Business finance for payroll: working back from pay day

How much time do you actually have before the pay run?

Most owners think about payroll in days of the week: “pay goes out Thursday.” Funding runs on business days and bank cut-offs. So the first job is to translate your pay day into a real deadline.

Start with the time your payroll software or bank needs to process the file. If staff expect money in their accounts on Thursday morning, the payment usually has to leave on Wednesday. That means any funding has to land in your account on Wednesday, before the cut-off. Count back from there, skip weekends and public holidays, and you have your true window.

Your award, enterprise agreement or employment contracts set how often people are paid — weekly, fortnightly or monthly. Where nothing says otherwise, the Fair Work Ombudsman says employees must be paid at least monthly. Either way, the date is not yours to move.

What exactly needs to be funded?

The pay run is more than net wages. Before you enquire, pull the summary for the cycle from your payroll software so the number is right the first time:

Part of the pay run	When it’s due	Why it matters for sizing
Net wages to staff	Pay day	The hard deadline everyone sees
Super guarantee	Received by the fund within 7 business days of payday	Late super triggers the super guarantee charge
PAYG withheld	With your BAS (monthly or quarterly)	Easy to forget; still owed to the ATO
Leave, allowances, overtime	Pay day	Often what makes one run bigger than usual

Since 1 July 2026, super has moved with wages. Under Payday Super, the contribution must reach the employee’s fund within 7 business days after you pay them (20 business days for a new employee or a new fund). That shortens the gap many businesses used to lean on when super was quarterly, so it belongs in the number you borrow. Our page on late super guarantee funding covers what happens if it slips.

Which funding fits a payroll deadline?

Match the option to the time left and the size of the gap.

• One to two business days, smaller amount, no property: unsecured cash-flow funding. Same-day funding is possible for smaller unsecured amounts when your business bank statements are ready to share. It’s sized on turnover, so it works best when the pay run is modest compared with what flows through the account each month. See how fast cash flow funding is assessed.
• One to two business days, larger amount, property available: a property-secured loan. $20k to $250k is possible same day, and up to $5m is possible within 24–48 hours, over residential or commercial property.
• A week or more: you have room to choose the structure — a one-off loan for a single gap, or a line of credit if payroll pressure keeps recurring.

If you’re not sure which applies, the triage checker takes your deadline, amount and security and shows the likeliest pathway. Or skip straight to it: tell us about the pay run and a real person will call.

What slows payroll funding down?

The same few things, almost every time:

1. The amount is a guess. Borrowing “about forty” and then finding the run is fifty-two means a second conversation. Use the payroll summary.
2. Bank statements aren’t handy. Unsecured decisions lean on six months of statements. Download them as PDFs now, or have your online banking login ready.
3. Nobody knows how it gets repaid. Lenders want to see the exit: a customer payment due next month, a seasonal lift, or steady trading. One sentence is enough.
4. The deadline is later than the cut-off. Tell us the time the payroll file has to go, not the time staff expect the money.

An illustrative example

Illustrative only. A café group has a fortnightly pay run of $38,000 including super, due Thursday. A catering client that normally pays on the 1st has paid late, leaving the account $30,000 short on Tuesday morning. Monthly turnover through the account is around $140,000 and the owners don’t want to use their home as security.

With two business days to go, unsecured cash-flow funding is the realistic path. The owner downloads six months of statements, exports the pay run summary, and notes that the catering invoice is expected within three weeks — the repayment story. With those ready on the first call, a same-day or next-day decision is possible rather than a scramble on Thursday morning.

What if the money can’t land in time?

Be honest with your team early. A short delay explained on Tuesday lands very differently from a failed payment discovered on Thursday. Pay what you can on time — many owners prioritise the lowest-paid staff and anyone who has flagged hardship — and give a firm date for the rest.

At the same time, keep the funding moving. The worst outcome is a late pay run followed by the same gap next fortnight because nothing was arranged. If payroll pressure is part of a bigger squeeze, read urgent working capital and how much to borrow before you pick a number.

Ready to cover the run?

Payroll is personal — it’s your people’s rent and groceries — so it deserves a fast, straight answer. Tell us the pay day, the full amount including super, and whether there’s property involved. Asking won’t touch your credit file, your details stay with one team rather than being handed around a list of lenders, and a real person reads the enquiry and calls you back. Please answer the form accurately; the closer the numbers are to your payroll summary, the more likely the first option we suggest is the one that gets staff paid on time.

See if you qualify →