Employment Hero, OZEDI and Zepto join forces to support SMBs on Payday Super

To prepare for the looming Payday Super changes, Employment Hero, OZEDI, and Zepto have teamed up to ensure that small- to medium-sized businesses can hit the new seven-day deadline.

On Tuesday (4 November), the Treasury Laws Amendment (Payday Superannuation) Bill 2025 passed the Senate, having passed the House of Representatives on 30 October.

The new laws will, among other things: require employers to ensure super contributions are received by the employee’s fund within seven business days of payday, or they will be liable for the superannuation guarantee charge; help the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) enforce the law and more quickly identify employers not making contributions; and redesign the superannuation guarantee charge to be fit for purpose and make Payday Super work.

The legislation has been the subject of much scrutiny, including employer concern that it will unfairly penalise businesses. However, last month, the ATO’s draft compliance guide for Payday Super laws stipulated that businesses could still be deemed “low risk” if occasional late payments are made due to processing errors.

The changes will take effect from 1 July 2026.

To prepare for the shift, employment management platform Employment Hero has partnered with account-to-account payments provider Zepto and superannuation messaging provider OZEDI to build a first-of-its-kind solution to protect businesses from the risk of admin and penalties, ahead of the reform.

The partnership, Employment Hero said in a statement, marks a major milestone in its new embedded super clearing tool, HeroClear, set to launch in Q1 2026 ahead of the reform. The tool removes the manual steps and delays that currently sit between payroll and super funds, and gives employers a clear proof-of-payment trail within the seven-day window.

HeroClear will use OZEDI’s SuperStream connection to verify fund details before payment, and Zepto’s real-time payments capability – leveraging Australia’s New Payments Platform (NPP) fast payments infrastructure – to move contributions instantly, Employment Hero explained.

These functions will sit inside Employment Hero’s payroll system, so employers do not have to use separate clearing houses or banking portals. Currently, existing bank transfers can take up to three business days, creating silent delays and error loops that put employers at risk under the seven-day rule, it said.

The partnership supports the core policy goal of Payday Super, Employment Hero declared, “improving retirement outcomes for Australians – while helping ensure businesses can meet the new requirements from day one”.

Speaking about the partnership, Employment Hero chief executive Ben Thompson said: “Right now, the bill expects SMBs to Payday Super right on day one, even while parts of the system that employers rely on are still being upgraded.”

“At the same time, hundreds of thousands of SMBs will need to move off the ATO’s Small Business Superannuation Clearing House (SBSCH), set to close 1 July 2026. That’s a big ask, especially when you consider the 60 per cent increase in admin overheads and $124,000 cash flow impact the average SMB will face on day one.”

He added: “We continue to advocate for a short phase-in for SMBs and legislated obligations on other industry parties like funds and gateways, but we’re also building the solutions to make compliance practical even before the 1 July deadline. We’re proud to partner with like-minded innovators, Zepto and OZEDI, in our move to embed super clearing directly into Employment Hero Payroll.

“By validating fund details up-front, moving money in real-time, and providing live confirmations and a single audit trail, SMBs will see fewer errors, faster settlement, and clear proof of action to meet new requirements. That means better outcomes for business and employees alike.”

Zepto president and co-founder Chris Jewell said: “Employment Hero is showing what’s possible under the new Payday Super framework, taking a proactive, technology-first approach that gives Australian businesses confidence to meet these new expectations.”

“At Zepto, we’re passionate about enabling dynamic, data-rich payment flows that move beyond the limitations of traditional banking systems. After processing Australia’s first real-time super payment with OZEDI in 2023, we’re proud to extend that innovation through this partnership with Employment Hero.”

“By embedding Zepto’s real-time payment solutions within HeroClear, Employment Hero is leading the way for Australian businesses – unlocking automation, transparency and instant settlement that make compliance faster, simpler, and more reliable.”

OZEDI director David Field said: “OZEDI has been in the business of handling large volumes of superannuation contribution data since 2013. The industry-wide process has remained largely unchanged for more than a decade, but technology, such as the NPP and our new data and payee verification services, creates a whole new experience for employers.

“The integration of OZEDI’s services with Employment Hero’s advanced technology and vision, plus Zepto’s NPP payment services, has created a benchmark for the industry.”