The honest answer to “how long does the STC Clearing House take” is that nobody can promise a number. The Clean Energy Regulator says the transfer list sells certificates when a buyer is available, in the order they were listed, and gives no guaranteed timeframe.
How the transfer list decides your wait
Sellers list validated certificates for sale at $40 ex GST. Buyers purchase from the list in order. Your wait is the number of certificates ahead of yours divided by how quickly buyers are purchasing. If the list is short, a sale can clear in days. If it is long, it can run into weeks or longer.
The regulator publishes the list status on its website and updates it hourly, so you can see the position before you decide to list.
Payment time after the sale
Once a sale happens, the money moves through your Clearing House account in the REC Registry. Buyers and sellers make and receive payments there, so settlement is tied to your registry account rather than to an invoice you chase. The regulator does not publish a standard number of days between sale and funds, so treat any figure you hear online as indicative.
GST is applied according to your account settings, and the regulator has said it cannot adjust a completed transaction if GST was applied incorrectly. Check your details first. We cover the tax side in GST on STC sales.
The timeline that actually matters
The wait on the transfer list is only one part of getting paid. Before that you have creation: the claim has to be lodged, validated and registered. Before that you have your own paperwork, the photos and signed assignment form. A claim that is rejected resets the clock, which usually costs more time than any queue. See why STC payment can be delayed for the common causes.
How the alternative compares
A certificate trader buys your certificates directly and pays on a published schedule. Energy Merchants, for example, settles within 24 hours for established partners, with first claims clearing in 48 to 72 hours, and the daily rate is on the pricing page. The Clearing House offers a guaranteed price but not a guaranteed date. A trader offers a known date and a rate you can see.
What this means for installers
Use the Clearing House when you can afford to wait and want a fixed price. Use a trader when you need money on a known date. If you are weighing the two, read how long STC payment should take and how STC trading works, or go straight to start trading.