Where NAB fits in equipment finance
NAB is Australia's largest business bank by lending, and equipment finance is one of the products where that scale is most visible. The bank funds commercial assets across transport, construction and earthmoving, agriculture, manufacturing, health and professional equipment, and writes both direct through its business bankers and at volume through the broker channel.
Two franchises stand out. NAB's agribusiness book is among the largest in the country, and its machinery finance is built around farm cash flow: seasonal, harvest-matched and irregular repayment profiles are standard offerings rather than exceptions. And NAB Health runs dedicated bankers for medical, dental, veterinary and allied health practices, where equipment and fitout finance is part of a broader practice-banking play.
For a borrower, NAB's scale cuts both ways. Policy coverage is broad and the bank has appetite across most standard asset classes, but the sharpest pricing lands on established businesses with financials to show. Young ABNs and unusual assets still tend to find better fits among specialists.
The NAB Equipment Loan: how it works
NAB's equipment loan is a chattel mortgage in all but name: your business takes title to the asset at settlement, NAB registers its security interest on the PPSR, and repayments amortise the balance over a term commonly between one and seven years. A GST-registered business on an accruals basis can generally claim the full GST input credit on the purchase price in the next BAS. Interest and depreciation are deductible to the extent of business use, and eligible assets under the instant asset write-off threshold can be deducted outright.
Balloon options are available and widely used: a residual of 20 to 30 per cent lowers the monthly repayment and leaves a lump sum to pay out, refinance or clear by trading the asset. The trade-off is higher total interest, because the financed balance stays higher for longer. Model the exact numbers on our equipment finance calculator before committing to a balloon a payment quote is built around.
The finance lease sits alongside for businesses that want NAB to own the asset and pay fixed rentals instead, with GST claimed progressively on each rental rather than upfront.
Pricing: what moves the rate at NAB
NAB does not publish a standing equipment finance rate card; pricing is deal-built. The variables that matter are the ones that matter everywhere: asset type and age, term length, balloon size, deposit or trade-in, trading history and financial strength, and whether the wider banking relationship sits with NAB.
As a market anchor rather than a NAB quote: Australian equipment finance in 2026 has generally priced between roughly 5.5 and 12 per cent p.a., with new trucks, trailers and yellow goods for established operators at the bottom of the range and older or specialised assets, short ABN histories and private sales priced up from there.
For existing NAB business customers, conduct on the transaction account is effectively part of the credit file, and replacement-asset deals for clean files can move quickly. For everyone else, the efficient path is a broker quote that includes NAB alongside the rest of the panel, so the bank's pricing is tested rather than taken.
Agribusiness and health: where NAB is genuinely strong
On farm machinery, NAB's seasonal repayment structuring is the headline feature: repayments weighted to harvest or livestock sale months, with minimal payments through the growing season. For cropping operations buying headers, tractors or seeders, that structure is often worth more than a small rate difference, because it stops the finance fighting the farm's actual cash cycle.
In health, NAB finances diagnostic and treatment equipment, surgery and practice fitouts, and practice purchases, with bankers who work health files all day. Dentists, GPs, vets and specialists buying six-figure equipment will find NAB and BOQ Specialist are the two banks that most consistently understand the asset and the income behind it.
Eligibility, documents and timing
Standard file: active ABN, GST registration where the GST benefits matter, director ID, and servicing evidence. Full-doc uses financials and tax returns; streamlined paths for established customers lean on account conduct and asset details, subject to policy caps that move with credit settings. Companies, trusts, partnerships and sole traders are all financeable, with director guarantees standard for corporate borrowers.
Approval on clean, straightforward files is typically measured in days. Settlement speed then depends on the supplier: invoices, inspections for used assets, and PPSR checks are the usual gating items. If a purchase is tied to the instant asset write-off, remember the asset generally needs to be installed and ready for use within the financial year, so leave settlement margin before 30 June.
Product lineup at a glance
Below is the current published product range. Rates are not listed inline because they change with the cash rate and per-borrower credit overlay. Click through to the lender's own rate card for the live figure.
The honest pros and cons
- Largest business bank in Australia with broad equipment appetite and deep broker distribution
- Seasonal and harvest-matched repayments for agricultural machinery as a standard offering
- Dedicated health banking with equipment and fitout finance for medical, dental and veterinary practices
- Balloon options and terms to seven years on equipment loans
- Fast streamlined paths for established customers replacing like-for-like assets
- No published equipment rate card: pricing is per-deal and opaque without a quote
- Conservative on short ABN history, older assets and private sales relative to specialist lenders
- Sharpest pricing is reserved for established, full-relationship customers
- Large-bank process can be slower than specialist financiers on non-standard files
Frequently asked questions
What equipment finance does NAB offer?
NAB offers equipment loans (chattel mortgage: your business owns the asset from day one, with upfront GST claim for accruals-basis businesses, balloon options and terms of one to seven years) and finance leases (NAB owns the asset and you pay fixed rentals). Agribusiness machinery can be structured with seasonal repayments, and NAB Health finances medical, dental and veterinary equipment and fitouts.
What are NAB equipment finance rates in 2026?
NAB prices equipment finance per deal rather than from a published rate card. Rates depend on the asset type and age, term, balloon, deposit and the strength of the business. As a market reference, Australian equipment finance in 2026 has ranged roughly from 5.5 to 12 per cent p.a. A broker quote is the practical way to see where NAB lands for your specific file.
Does NAB do seasonal repayments on farm machinery finance?
Yes. NAB is one of the largest agribusiness lenders in Australia and writes machinery finance with repayments matched to harvest or livestock sale income, rather than flat monthlies. For cropping operations this often matters more than a small rate difference, because the repayment profile follows the farm's actual cash cycle.
Can I get NAB equipment finance through a broker?
Yes. NAB writes a substantial share of its equipment finance through accredited brokers. The advantage of the broker route is that the same file is quoted across NAB and 50-plus other lenders simultaneously, at no cost to the borrower: the settling lender pays the broker's commission.
How long does NAB equipment finance approval take?
Clean, straightforward files with financials in order are typically approved within a few business days, and faster for established NAB customers on streamlined replacement-asset paths. Settlement timing then depends on supplier invoices, inspections for used assets and PPSR checks. Allow extra margin if the purchase needs to be installed and ready before 30 June for instant asset write-off purposes.