Key Highlights

  • Before July, employers could pay super quarterly, meaning contributions could arrive weeks or months after the wages they related to.
  • Second, if a contribution looks missing, late or wrong, ask your employer when they paid it, which fund they sent it to and how much they paid.
  • Third, if the problem continues, report it to the ATO using its online tool, "Report unpaid super contributions from my employer".
  • Linking myGov to the ATO also shows all the super accounts held in your name, which helps if your employer has paid into an old or unexpected fund.

Payday Super has now been running for more than three months. Since 1 July 2026, employers have had to pay super at the same time as wages, and contributions should reach an employee's super account within seven business days of payday. With the first quarter under the new rules over, and a key ATO compliance checkpoint for that quarter falling on 28 October, it is a good time for employees to check the money is actually arriving.

What Has Changed for Employees

Before July, employers could pay super quarterly, meaning contributions could arrive weeks or months after the wages they related to. Under Payday Super, Moneysmart says, payments "should reach your super account within 7 business days of payday".

The amount has not changed. The super guarantee rate remains 12% of ordinary time earnings, and Payday Super changes when super is paid, not how much. Contribution caps still apply.

Faster payments also make problems easier to spot. Under the old system, a missed contribution might not show up until long after the quarter ended. Now each payday should be followed by a matching deposit within about a week and a half.

How to Check Your Account After Each Payday

Moneysmart suggests a simple three-step routine. First, check your fund's app or online account after each payday, allowing a few business days for the money to arrive. Your payslip should also show the super amount for that pay.

Second, if a contribution looks missing, late or wrong, ask your employer when they paid it, which fund they sent it to and how much they paid.

Third, if the problem continues, report it to the ATO using its online tool, "Report unpaid super contributions from my employer".

Linking myGov to the ATO also shows all the super accounts held in your name, which helps if your employer has paid into an old or unexpected fund.

A Worked Example of the Seven-day Window

Hypothetical example: an employee earns $3,000 in ordinary time earnings each fortnight. At 12%, the super guarantee for each pay is $360, or $9,360 a year across 26 pays.

If payday is Thursday 15 October 2026, seven business days later is Monday 26 October 2026, assuming no public holidays fall in between. Counting from Friday 16 October, the business days are 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 and 26 October. If the $360 has not reached the fund by the end of that period, it may be late.

Small gaps add up quickly. If three fortnightly contributions in a row failed to arrive, the shortfall would already be $1,080, before any investment earnings are counted. That is why checking each pay matters more than waiting for an annual statement.

The deadline is for the money to arrive in the fund, not for the employer to send it, and a deposit can take a little time to appear in a fund's app. A short delay is worth a polite question, not necessarily a complaint.

Why Delays Can Happen in the Early Months

The ATO has acknowledged the transition is still bedding in. Deputy Commissioner Emma Rosenzweig told employers in July: "We understand it may take you a few pay cycles to get it right." She added: "My top tip is to address any errors quickly."