If you’ve been using the ATO’s Small Business Super Clearing House (SBSCH) to pay your employees’ super, you’ve probably seen the news: it’s closing on 30 June 2026.
And it’s closing at the same time as a bigger change, payday super, is coming in from 1 July 2026.
So yes, there are two things happening at once. But I don’t want you to feel overwhelmed by this, because the decision you need to make is actually quite straightforward.
And if you’ve just hired your first employee and are working out how to pay super, this applies to you as well.
Let me walk you through it.
What is a clearing house?
A superannuation clearing house sits between your business and your employees’ super funds. Instead of making separate payments to multiple funds, you make one payment to the clearing house, and it distributes the correct amounts to each fund on your behalf.
The SBSCH has been the go-to option for many small businesses because it was free, simple, and run by the ATO.
That option is now being phased out.
What does payday super mean for you?
Payday super means superannuation will need to be paid at the same time as you pay wages to employees. Not quarterly as many businesses are used to. Not monthly. But with each payrun.
So this is a significant shift, especially when it comes to cash flow and it’s worth planning for separately. But for today, that’s not the angle we’re focusing on.
What is your challenge?
You need to find an alternative clearing house that supports the payday super changes and fits into your current processes.
You don’t necessarily want to redesign your payroll procedures just to accommodate a new super clearing house. Ideally, it should be the other way around.
A clearing house isn’t just a payment tool. It’s a compliance tool. And when super is tied to ATO deadlines, “good enough” isn’t really good enough.
Let’s go through what you need to weigh up when choosing your superannuation clearing house.
What to actually look for?
1) SuperStream compliant
This is the most important one.
Your clearing house must be SuperStream compliant which ensures that super contribution are made securely and in a standardised format. Without this, payments may not be accepted by super funds.
Here’s the current list of all SuperStream-compliant clearing houses and software providers. It’s worth checking this before signing up.
2) Payment timing
This becomes especially important with payday super. Under the rules, the superannuation contribution needs to reach the employee’s fund within 7 business days of payday. If not, the employer may face penalties for missing the deadline.
In reality, employers don’t have full control over the entire process. The only part you control is when you make the payment to the clearing house. After that, it depends on the clearing house, the banking system and the super funds themselves.
What this means for you is that you need to pay close attention to how each clearing house handles processing times.
3) Integration with your payroll software
In many cases, if you’re happy with your payroll system and it meets the key requirements (compliance, timing, and cost), using the built-in option is the simplest approach. Fewer manual steps usually mean fewer chances for things to slip through.
Most accounting and standalone payroll software offer automated superannuation payments directly from the platform. In simpler terms, this means that you may not need to actively choose a separate third-party clearing house at all as the software provider effectively acts as one.
4) Cost
Some platforms are free, while others charge a monthly fee or a per-transaction fee.
My honest take: don’t let cost be the single deciding factor. Choosing a clearing house just because it’s free is not ideal if it doesn’t integrate well with your payroll software. You’ll likely lose more time through manual exports, imports, and data entry.
If you have narrowed it down to two options that both fit your processes, are compliant, and support timely processing, then cost can be the deciding factor.
5) What happens when something goes wrong
No system is perfect. Payments can fail. Employee details can be entered incorrectly. Funds may reject contributions.
What matters is what happens next. Will you be notified quickly? And is it easy to fix?
A good clearing house will alert you when something needs your attention. A poor one may let issues sit quietly until you go looking, which becomes a real risk with more frequent payments.
The challenge is that you often won’t know this upfront.
Two practical things you can do:
a) read their FAQ and look for how they handle failed or delayed payments
b) check independent user reviews, not just what’s published on their website
What your options look like
Without turning this into a full comparison, most alternatives fall into a few categories.
Your accounting/payroll software may provide the most seamless option. Both Xero, Myob and Quickbooks provide automatic super payment option, but most of the standalone payroll software providers (like Payroller, KeyPay, Elmo etc) have the super payment integrated as a feature.
So if you’re already running payroll in a given software and it processes super directly from within your platform, that could be your first choice. But please do your homework and research whether they indeed fit your purpose.
Industry fund clearing houses: Many superannuation funds provide – generally free – clearing house services for employers. Just visit the funds’ website and look for Employer Registration/Login option.
An added benefit is that you can use them as your default superfund in case your employee doesn’t have an existing super fund.
Commercial clearing houses: There are independent, well-established standalone clearing house used by a wide range of payroll platforms (like SuperChoice or Beam). They generally charge fees for their services. Some have integrations with accounting or payroll software, others require manual data entry.
Key takeaways
As a practical first step, check what your payroll software already offers. That’s usually the simplest place to begin. If it integrates well, is easy to use, processes payments reliably, and gives you clear visibility, it may be all you need.
If you want to explore further, shortlist one or two alternatives, sign up, and test the process before 1 July. Avoid setting this up under pressure during your first live payroll.
Keep it simple. Lean towards something that fits your existing payroll setup, with as few moving parts as possible. Prioritise reliability and visibility over saving a small amount on fees.
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