Quick answer
When payroll is due before money comes in, protect wages and super first: staff must be paid on time and, since 1 July 2026, super must reach their funds within 7 business days of payday. Move other bills where you can, then bridge the pay-week gap with a cash line or short-term cash loan, where same-day funding is possible for smaller unsecured amounts.
Key points
- Wages and super come before almost everything else.
- Payday Super ties super to every pay run from 1 July 2026.
- Move supplier and other bills instead of delaying pay.
- A cash line suits recurring pay-week dips.
- Super deadline
- 7 business days after payday
- SG rate
- 12%
- Speed
- Same day possible for smaller sums
- Typical fix
- Cash line or short-term loan
Few things keep a business owner awake like a payroll that doesn’t add up. Your people have rent and mortgages too. They’ve done the work. And the customer who’d make the whole thing easy hasn’t paid yet.
Why wages come first
There are good reasons to treat payroll as untouchable:
- Legal obligations. Awards, enterprise agreements and contracts set when and how staff must be paid.
- Super is now tied to payday. From 1 July 2026, under Payday Super, contributions must reach employees’ funds within 7 business days of each payday. The super guarantee rate is 12%.
- Trust. One late pay run can cost you good staff, and replacing them costs far more than bridging a gap.
The Fair Work Ombudsman notes that late super payments can attract extra charges and may breach workplace laws. That makes wages and super the last bills you’d ever delay.
Which bills can move instead?
When payroll and income don’t line up, look elsewhere first:
| Bill | Can it wait? | How |
|---|---|---|
| Wages | No | Bridge it |
| Super (from 1 July 2026) | No | Pay with each pay run |
| PAYG withholding | Not really | Paid with your BAS; set it aside |
| Rent | Sometimes | Ask the landlord before it’s due |
| Suppliers | Often | Ask for a short, agreed extension |
| Subscriptions and non-urgent costs | Usually | Pause or reschedule |
| Equipment loan | Sometimes | Ask the lender to move the date |
Our page on bills due at once explains how to spread regular bills so payday doesn’t collide with everything else.
Payday coming and the account’s short? Start the 60-second enquiry and we’ll look at covering pay week.
How big is the payroll gap?
Work it out pay run by pay run:
- Gross wages for the pay run.
- Plus super (12% of qualifying earnings) due within 7 business days.
- Plus PAYG withheld, which you’ll need when the BAS is due.
- Compare with cash in the account and what’s genuinely arriving before payday.
The cash gap calculator lets you add each payday as a bill and see how far the account dips and for how long.
How do businesses bridge pay week?
- A business cash line for recurring pay-week dips. Draw before payday, repay as invoices land. See business cash line.
- A short-term cash loan for a one-off, such as a late customer or a big leave payout. Same-day funding is possible for smaller amounts. See quick business cash.
- Property-backed cash where several pressures (wages, tax, suppliers) have built up together.
Pay week, day by day
For a business paying fortnightly on a Thursday, a calm pay week looks like this:
| Day | Task |
|---|---|
| Friday before | Check the cash forecast: will wages and super be covered? |
| Monday | If not, call the customers who owe you and confirm dates |
| Monday | Talk to suppliers about moving anything due this week |
| Tuesday | Arrange a bridge if there’s still a gap; same-day funding is possible for smaller amounts |
| Wednesday | Process payroll in your software |
| Thursday | Wages paid |
| Within 7 business days | Super reaches employees’ funds |
The earlier in the cycle you spot a gap, the more options you have. Discovering it on Wednesday night leaves very few.
What about leave payouts and bonuses?
Big one-off payroll items, such as a departing employee’s accrued leave, end-of-year bonuses or a busy period’s overtime, can double a normal pay run. Under Payday Super, super on qualifying earnings follows too. If one is coming, add it to the cash forecast as soon as you know, and treat it like any other large bill.
Stopping it happening every fortnight
If payroll is tight every cycle, look at the cause:
- Customers paying on long terms while you pay weekly. See slow-paying invoices.
- Rosters that don’t match demand. business.gov.au suggests matching staffing to busy periods.
- Pricing that hasn’t kept up with wage increases and super changes.
- The lost super float. If you used to rely on quarterly super timing, the Payday Super cash flow page explains the change.
An illustrative example
Illustrative only. A Sunshine Coast landscaping company with 14 staff pays wages weekly. A developer client owes $48k and has pushed payment back two weeks. Two pay runs, with super, total about $46k. The owner asks the nursery supplier for a fortnight’s extension and covers payroll with a short-term unsecured loan, repaid the day the developer pays.
Look after your team, and your nerves
Paying people on time is non-negotiable, and you shouldn’t have to scramble to do it. Tell us what’s due and when money’s coming. It takes about a minute, enquiring won’t touch your credit file, and we won’t pass your details to a bunch of lenders. A real person reads your enquiry and calls you, usually the same business day.
Please be accurate about your payroll amount, how often you pay and when your customers pay. That’s how we size the cover properly.
Frequently asked questions
Can I borrow money to pay wages?
Yes. Using business finance to cover payroll while customer payments are on the way is a legitimate and common use of a cash line or short-term cash loan.
What happens if I pay wages late?
Late wages can breach awards, agreements and workplace laws, and damage trust with your team. If you're worried about making payroll, act before payday, not after.
Do I have to pay super at the same time as wages now?
From 1 July 2026, under Payday Super, super must reach employees' funds within 7 business days of payday, with a longer window for some new employees. Your payroll software calculates the amount.
Is it better to delay a supplier or delay wages?
Talk to the supplier. Most will accept a short, agreed delay. Wages and super carry legal obligations and penalties that make them the last thing to delay.