# Processing

Source: https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/finance/staff-payments/processing

> Process a staff payment run in Astalty.

Create a Staff Payment Batch to calculate contractor payments from invoiced Task charges, then record the batch as paid.

> **Enable Staff Payments before you start**
>
> The Account Owner must enable **Staff Payments** under **Settings > Optional Features**. See [Optional Features](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/settings/optional-features).

## Overview

Complete the [Staff Payment settings](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/finance/staff-payments/settings) before processing your first batch. You need payment rates to calculate a batch. You need provider and contractor bank details only if you will create an ABA payment file.

## Staff Payment Batch Criteria

A draft Staff Payment Batch includes invoiced Task charges in the selected date range when the assigned staff member has the **Contractor** employment type and the charge has not already been placed in a Staff Payment Batch. Direct Charges and support charges without a linked Task are not included.

Finalise the relevant [Invoice Batch](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/finance/invoicing/invoice-batches) first so the Task charges are linked to invoices. Each Charge Item also needs a Payment Rate before you can calculate the draft batch. Bank details and the provider's ABA settings are required only when downloading an ABA payment file, as explained below.

> **Invoices do not need to be paid first**
>
> The invoice must be finalised, but it does not need to be marked as paid before its Task charge can enter a Staff Payment Batch.

## Staff Payment Batch Process

1. Open [**Finance > Staff Payments**](https://app.astalty.com.au/finance/staff-payments).
2. Select **Create Batch**.

![The Staff Payment Batches page with an arrow pointing to the Create Batch button at the top right.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/create-batch-payments.png)

3. Review the eligible charges. If Astalty finds older unpaid charges, select **Adjust dates** to include them.
4. Select **Generate Draft Batch**.
5. Enter **Pay Run Date From** and **Pay Run Date Until**, then select **Apply**.

![The Create Staff Payment Batch page with the Date filter, set to 26 Oct - 2 Nov 2026, and the Generate Draft Batch button highlighted, above a list of charges with Date, Staff Member, Charge Item, Charge Item Number, Quantity and Total cost.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/gen-draft-batch.png)

6. Open the draft and select **Calculate Batch**, then confirm. Astalty applies the payment rate that covers each Task's delivery date.

![A draft Staff Payment Batch with the Calculate Batch button highlighted beside Charges Included In This Batch. The Calculation Rate and Payment Amount columns show dashes.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/calc.png)

The batch calculates in the background. If a Charge Item has no payment rate for a Task's delivery date, Astalty keeps the batch in Draft and lists the Charge Items you need to fix.

![The Staff Payment Batches page with a batch showing the Calculating status, alongside its Created At, From Date and To Date.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/calulating.png)

7. Open the Calculated batch and review **Charges Included In This Batch**.
8. Select **Finalise Batch**, then confirm.

![A Staff Payment Batch with the Calculated status and the Finalise Batch button highlighted beside Charges Included In This Batch, where each charge shows its Calculation Rate and Payment Amount. Above it, Payments Included In This Batch shows each contractor's Total Payment.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/finalise.png)

> **Open the invoice for a charge**
>
> In **Charges Included In This Batch**, open a charge's action menu and select **View Invoice** or **View Task**. See [Opening an Invoice from a Charge](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/finance/invoicing/invoices/opening-an-invoice-from-a-charge).

9. To create the bank file, select **Actions > Download ABA Payment File**.

![A Staff Payment Batch with numbered markers on the Actions button beside Charges Included In This Batch (1) and the Download ABA Payment File option in its menu (2). The menu also offers Download Xero Bills CSV and Mark as Paid.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/aba-file-download.png)

10. Select the **Payment Date**. Leave **Mark as Paid** selected if this file represents the payment you will make.

![The Confirm dialog for downloading the ABA payment file, with the Payment Date field highlighted and an arrow pointing to the ticked Mark as Paid checkbox.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/confirm-file-donwload-and-paid-status.png)

### Marking a Batch as Paid

The **Actions** button appears after a batch is Finalised.

There are two ways to mark a Finalised batch as paid, and the difference is the payment date:

- **Download ABA Payment File** lets you choose the **Payment Date** and mark the batch as paid at the same time.
- **Actions > Mark as Paid** records the payment using today's date. Use this if you paid contractors another way.

Only Paid batches appear in the related reports and Staff Payments export.

> **Bank details are needed for the ABA payment file**
>
> To generate the ABA payment file, **every staff member in the batch needs bank account details recorded**, and your own bank account details need to be set in the [staff payment settings](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/finance/staff-payments/settings).
>
> Until both are in place, **Download ABA Payment File** stays greyed out and the batch shows a warning naming the staff members who are missing details, so you can see exactly who to fix.
>
> This only affects the ABA file. **Actions > Mark as Paid** still works on a Finalised batch.

Once a batch is **Paid**, the **Mark as Paid** option disappears from the **Actions** menu and the checkbox drops out of the download dialog - a batch can only be paid once. **Download ABA Payment File** stays available, so you can still retrieve the file if you need it again.

## Downloading Xero Bills CSV (Optional Feature)

If Astalty Support has enabled the Xero Bills CSV feature, you can download contractor bills from a Finalised or Paid batch.

Select **Actions > Download Xero Bills CSV**. Import the file into Xero as **Tax Exclusive**, following [Xero's bill import instructions](https://central.xero.com/0/article/Import-bills-and-credit-notes-AU). Xero creates draft bills for you to review and approve.

The file supplies the GST recorded for each line. When a line's quantity and a two-decimal unit price cannot reproduce its payment amount exactly, Astalty exports the line as quantity `1` at the full amount and adds the original quantity to the description, such as `(7.75 units)`. Review the draft bills before approval, especially if a contractor's GST registration status changed after the batch was calculated.

![A Staff Payment Batch with the Actions menu on Charges Included In This Batch open, and an arrow pointing to Download Xero Bills CSV, between Download ABA Payment File and Mark as Paid.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/xero-bills-2.png)

Contact <support@astalty.com.au> if **Download Xero Bills CSV** is not available.

## Voiding an Invoice and How This Affects a Processed Staff Payment Batch

Voiding an invoice does not change a Finalised or Paid Staff Payment Batch. If the charge is invoiced again and enters a later Staff Payment Batch, Astalty adds an adjustment during calculation to account for the earlier contractor payment. See [Voiding an Invoice](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/finance/invoicing/invoices/voiding).

## Staff Payment Reports and Exports

See [Staff Payment Reports and Exports](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/finance/staff-payments/reports-and-exports) after you have marked a batch as paid.