Two former 7-Eleven operators have been fined $150,000 after exploiting six international students from Zimbabwe and India - one who was underpaid $40,000.

An investigation by the Fair Work Ombudsman found the operators, who owned and operated a store in Park Street, South Yarra and Moorabool Street, Geelong, deliberately falsified information to 7-Eleven head office about the number of hours worked and the students' rates of pay.

Toorak couple Hao Chen and Xue Jing were last Thursday fined $20,000 and $10,000 respectively in Melbourne Magistrates' Court, and their private company, Bosen Pty Ltd, a further $120,000. Both were charged with numerous breaches of workplace laws relating to underpayment and record keeping.

Magistrate Kate Hawkins ordered them to back-pay the students almost $90,000. The employees were underpaid amounts ranging from $1342 to $40,583.

Ms Hawkins said Chen was the "directing mind and will" of Bosen when it underpaid the workers, and that Jing was involved in the underpayment of two of the students.