How 24-hour business funding works

The “24” in our name isn’t decoration. It’s the timeline we work to: funded within 24 hours of your first application. This page explains how that actually happens, what has to go right, and where things can slip — so you know what to expect before you start.

Is 24-hour business funding realistic?

For many New Zealand businesses, yes. The reason most business loans take weeks has less to do with lending decisions than with friction: documents arriving in pieces, the wrong lender chosen first, security that turns out to be more complicated than expected. Remove those and a decision can be made in hours.

What makes 24 hours realistic:

• An accurate application — the right amount, real purpose, true trading history, any arrears disclosed.
• Documents ready — photo ID and six months of bank statements for every business account.
• The right lender first time — matched to your situation, not trial and error.
• Simple security, or none — unsecured deals have the fewest steps.
• A lawyer ready — for any property-secured loan.

It isn’t a guarantee. Full valuations, consent from an existing bank, trust-owned property and unfiled returns can each add days. We’ll tell you on the first call.

What happens at each stage?

The timeline above shows the five stages. A few notes on each:

Application. About 60 seconds. There’s no credit check when you first enquire, so applying early costs you nothing.

First call. A real person — not a chatbot — calls to confirm the details. The call may come from a number you don’t recognise. This is where we choose the lender and product, so it’s worth being open about anything unusual.

Documents and checks. For unsecured deals, mostly ID and bank statements. For property deals, the lender searches the title — LINZ records show owners, mortgages and other interests — and confirms the value.

Approval and offer. The lender sets out the amount, term and every cost in dollars. Read it properly; our guide to checking a loan offer quickly helps.

Settlement. Funds are released to your account or directly to the payee — IRD, a supplier, a vendor’s lawyer.

Want to start the clock now? Begin your application — it takes about a minute.

How do unsecured and property timelines compare?

	Unsecured	Property-secured
Steps	Application, statements, ID, offer, funds	Plus title search, value check, legal advice, registration
Same day possible?	Yes, for smaller amounts	Yes, for $20k–$250k with a clean title and lawyer ready
Typical	Within 24 hours	Within 24 hours; up to $5m possible within 24–48 hours
Main risk to timing	Missing statements	Valuation wait, bank consent, trust signatures

What can I do to protect the 24-hour aim?

1. Apply early on a business day. Morning applications give the most room.
2. Prepare your documents first. Our documents checklist lists everything by loan type.
3. Answer the form accurately. Changes mid-way restart parts of the assessment.
4. Keep your phone with you. A missed call can cost hours.
5. Brief your lawyer if property is involved — tell them a loan document may arrive within the day.
6. Read and sign promptly. Offers sitting unsigned overnight are a common delay.

What happens if my deal can’t be done in 24 hours?

We tell you why, and what the realistic timeline is. Sometimes there’s a faster alternative — a caveat loan instead of a second mortgage that needs bank consent, for example, or a smaller unsecured amount now with a larger property-secured loan to follow. Sometimes the honest answer is “this will take three days”, and you can plan around it. Our page on what slows funding lists the common causes.

An illustrative 24 hours

A Wellington café owner applies at 8.40am on a Tuesday for $35,000 to replace a failed espresso machine and cover a slow fortnight. Statements and ID are uploaded by 10am. The lender approves early afternoon; the offer is signed at 3pm and funds land the next morning — about 24 hours after the application. (Illustrative only.)

Who is involved in the 24 hours?

Fast funding depends on several people doing their part promptly:

• You — completing the application, supplying documents, answering our call and signing.
• Your specialist — choosing the lender, packaging the application and keeping it moving.
• The lender — assessing, approving and issuing the offer.
• Valuers — on some property deals.
• Lawyers — yours for advice and witnessing, the lender’s for security documents.
• Banks — processing the final payment.

Most of the 24 hours is spent waiting for one of these to finish its step. The fewer parties a deal needs, and the better prepared each one is, the more reliably the aim is met.

Does the 24-hour aim change with the amount?

Somewhat. Small unsecured amounts have the fewest steps and can be funded the same day. Mid-sized unsecured loans may need a closer look at statements or recent financials. Property-secured loans from $20k to $250k are possible the same day when the title is clean and a lawyer is ready, while larger property loans up to $5m are possible within 24–48 hours. The aim stays the same in every case: we work to have you funded within 24 hours of your first application, and we say early if a particular step will take longer.

Start your 24 hours

The fastest funding starts with a complete, honest application. Apply in about 60 seconds and the clock begins. You won’t face a credit check for enquiring, your details go to one specialist rather than a parade of lenders, and a real person will call to map out your timeline. Accurate answers and ready documents are what turn our 24-hour aim into your reality.