Everyone selling STC trading says fast. The useful question is: fast from when to when?
What “fast” can mean
| Claim | What to ask |
|---|---|
| Instant or same-day payout | Is this an advance against unvalidated claims, and is it recoverable if the claim fails? |
| 24-hour payment | From lodgement, from sign-off or from CER registration? |
| 1 to 3 days | Business days or calendar days? Any cutoff? |
| 20 days | Often the traditional term. See 20 days versus 1 day. |
Why instant payment is hard
A certificate does not exist until the Clean Energy Regulator processes the claim. A trader paying instantly is either advancing money against a claim that has not yet passed checks, or paying only for pre-vetted partners and jobs. Either can work, but the contract should say who carries the risk if validation fails. See what happens when STCs are rejected.
Same-day cutoffs
If a trader pays same day, there is a cutoff. Lodge at 2.58pm and you may be in today’s batch; at 3.05pm you are in tomorrow’s. Bank transfer timing matters too. Ask for the cutoff in writing and check whether weekends and public holidays count.
Comparing traders properly
- Time from complete submission to money in your account, measured on your last five jobs.
- Whether the rate is locked at lodgement.
- How rejections are handled.
- Whether a person answers the phone when a payment is late.
Our guide on how long STC payment should take benchmarks typical timelines.
What this means for installers
Energy Merchants settles established partners within 24 hours, and a new partner’s first claim takes 48 to 72 hours while we verify details; the rate is published daily on pricing and locked once a complete claim is lodged. The mechanics are on how it works, and the comparison point for other traders is on the switch page. If you want the full rundown on how a trader can afford 24-hour payment, see how traders pay in 24 hours.