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Business Loan Interest Rates NZ — Where to Find Current Rates

Each lender publishes their own current rates. The RBNZ sets the base. We compare across our partner panel — but we don't fabricate forecasts.

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Why this page is short

Earlier versions of this page carried specific rate forecasts and historical-trend tables. Forecasts depend on RBNZ Official Cash Rate decisions that we can't predict, and the historical numbers weren't sourced. We've replaced both with pointers to the official series and the lenders' own pages — so the rates you see are the ones a lender actually offers, not numbers we made up.

Where current rates actually live

1. The OCR sets the base

The Reserve Bank of NZ Official Cash Rate is the floor under floating-rate business lending. Banks add a margin on top for secured business loans; non-bank lenders add a larger margin to reflect their funding cost and risk profile. Track the OCR on the RBNZ Monetary Policy page.

2. Each lender publishes their own current rates

For headline-rate transparency, the major NZ business lenders publish their rates on their own sites. Always confirm with the lender — published rates can change weekly:

3. Comparison principles that actually matter

  • Compare comparison rate, not headline rate. Lenders charge fees (establishment, line, valuation, legal) on top of the headline rate. The comparison rate (or APR) bundles those in.
  • Secured vs unsecured. Secured loans (with property, equipment or invoices as collateral) come in much lower than unsecured. If you have collateral, use it.
  • Term length matters. Shorter terms usually mean lower rates but higher repayments.
  • Negotiate. Published rates are starting points. Established businesses with strong financials often get better than headline.
  • Don't accept the first offer. Comparison sites (including this one) and direct enquiries to multiple lenders give you negotiating leverage.

4. What we won't tell you

  • That rates "will" be at X% in Q3 2026 — we don't know.
  • "Most small businesses pay X%" — that depends entirely on your profile.
  • "Lender Y is the cheapest" — depends on your size, security, and term.
  • Forecasts attributed to "industry analysis" without a citation.

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