“Anyone else waiting?” is a fair question when money is tied up. Sometimes it is a system-wide queue, but far more often it is something specific to your claim.
What pending usually means
Pending is not one state. A claim can be waiting at several points, and traders use the word loosely.
| Where it is stuck | Typical cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| With the trader, awaiting review | Queue, or a missing document | Ask which document |
| Failed validation at the registry | Data mismatch, serial or address error | Fix and resubmit |
| With the CER for assessment | Audit sampling or an evidence check | Provide the evidence requested |
| Created but not yet settled | Trader’s settlement run or credit hold | Ask for the settlement date |
| Awaiting your details | ABN, bank or RCTI information | Update your account |
The question to ask is never “where is my payment” but “which stage is the claim at, and what is outstanding.” A good trader can answer that in a sentence.
Common reasons it drags
- Signature, date or address on the assignment form does not match the registry entry.
- Photos missing serials, location or the protection shown.
- Serial numbers that do not match the model list.
- An installation date that does not fit the certificate.
- The claim was lodged in the wrong name or ABN.
Most of these are explained in why an STC payment has not arrived and STC payment delay reasons.
STCs showing but no payment
A common version of the problem is that the STCs are visible as created, transferred or “sold”, yet no money has arrived. That usually means one of three things: the transfer has happened but the trader’s settlement run has not, your payment details or RCTI are incomplete, or the trader is holding payment against an open query. Ask for the settlement date and the payment reference, check that your ABN and bank details on file are current, and confirm whether an RCTI is waiting on you. If the trader’s stated terms have passed with no explanation, put the request in writing.
When the trader is the problem
Sometimes the delay is the trader’s own cash flow or process. Signs include vague answers, no named contact, terms that quietly changed, or an instruction to “wait for the next run”. Look at your contract for the stated settlement time, and read what to do when a trader owes money and STC trader paid late.
What this means for installers
Reduce pending time by lodging clean claims. A compliance pre-check before lodgement catches most of the common errors, and a buyer that locks its rate on lodgement of a complete claim removes the risk that the rate falls while you wait. Our how it works page shows that flow. See also how long STC payments should take.
From the desk: keep a one-line log per claim: lodged date, status, the last person you spoke to. When you ring, you are no longer asking for a favour, you are asking for a status against a record.
If it is the CER step that is holding things up, see STCs stuck at the CER. The wider overview is on STC trading and pricing.