Fast funding for payroll and super when customers pay late

Why is payroll the bill that can never be late?

Because it’s people. Suppliers might grumble about a late payment. Staff who aren’t paid on time stop turning up, and good ones leave. Late wages also create problems under workplace laws, and late super creates problems with the ATO. Payroll is the one bill most owners will do anything to meet, which is why it’s so often the trigger for an urgent funding search.

The classic squeeze: your team is paid weekly or fortnightly, but your customers pay on 30, 45 or 60-day terms. Win a big job and the gap gets wider, not narrower, because you’re paying more people before any of the new money arrives.

How does payday super change the picture?

From 1 July 2026, employers must pay super at the same time as wages, under the payday super rules. Previously many businesses paid super quarterly and used that lag, knowingly or not, as a cash buffer. That buffer has gone. Every pay run now carries the wage cost and the super cost together.

For businesses with tight cash flow, that means bigger outflows on every payday. If your receipts are lumpy, the gap between paying out and getting paid can widen. Check the ATO’s payday super pages for the rules that apply to your business, and talk to your bookkeeper about how payroll software will handle it.

What are the fastest ways to fund a payroll gap?

Situation	Route	Speed possible
One-off gap, trading business	Unsecured cash-flow loan	Same day for smaller amounts
Gap every few pay runs	Line of credit	Immediate once set up
Large gap, property available	Caveat or second mortgage	Same day for $20k–$250k
Growth phase, many new staff	Property-secured loan	Up to $5m in 24–48h

How much should I borrow for wages?

Work out the gap across the whole period, not just this payday. Add up wages, super and PAYG withholding until your next big receipt lands, subtract the cash you have and the receipts you’re confident about, and add a small buffer. The Cash Gap Calculator does the maths.

Illustrative example: a commercial cleaning company in Melbourne’s west wins a contract that adds twelve staff. Wages and super rise by about $28,000 a fortnight, but the client pays monthly in arrears. For the first two months the business is short roughly $50,000. A line of credit of $60,000 covers it, drawn as needed and repaid as the monthly payments arrive.

What are the risks of missing super?

They’re serious. Unpaid super can lead to the super guarantee charge, which includes the shortfall plus interest and an administration component, and it isn’t tax deductible. Directors can also become personally liable for unpaid super and PAYG withholding through the director penalty regime. If you’re behind, deal with it quickly. A fast loan that brings super up to date can protect both the business and the directors personally.

Is there a better long-term fix?

Often, yes. Borrowing to meet payroll once is sensible. Doing it every month suggests a structural issue. Options include invoicing as work is completed rather than at month’s end, negotiating progress payments on bigger jobs, shortening payment terms for new customers and building a small wage reserve. Our guide on cash flow when you win a big contract covers the growth trap in detail.

Is payday creeping up? Start a 60-second enquiry now so a specialist can get moving.

How do I set up payroll for payday super?

Check that your payroll software is set up to calculate and pay super with each pay run, and that your super clearing arrangements can handle the new timing. Your bookkeeper or payroll provider can confirm the settings. Then update your cash forecast so each payday shows wages, PAYG withholding and super together, which gives you a clearer picture of the true size of each pay run.

A quick payroll cash check

Before each pay run, compare the total of wages, PAYG withholding and super with your available cash plus receipts due before payday. If the margin is thin two pay runs in a row, arrange funding then, not on the morning of payday.

See if your next pay run can be covered

There’s no credit check when you first enquire, so asking won’t affect your file. Your details don’t get sent to a crowd of lenders. A real person reads your enquiry, works out how big the payroll gap is and calls with the quickest way to cover it.

Please give us the real numbers on the form, including the amount and when your next big receipt is due, so the first match is the right one. Check if you qualify.