Two 7-Eleven stores in Brisbane's CBD have been accused of collectively short-changing their employees more than $31,000 in just one year.
The 21 employees, including a number of international students, were allegedly paid flat rates as low as $17.74 an hour.
Individual employees are allegedly owed amounts from $98 to $5080.
The Fair Work Ombudsman has launched legal action against the stores, the latest of six such court cases against 7-Eleven operators since 2009.
The two stores were among those targeted in surprise night visits by the Fair Work Ombudsman in September 2014.
In its Statement of claim, the Ombudsman alleges 21 employees across the two stores were underpaid a total of $31,507 between September, 2013 and September, 2014.
Jason Yuan, who operates the stores, and two companies he part-owns, will face court over the alleged underpayments.
He faces maximum penalties of up to $10,200 per breach.
The companies, Vipper Pty Ltd and Viplus Pty Ltd, each face penalties of up to $51,000 per contravention.
A directions hearing is listed in the Federal Circuit Court in Brisbane for February 22.
Fair Work Ombudsman Natalie James said 7-Eleven was also the subject of a national inquiry into allegations of systemic underpayments and false record-keeping practices.
The inquiry's final report is expected early this year, she said.
A 7-Eleven spokesman said the company didn't condone underpayment and was working to improve timesheet and payslip records.
A new system, to be introduced this year, would be a significant preventative measure to underpayments, he said.
The company also says it's working co-operatively with Fair Work to stamp out any incidences of workers being underpaid.
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