When a Super payment is on Needs attention, Issues, or Payment errors, you should not need a clearing-house expert on the phone.
Validate with SuperChoice is the easy way to see if SuperChoice will reject a payment before you send a batch. Nothing is sent. If a payment needs a fix, Investigate opens Muzeek AI on that row — it explains what is holding it up, proposes a change, and waits for you to approve.
That tab is not always SuperChoice saying no. Sometimes payee details are incomplete before you send. Sometimes SuperChoice accepted the send and the fund sent the money back. Validate and Investigate work out which story you are in.
For connecting SuperChoice, see Connect SuperChoice for super payments. For turning Super on, see Set up superannuation.
Investigate
Start with Investigate whenever a Super payment needs a fix. You do not need to decode SuperChoice error numbers, or already know whether the problem is a curly apostrophe, a missing ESA, or the wrong fund type. That is what Muzeek AI is for.
What Investigate can do:
Open on that exact payment, with the issue already in view
Explain the SuperChoice message in plain language
Spot a clear fix (for example a curly apostrophe in a last name) and propose the Field / From / To change
Wait for you to approve before Super details are saved
Re-check that one payment with SuperChoice after you save — nothing is sent
What you still do:
Fill in a missing value when only the payee or the fund has it (postcode, ESA, USI), or send Request payment details so they can update Super themselves
Approve every change before Super details are saved
Send Super with Send to SuperChoice or Send all ready when you are ready
See Request payment details for sending the form.
Investigate appears on Needs attention, Issues, Payment errors, a Validate row that needs a fix, and the red Payee details need fixing card. Healthy Ready rows do not show it — there is nothing to investigate.
On desktop, the sidebar opens on this page. On a phone, Investigate opens the Agent page.
If Super details sit on another Account and you cannot edit them, Investigate explains that and can open the contact. It will not save a change you cannot make in Super details yourself.
Validate with SuperChoice
Use Validate with SuperChoice before Send all ready or Send to SuperChoice. SuperChoice checks the payment the same way it would at send time — without sending anything. If a payment will fail, you see it now, Investigate, then send when you are ready.
What Validate can do:
Check one payment, or check all Ready to send with Validate all ready with SuperChoice
Talk to SuperChoice, not the fund
Finish with SuperChoice check finished
Show This payment needs a fix or Many payments need a fix when SuperChoice would reject a send
Leave you on the same tab — nothing is sent, and no Issues rows are created
If a payment needs a fix, select Investigate on that row. On desktop, the needs-fix list stays on screen next to Muzeek AI. On a phone, Investigate opens the Agent page.
Validate is also available on Needs attention, Issues, and Payment errors. A check that passes does not move a failed or returned payment off Payment errors. You still Reschedule or Submit to SuperChoice to send again.
Where to look
Open Superannuation from the sidebar.
Ready to send — The invoice is paid and payee Super details pass the local send checks. You can send, or use Validate with SuperChoice first.
Needs attention — Super details are incomplete or blocked before any send. You will see a red Payee details need fixing card.
Issues — SuperChoice rejected this payment while sending a batch. It has not been sent. Fix the details, then Submit to SuperChoice or Reschedule.
Payments — Already sent and still moving (queued or with SuperChoice), or received by the fund.
Payment errors — SuperChoice accepted the send, then the payment failed or the fund returned it.
Batches — The SuperChoice batch those payments were submitted in.
How a SuperChoice payment moves
Think of four stages.
Local send checks (before SuperChoice)
When you save Super details on a contact, local checks look at names, address, postcode, TFN, fund ABN, USI, ESA, and SMSF bank. If something is missing or the wrong shape, the payment sits on Needs attention.
These checks do not talk to SuperChoice or the fund.
Ready to send
After the invoice is paid and local checks pass, the payment is on Ready to send. That badge means the details look complete here. It does not mean the fund has the money.
Use Validate with SuperChoice first so you see a SuperChoice reject before the batch runs. See Validate with SuperChoice above. This check does not talk to super funds themselves.
Send
Send all ready or Send to SuperChoice submits through SuperChoice.
If SuperChoice rejects one payee during a batch, that payment is on Issues. The rest of the batch can still send. You will see Rejected, plus Still needs fixes or Ready to submit.
After send
Once SuperChoice accepts a send, the payment is on Payments. Status updates while SuperChoice and the fund process it. Use Re-sync status on the payment, the Payments row menu, or the batch if you want the latest without waiting.
If the fund returns the money, or SuperChoice later marks the payment failed, the row moves to Payment errors. SuperChoice accepted the send. The fund (or a later SuperChoice status) sent it back.
Checks pass or Ready to retry on Payment errors means local details look fine now. The payment is still failed until you Reschedule or Submit to SuperChoice. A SuperChoice check after you fix details does not un-fail a returned payment.
How to work through a Super payment that needs a fix
Start with Investigate. The steps below are the full path if you want to walk it yourself.
Open Superannuation and find the payment on Needs attention, Issues, or Payment errors.
Open the payment and read the issue card. The short line is the problem. Extra guidance sits under it. A small SuperChoice error number may appear at the bottom — that is a reference, not the headline.
Select Investigate. Muzeek AI opens on that payment and explains what is holding it up.
If the next value is clear (for example a curly apostrophe in a last name), approve the Field / From / To change. If a value is missing (postcode, ESA, USI), type it in the thread, open Super details, or send Request payment details. Do not invent a USI, ESA, ABN, BSB, or account number.
After you save, Investigate re-checks that one payment with SuperChoice. Nothing is sent.
When local checks pass, choose what happens next:
Issues — Submit to SuperChoice to send now, or Reschedule to put it back on Ready to send.
Payment errors — Submit to SuperChoice to send now, or Reschedule to return to Ready to send.
Needs attention — save the missing details. If the invoice is already paid, the payment can move to Ready to send.
Investigate never sends Super. You send Super the usual way.
Common issues
Last name is not valid
What you might see: Last name format is not valid.
What went wrong: SuperChoice only accepts certain characters in names. A curly apostrophe from a paste is a common cause. Other leftover characters can fail the same way.
How to fix: Investigate, or open the payee Super details and use a straight apostrophe (O'Brien). Then Submit or Reschedule from Issues if SuperChoice already rejected a send.
Postcode is not a full Australian postcode
What you might see: An incomplete postcode on Super details, often a single digit.
What went wrong: SuperChoice needs a four-digit Australian postcode.
How to fix: Ask the payee, or look up the address they already have on file. Type the four digits, then save. Do not guess a postcode.
ESA is missing, looks like an email, or says N/A
What you might see: SMSF ESA is invalid, or send checks are blocked on ESA.
What went wrong: An ESA is the SuperStream address from the SMSF. It is not an email, and not N/A, NA, or none.
How to fix: Clear the placeholder, then get the real ESA from the fund or the payee. Investigate can clear a fake ESA after you approve. It cannot invent the real one.
SMSF ABN is the person's personal ABN
What you might see: SMSF not found, or SuperChoice cannot match the fund ABN.
What went wrong: The SMSF ABN must be the complying fund ABN, not the payee's personal ABN.
How to fix: Ask the payee for the SMSF ABN on their fund documents. Do not reuse their personal ABN.
Fund USI is missing or not on the current list
What you might see: Fund USI not found.
What went wrong: Industry and APRA funds need a current product USI. Retired or mistyped USIs fail. Sometimes an industry fund was saved as an SMSF.
How to fix: Ask the payee for the product USI on their member statement, or pick a live product from the fund list. Do not invent a USI from a web search.
The fund sent the payment back
What you might see: Payment errors, with wording that the fund returned the payment or the fund payment failed.
What went wrong: SuperChoice accepted the send. The fund later sent the money back. Changing a typo does not undo a fund return by itself.
How to fix: Investigate to see what the fund said and whether Super details still look wrong (wrong fund type, leftover SMSF bank on an industry fund, missing ESA). Fix details if needed. When Checks pass or Ready to retry appears, Reschedule or Submit to SuperChoice. The payment stays failed until you choose one.
The fund received the payment but left a note
What you might see: A note on a payment that was received by the fund.
What went wrong: The money landed. The fund left a warning for next time.
How to fix: Update Super details for future payments. Do not send this payment again.
After you fix details
Needs attention shows a green details-updated card when Super details are complete. If the invoice is still unpaid, the payment waits until the invoice is paid.
Issues stays on Issues until you Submit or Reschedule, even when the badge turns Ready to submit.
Payment errors stays failed until you Submit or Reschedule, even when it says Checks pass.
Reschedule puts the payment back on Ready to send so it can go out with your usual Send all ready or schedule. Submit to SuperChoice sends now.
If several invoices share one fund line, Reschedule all on the group returns each invoice payment to Ready to send separately. The next send groups them again.
Common questions
Why Validate before I send? SuperChoice checks the payment the same way it would at send time, without sending. If something will fail, Investigate that row first.
Why start with Investigate? Muzeek AI already has the payment, Super details, and SuperChoice message. You get a plain-language explanation and a proposed fix to approve, instead of decoding the SuperChoice message yourself.
Does Investigate or Validate send Super? No. Validate is a check only. Investigate explains what is holding it up and can save Super details after you approve. You still use Send to SuperChoice or Send all ready.
Why is there no Investigate on Ready to send? Healthy Ready rows have nothing to investigate. Investigate is for Needs attention, Issues, Payment errors, and Validate rows that need a fix.
Validate said the payment would pass. Why is it still on Payment errors? Validate and Investigate re-checks are SuperChoice checks. They do not clear a failed or returned send. Reschedule or Submit when you are ready to send again.
Can the rest of the batch still send if one payee fails? Yes. SuperChoice can reject one payee and still send the others. That payee is on Issues.
Can the payee update Super themselves? Yes. Send Request payment details and they fill Super in on the form. See Request payment details.
I sent a batch but the fund has not received it. Open Payments or Batches. Status updates automatically. Use Re-sync status if you want the latest. Direct credit batches also need you to transfer the amount and payment reference (PRN) to SuperChoice.
The payment is managed by another Account. You can still read it when you have access. Sending Super and updating Super details stay with the Account that pays Super.
I use Xero Payroll, not SuperChoice. Send problems stay on Issues. There is no Payment errors tab for fund returns. See Use Xero Payroll for superannuation.
Should I paste a TFN into chat? Super details is the better place. If you paste a TFN in Investigate anyway, you will be asked to confirm the exact value before it is saved.