Contribution standard v3.0
The existing SuperStream standardExternal Link has been upgraded to support Payday Super in a number of ways. This release improves the speed and integrity of payments through the system, and is important in enabling employers to make their super contributions.
New Payments Platform (NPP)
The New Payments Platform (NPP) is a real-time payments platform that enables payments to arrive around the same time as data, supporting faster reconciliation processes.
From 1 July 2026, you must be able to accept contributions made via the NPP.
The NPP is critical to employers' super contributions reaching employees' super funds within 7 business days after the relevant QE day (the day the employer pays qualifying earnings to an employee).
Dealing with contributions
Find out about:
- Timeframe to allocate or reject contributions
- Accepting and allocating contributions
- Rejecting contributions
- Increased contribution volumes
Timeframe to allocate or reject contributions
Faster inbound payments through the NPP support faster reconciliation. When you receive a super contribution from an employer, you must either allocate or reject the contribution within 3 business days.
For this purpose, a business day is a day that's not a:
- Saturday
- Sunday
- public holiday in the fund's location.
Note that:
- SMSFs are allowed more time to deal with contributions
- the timeframe for employers to pay contributions uses a different definition of business day.
Accepting and allocating contributions
If you accept a contribution and allocate it to the intended employee's account, you must report that contribution to the ATO using the Member Account Transaction Service (MATS).
Rejecting contributions
If you reject a contribution, you must send a contribution transaction error response (CTER) message explaining why the contribution was rejected. These messages were standardised and simplified as part of the Contribution standard v3.0External Link release.
Error messages must be validated before they are sent to the employer.
Increased contribution volumes
From 1 July 2026, employers pay super for each payday rather than each quarter. This means you need to have the system capacity and capability to manage an increased number and frequency of contribution payments.
Member verification requests
From 1 July 2026, employers are required to submit a member verification request before making a first-time super guarantee contribution to a super fund, provided their software supports this functionality.
Member verification requests are a new message type designed to significantly reduce common errors that prevent contributions from reaching an employee's super fund. These are part of the Contribution standard v3.0External Link release.
The employer makes a member verification request to confirm an employee's super fund details are valid. This provides them with confidence that the contribution will be accepted by the super fund.
You must respond to a member verification request as early as possible, but no later than 24 hours after receiving a request.
The response must confirm whether your super fund either:
- can match the employee information to an active account and accept a contribution from the employer
- can't find the member or can't accept the contribution.
If you can't accept the contribution, you must tell the employer why. This is done using reason codes in the response. More information about the response reason codes can be found in the technical documentationExternal Link.
The employer may then resolve any issues with the employee before making the contribution.
Employers can also send a member verification request:
- where there has been a change in employee information (such as their name)
- where a contribution has been previously rejected.
Updated Fund Validation Service
As part of the Contribution standard v3.0External Link release, the Fund Validation Service has been enhanced to support faster payments and better data. This helps providers resolve technical issues and gives employers early notice of any changes that impact their payroll systems.
|
2014 service action name |
2026 service action name |
Timeline for change |
|---|---|---|
|
FVS List 2014 - List |
None |
Will be deprecated from 1 January 2028 with no replacement |
|
FVS Get 2014 - Get (Single) |
FVS 2026 - Get |
2026 service available from 1 July 2026 2014 service will be deactivated on 1 July 2027 |
|
FVS Get 2014 - Bulk |
FVS 2026 - List |
2026 service available from 1 July 2026 2014 service will be deactivated on 1 July 2027 |
|
FVS Update 2014 - Submit |
FVS 2026 - Submit |
2014 service will be deactivated on 1 July 2026 2026 service available from 1 July 2026
|
The 2026 Get and List services will be available alongside the existing services until 1 July 2027.
Fund Validation Service Submit service
Super funds use this to provide unique superannuation identifier (USI) details to us.
You will now need to provide additional data when going through a merger or closing a USI. You must provide a reason for closing a USI. If this is due to a Successor Fund Transfer (SFT), you will also need to provide the ABN of the new fund and a USI (if known).
You will also be able to provide a PayID for NPP payments if you choose to have one.
Fund Validation Service, Get and List
Super funds and employers use these services to obtain details of a super product, including banking details, electronic service address and contact details.
These services can now return new information that supports:
- super funds and employers with early notice and traceability of USI changes
- faster payments via NPP.
What hasn't changed
Super funds must still meet all other obligations: