Can't pay wages today? A same-day plan before the pay run

First, how big is the gap really?

When the money for wages isn’t there, the instinct is to look at the net pay figure and panic about that. But the pay run costs more than what lands in staff accounts. Before you enquire, work out the full picture:

Item	Why it matters today or this week
Net wages	What staff are expecting today
PAYG withholding	Held back from wages; reported and paid to the ATO
Super guarantee	Under payday super, must reach funds within 7 business days of payday
Pay slips	Due within one working day of payday
Any leave loading, overtime or allowances	Often forgotten when estimating in a hurry
Payroll tax (if you’re above your state’s threshold)	Paid to your state revenue office on its own schedule

The super line is newer and easy to miss. Payday super started on 1 July 2026. The ATO says super guarantee contributions must be received by employees’ funds within seven business days after you pay them, with enough information to allocate the contributions. So funding today’s wages without planning for super simply moves the problem a week down the road.

What’s your own payroll cut-off?

This catches people out. Even if a lender pays you by early afternoon, your payroll system or bank needs time to process the pay run. Many payroll runs go through batch payments that have their own processing timetable, and some banks or payroll providers need the file lodged well before the end of the day for staff to see money that day.

Check now:

• When does your payroll software or bank need the pay run approved for same-day payment?
• Can your bank pay staff individually by fast payment if the batch is missed?
• Do you need to change any daily transfer limits to pay the full amount?

That internal cut-off might be earlier than the lender’s. Work backwards from it, not from 5pm.

What has to be ready by mid-morning?

For a same-day unsecured amount to cover wages:

1. Enquire by about 11am Sydney time, earlier if your payroll cut-off is early.
2. Download business bank statements for every account.
3. Have ID ready for every director.
4. Know the exact figure: net wages, plus a plan for PAYG and super.
5. Be ready to explain the cause: a late-paying customer, a seasonal dip, a big one-off bill.

If you own property and the amount is larger, $20k to $250k is possible same day with property security, but the enquiry target moves earlier, to about 10am. If the deadline is today, enquire now and pull the rest together while you wait.

Should you tell staff?

If there’s any chance pay will be late, yes, early. Fair Work says employers need to pay employees at least monthly, and pay must also meet the timing in the relevant award, agreement or contract. Staff have rent, mortgages and bills too.

A short, honest message beats silence: what’s happened, what you’re doing, and when you expect pay to land. Don’t promise a time you can’t control. “We expect pay to arrive by tomorrow morning at the latest” is more credible than “it’ll be there by 3pm” when you don’t yet know.

If you’re unsure of your obligations, Fair Work’s paying wages information is the place to start.

Is this a one-off or a pattern?

Lenders will ask, and it’s worth asking yourself. A timing gap because a large customer paid late is very different from wages that are consistently hard to cover. Funding can bridge a gap. It can’t fix a business model that doesn’t cover its payroll.

If it’s a pattern, talk to your accountant about pricing, hours and cash flow as well as funding. Our morning cash check is a five-minute daily habit that spots payroll gaps days before payday instead of on it.

An illustrative pay day

A Newcastle landscaping company pays eleven staff fortnightly on Thursdays. On Thursday at 7:30am, the owner sees that a $70k progress payment she was relying on hasn’t landed. The pay run, including PAYG, is about $38k, with super due within the week. She enquires at 7:45am for $50k to cover wages and super, mentions no property, and sends statements for both business accounts. Her payroll provider needs approval by 1pm for same-day payment. The loan is approved and signed by 11:40am, funds arrive at 12:25pm, and she approves the pay run at 12:40pm.

She’d have missed it if she’d waited until 10am to “see if the payment turned up”.

Can you use a line of credit instead?

If your business regularly faces tight pay weeks, a same-day loan every time is an expensive and stressful way to handle it. A line of credit or standing facility, arranged when things are calm, lets you draw what you need on payday and repay when customer payments arrive.

That approach suits businesses with lumpy income but steady payroll, such as contractors paid on progress claims or businesses with a few large customers. It isn’t right for every business, because facilities can have ongoing costs. A specialist can talk through whether it would cost less over a year than handling each tight pay run as it comes.

The one-sitting document pack lists what to have open before the call, and unsecured same-day funding explains how the amount is sized.

Need to cover today’s pay run?

Send a quick enquiry with the amount, your payroll cut-off and how many staff are involved. It takes about a minute, doesn’t involve a credit check, and your details won’t be sent to a crowd of lenders.

A real person will call and tell you straight whether today’s pay run is achievable. Please be precise about the amount and your own payroll deadline on the form, because that deadline, not the lender’s, is the one you’re racing.

Help me cover today’s wages →