What are unique superannuation identifiers?

In Australia, most employers are required by law to make contributions to their employees’ super funds. Employees can also choose to contribute to their super fund to add to their retirement balance.

To facilitate these contributions efficiently and securely, the system relies on Unique Superannuation Identifiers (USIs). These identifiers help distinguish between funds, ensuring that payments reach the correct account.

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Unique Superannuation Identifiers (USIs) are unique codes used by the SuperStream system – an administrative platform for processing super contributions – to differentiate between super funds. A USI may represent an entire fund or be specific to individual products within it. Its primary purpose is to direct superannuation contributions accurately and securely to the intended fund, ensuring your retirement savings are managed appropriately.

Introduced in July 2014 as part of the SuperStream system, USIs replaced older identifiers such as the Australian Business Number (ABN), Superannuation Product Identifier Number (SPIN), and Superannuation Fund Number (SFN) for funds regulated by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA). While most super funds now use a USI, self-managed super funds (SMSFs) may still rely on an ABN.

Finding your Unique Superannuation Identifier (USI) is usually straightforward. It is typically listed on your superannuation statement alongside other fund details. Alternatively, if you have online access to your super account, you can log in and find the USI mentioned in your fund details section.

You may also be able to find your USI through the Australian Taxation Office’s Fund USI and SPIN lookup table, which includes the Superannuation Product Identifier Number (SPIN) as well as the following information:

• Fund ABN
• Fund name
• SPIN
• Product name
• Contribution restrictions

The same information is also hosted on the Super Fund Lookup portal. You can also check if the bank where you’ve opened a savings account maintains a list of popular super funds and their USIs.

Before the Australian government mandated USIs, super contributions were usually referenced using either the SPIN or the ABN, apart from the super fund product’s name. Since all this information is included in the USI database, you can search for the USI if you know any one of the other identifiers. In some cases, the super fund trustees may have chosen to use the SPIN itself as the USI. Also, as USIs were mandated for super funds monitored by the APRA, some SMSFs may still be using their ABNs rather than USIs.

The Superannuation Product Identifier Number (SPIN) was the preferred identifier for super fund products until the adoption of the USI in 2014. These numbers were issued only for large-sized APRA-regulated super funds and, as a result, small-sized funds regulated by the APRA and SMSFs may not have a SPIN at all. However, they will probably have an ABN listed against the super fund product name.

After the USI system was adopted, the SPINs and ABNs of existing super funds were mapped to USIs using the ATO’s Fund Validation Service (FVS). However, the SPIN may be the same as the USI for some super fund products.

It’s worth remembering that USIs may not have completely replaced SPINs and you may sometimes need to quote both when conducting transactions involving super funds. Also, whether or not you use the SPIN as the USI, you’ll need to create an electronic service address (ESA) for SuperStream which acts as a layer of electronic privacy protecting your super fund data.

SMSFs are not regulated by APRA, so they do not have Unique Superannuation Identifiers (USIs). However, to receive employer contributions through SuperStream, all SMSFs must have an Australian Business Number (ABN).

For SMSFs and other funds that do not qualify for a USI, an Electronic Service Address (ESA) is required to facilitate transactions through SuperStream. The super fund’s trustees can create separate ESAs for different transactions, such as one for super fund contributions and another for super fund rollovers.