Searches for how a trader can pay in 24 hours, who pays in 24 hours and how 24-hour payment works are one question: what has to be true for the money to move that fast?
The mechanics
The CER creates STCs only after it processes a claim, and a trader then sells them to liable entities, mostly energy retailers, via the Clearing House at $40 or on the spot market, which has been roughly $38 to $40 at the time of writing. A trader paying you in a day pays before that cycle finishes. That takes three things.
- Working capital. Money from a bank facility, owners’ capital or both, used to pay installers ahead of the sale. See how traders fund STCs.
- Pre-checks. If photos, forms and serials are checked before lodgement, the share of claims that fail is low enough to fund. See pre-validation.
- A settlement routine. A daily cut-off, an approvals queue and a bank batch with a person responsible.
Where the catch can be
- The 24 hours may start at “sign-off”, not at lodgement.
- It may apply only to established partners, with a slower first claim.
- It may be an advance, recoverable if the claim fails.
- It may carry a lower rate, or fees.
None of these are bad. They only matter if they are hidden. See fastest STC payment for how to test the claim.
What this means for installers
For an installer the benefit is cash flow: panels bought on supplier credit can be paid for while the next job is under way. Energy Merchants pays established partners within 24 hours of sign-off, with a first claim at 48 to 72 hours, backed by REC Traders, which has traded certificates since 2004. Zero fees, and today’s rate is on pricing. The process is on how it works and the switch page.