Business finance
Business finance, assessed on your business
Commercial lending looks at trading performance and cash flow rather than your personal credit score alone. Different rules, different lenders.
- Working capital, expansion and cash flow
- Secured and unsecured facilities
- Assessed on trading performance
- Terms and structures vary by lender
Free enquiry · 2 minutes · No credit check
Business lending sits outside the National Credit Code, which regulates consumer credit. The disclosure regime is different: comparison rates are not required, and pricing is quoted in a wider variety of ways — annual rates, factor rates, or a simple flat fee.
Why factor rates are misleading
A lender offering "1.2 factor" on $50,000 over six months means you repay $60,000. That sounds like 20%. Annualised, because you are repaying principal throughout rather than holding the full amount for a year, the true cost is far higher — often above 40% p.a.
This is not necessarily unreasonable for short-term working capital, but it should be a decision made with the real number in front of you. We translate every offer into an annualised cost so you can compare like with like.
To be considered you need to be 18 or over, an Australian citizen or permanent resident, currently working, and earning at least $30,000 a year before tax.
Past credit problems are not a barrier. Defaults, arrears and a low credit score are all things our lenders see every day. What matters is your income now, not the worst month you have had. If you are between jobs or your only income is a Centrelink payment, our panel cannot help — and we would rather tell you that up front than put an enquiry on your credit file that goes nowhere.
What to expect
Unsecured working capital
Short-term facilities against trading performance, often funded within days, priced above secured lending.
Secured commercial lending
Property or asset-backed facilities at materially better rates where security is available.
Cash flow and invoice finance
Bring forward payment on issued invoices instead of waiting on 30, 60 or 90-day terms.
Total cost, translated
Factor rates and flat fees converted into an annualised figure so offers can be compared meaningfully.
Common questions
Answers, in plain terms
Is business lending regulated like a personal loan?
No. Credit provided predominantly for business purposes falls outside the National Credit Code, so consumer protections including mandatory comparison rates do not apply. This makes independent comparison more important, not less.
How long does my business need to have traded?
Most lenders want six to twelve months minimum with consistent revenue. Some asset-backed and invoice finance products are available earlier.
Does my personal credit history matter?
It is considered, particularly for smaller facilities and where directors give personal guarantees, but business performance carries more weight than in consumer lending.
What security is required?
It varies. Unsecured facilities exist at higher rates. Property or asset security substantially improves pricing. Most lenders require director guarantees regardless.
How fast can funds arrive?
Unsecured working capital can settle within one to three business days. Secured facilities take longer because valuations and documentation are involved.
What is a personal guarantee?
A promise that you will personally repay the debt if the business cannot. It puts your personal assets at risk and is standard in Australian small business lending. Understand it fully before signing.
Costs and disclosures
The numbers, stated plainly
Every lender must publish a comparison rate. It folds the interest rate and the mandatory fees into one figure so products can be compared honestly. We show ours here rather than in the fine print.
Repayment period: minimum 1 year (2 years on loans under $10,000), maximum 7 years. Interest rates: 9.00% p.a. to 22.00% p.a. depending on security, credit history and the lender. Maximum comparison rate: 28.48% p.a. — the ceiling across all our products, being a $5,000 loan over 2 years at 22.00% p.a. On our representative $30,000 over 5 years basis, the maximum is 22.48% p.a.
Representative example: a $30,000 unsecured personal loan over 5 years at 13.00% p.a. (comparison rate 13.44% p.a.), with a $295 establishment fee and no monthly fee, has repayments of $682.59 per month and a total amount payable of $41,251.
Fees: establishment fee $205 (secured) or $295 (unsecured). No monthly service fee. Lenders may charge fees for missed payments or early payout — set out in your credit contract before you sign.
WARNING: This comparison rate applies only to the example or examples given. Different amounts and terms will result in different comparison rates. Costs such as redraw fees or early repayment fees, and cost savings such as fee waivers, are not included in the comparison rate but may influence the cost of the loan.
See what you qualify for
Two minutes, no documents, and no impact on your credit score. We reply the same business day.