFT payment or New Payments Platform (NPP) payment when available.
  • Ensure the EFT payment total matches the file total exactly.
  • Make only one payment per submitted file. 

ATO Small Business Superannuation Clearing House (SBSCH) closure

I was previously using the ATO Small Business Superannuation Clearing House (SBSCH) – what has changed?  

As part of the Payday Super reform, the ATO Small Business Superannuation Clearing House (SBSCH) closed permanently on 1 July 2026. If you were using the SBSCH you’ll need to choose another option. 
Brighter Super has partnered with SuperChoice for clearing house services which is provided at no cost for our employers. 

Payday Super resources

Where can I find more information about Payday Super?

On our Payday Super webpage you'll find information and resources to help you manage Payday Super, including recorded webinars, FAQs and other helpful links.  
You can also access detailed information about the Payday Super rules on the ATO website.

The Brighter Super Employer Services team is here to help you with any questions you have and support you with Payday Super.

Who can I speak to if I need help?

If you have any questions about Payday Super or SuperChoice contact our Employer Services team on 1800 444 396 or email employers@brightersuper.com.au.