Most employees everywhere have a 'Pay Day'. Service done few days prior to pay day are withheld and paid next pay day.
Electricity, Water, Phone etc.,service providers send bill after 2 months (or more) of using the service, make a due date to pay, in the bill.
Those that collect GST (or Sales Tax or VAT or luxury tax), when they sell goods and services, they get to use this money for 3 months before paying to Tax office, without paying interest on using this money.
The Australian taxation office charges interest compounding quarterly (not monthly as the lenders charge) on the dues from the tax payers.
When credit cards are used for shopping, the money is used and no interest is payable if the payment is made within few days, after the credit card statement arrives.
- Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS) (Student Loan in Australia), Government makes repayments due only in the year the income of individual crosses $47,000(approx 2011-12).
NOT FULL repayment. A fraction of income each year taken towards HECS.
No interest charged (but indexed by CPI increase).
LENDERS, "apply Repayments First to FULL interest". This means they get paid on the same day as they charge interest.