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Equipment finance · $10,000 – $500,000
Finance the asset with the asset
Plant, machinery, commercial kitchens, medical and dental equipment, IT and fit-out. Secured against what you're buying, so it prices better than general business lending.
Equipment finance is secured against the asset being purchased, which is why it typically prices below unsecured business lending. The structure follows the useful life of the equipment rather than an arbitrary term.
Chattel mortgage, hire purchase and lease each have different ownership, balance sheet and tax consequences. Your accountant should have a view on which suits you — we'll set out what each lender will fund.
What it typically covers
- Plant, machinery and production equipment
- Commercial kitchen and hospitality fit-out
- Medical, dental and allied health equipment
- IT hardware, servers and point of sale
- Earthmoving and construction plant
- Trade tools and workshop equipment
What you get from us
Asset-backed pricing
Security in the equipment generally means a lower cost than unsecured lending.
Structure options
Chattel mortgage, hire purchase or lease, depending on how you want to hold it.
New and used
Used equipment is fundable; age and type affect the term available.
Talk to your accountant
Ownership and depreciation treatment differ by structure. Get advice before you sign.
Eligibility
What lenders look at
- You're 18 or over and an Australian citizen or permanent resident
- You have some regular income — from work, self-employment, superannuation, investments or a pension
- You're borrowing an amount you can service comfortably — most of our panel starts around $10,000
- You can comfortably meet the repayments alongside your existing commitments
Every lender on the panel weighs these differently, so none of it is a fixed cut-off — send the enquiry and we'll tell you honestly what is and isn't available. If money is already tight, the National Debt Helpline offers free, independent financial counselling, with nothing to sell you.
Enquire about equipment finance
Two minutes. No credit check.
Rates
Why there's no rate on this page
Equipment finance is priced against the asset, its age and its useful life, so there is no meaningful single range to publish. This is business lending and sits outside the National Credit Code, so no comparison rate applies. We quote against the specific asset.
Rates for our unsecured and secured personal lending, including comparison rates and a representative example, are set out in full at the bottom of every page.
Common questions
Before you enquire
Can I finance used equipment?
Yes, though the age and category of the asset affect the maximum term and which lenders will participate.
What's the difference between a chattel mortgage and a lease?
Under a chattel mortgage you own the asset from the outset and the lender takes security over it. Under a lease the financier owns it and you pay for use. The tax and accounting treatment differs — your accountant should advise.
Do I need a deposit?
Many equipment facilities are written at full value with no deposit, depending on the asset and your trading history.
Can I finance a private sale of equipment?
Often yes, subject to valuation and verification of the seller.
Get a straight answer
Tell us the position and we'll come back with what the panel can realistically do — including if the answer is no.
Start an enquiryThe structures, and when each one fits
Chattel mortgage
You own the asset from settlement and the financier registers a security interest over it on the PPSR. The dominant structure for commercial plant and vehicles in Australia. Because the lending is secured against something with a resale market, pricing sits well below unsecured business finance. GST on the purchase price is generally claimable upfront in your next BAS rather than spread across the term, which is often the deciding factor. Suits assets you intend to own and run out.
Rent-to-own
Rental payments across the term with an option to acquire the asset at the end. Lower monthly outflow than a chattel mortgage on the same asset, with the residual handled at expiry. Useful where the equipment dates quickly or where preserving monthly cash flow matters more than eventual ownership.
Operating lease
Closest to straight hire. The financier retains ownership and carries the residual risk, and the asset comes off your books at the end of term. Appropriate for equipment you replace on a cycle and never intended to keep.
Balloons and residuals
Most commercial asset finance carries a residual: a lump sum falling due at the end of the term. It lowers the monthly figure now and creates an obligation later. That is a legitimate structure when the asset will still hold value at expiry and you plan to refinance, trade or pay it out.
It becomes a problem when the residual is set aggressively high to make the monthly repayment look competitive, and the asset's market value at expiry falls short of the amount owing. Ask what the residual is in dollars, and form your own view on what that machine will be worth in four years.
New, used and private sale
Used equipment is financed routinely. Age and hours drive the terms, because both drive resale value. Older assets typically attract a shorter maximum term, a larger deposit, or both.
Private sales are workable but need more verification: confirmation the seller holds clear title and a PPSR search showing no existing encumbrance. Buying a machine with finance still registered against it means the original financier can recover it from you.
What to have ready
- ABN and, for larger facilities, GST registration
- Three to six months of business bank statements
- The supplier invoice or written quote for the specific asset
- Serial or VIN details, and hours or kilometres for used plant
- Financials or BAS history above roughly $150,000
Facilities under about $150,000 with an established ABN are frequently assessed on statements alone.