What is the minimum income for a personal loan?

Some lenders don't have a minimum income requirement. They'll judge your application based on your expenses instead.

Personal loans are available to people in a range of financial situations. To make sure the loan is suitable, lenders set certain requirements that borrowers need to meet to be eligible to apply for the loan. One of these is a minimum income requirement. This is one way of proving you're able to afford the loan.

Some lenders will need you to earn over $30,000 p.a. to be eligible, while others only need you to be making over $300 per week. There are also lenders that don't have a minimum income requirement, although these loans are usually more expensive.

What income do I need to earn to be approved for a personal loan?

LenderMinimum income requiredReview the loans
ANZ$15,000 p.a.Review
Bankwest$20,000 p.a.Review
Bank of MelbourneNo minimumReview
BankSANo minimumReview
bcuNo minimumReview
Bendigo BankNo minimumReview
Citi$40,000 p.a.Review
CommBankNo minimumReview
CUANo minimumReview
IMBNo minimumReview
Latitude$24,000 p.a.Review
ME BankNo minimumReview
NABNo minimumReview
PlentiNo minimumReview
RACQNo minimumReview
RACVNo minimumReview
SocietyOne$30,000 p.a.Review
St.GeorgeNo minimumReview
WestpacNo minimumReview
LenderMinimum income requiredReview the loan
Cash Converters$300 per weekReview
Cash Train$1,200 per monthReview
ClearLoansNo minimumReview
Fair Go Finance$500 per weekReview
MoneyMeNo minimumReview
MoneySpotNo minimumReview
NimbleNo minimumReview
Swoosh Finance$300 per weekReview
Sunshine Loans$300 per weekReview
Wallet WizardNo minimumReview

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Use Finder to compare personal loans to make sure you're getting the better deal. Remember to check the eligibility criteria!

Finder survey: How many Australians of different ages have used a buy now pay later service?

Response
75+ yrs
65-74 yrs
55-64 yrs
45-54 yrs
35-44 yrs
25-34 yrs
18-24 yrs
No85.11%71.52%59.24%47.02%34.78%32.11%41.9%
Afterpay6.38%19.39%28.66%34.52%48.37%55.26%43.81%
PayPal Pay in 46.38%11.52%10.83%19.64%26.09%22.63%10.48%
Zip4.26%3.03%12.1%16.67%26.09%25.26%20.95%
Other2.13%2.42%3.18%2.38%2.72%2.11%3.81%
Humm3.64%3.82%5.36%5.98%5.79%5.71%
Klarna1.82%4.76%5.98%6.32%5.71%
Openpay1.21%1.91%4.17%8.7%6.32%2.86%
Bundll1.19%1.58%
Source: Finder survey by Pure Profile of 1016 Australians, December 2023

What if the lender has no minimum income requirement?

If the lender has no minimum income requirement then it will rely on its own methods to determine whether or not you can afford the loan. The lender will do its due diligence by asking for your bank statements and/or an estimate of your expenses and other commitments, such as credit card limits and loans, to see if you will be able to afford the repayments.

If you have concerns about whether or not you will be approved, you might want to contact the lender to get some more information.

How do lenders determine how much I can borrow?

When you submit an application for a loan, the lender will most likely ask about your expenditure. You should try to be as accurate as possible when estimating your expenses as the lender may check your bank statements. Lenders also use a formula called the Household Expenditure Method (HEM) to work out how much you’re likely to be spending based on the median spending of Australian households.

The HEM uses the number of adults and dependents in your household, the state you live in, whether you rent or own and how lavish a lifestyle you lead to determine how much you’re spending. While this may not seem altogether fair, as your expenditure may actually be lower than the average, it does help banks curtail false expenditure claims.

How can I prove my borrowing power?

The first step to proving your borrowing power is working out whether you can actually afford the loan. Use a personal loan repayment calculator to work out your repayments based on the interest rate, fees, loan amount and loan term of your chosen personal loan. After you’ve done this, determine whether you’ll be able to manage the repayments on your current budget.

If you’re unsure of your borrowing power, you can use this borrowing power calculator to find out how much you might be eligible to borrow.

What do I do if I’m not eligible?

There are a few things you can do if you find out you don’t meet the minimum income requirements:

  • Apply for a lower amount. If you can’t prove your ability to manage repayments for your current requested loan amount, consider borrowing less. This will mean lower repayments and less of a risk for the lender.
  • Choose a more affordable loan. The reason you might be ineligible for a loan could be that the loan has costs that are deemed too expensive for you. Other loans may have lower interest rates and fewer fees, which will give you a better chance of managing the repayments.
  • Try your current bank. If you have a good banking history you might have a better chance of being approved for a loan with your current bank. You may be able to find products that you could be eligible for by logging into your Internet banking portal.

Frequently asked questions

Why compare personal loans with Finder?

freeAddicted to details. We know taking out a personal loan is something you'll be hooked up with for a while. That's why we put hours into research for this guide (and still do at least once a month)
expert adviceRates obsessed. Lenders come in all shapes and sizes, that's why we don't just track the big banks, but all the digi folk too. Pretty much everyone but your parents to be honest.
independentCash for whatever you need. Lending rates verified from 180+ products day and night. Whether you're buying a car, rennovating your home or heck just ready to let loose with the spending - we got you.
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Journalist

Elizabeth Barry is an experienced journalist with over 10 years of expertise in personal finance, contributing to outlets like the ABC, Sydney Morning Herald, and 7News. She holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Technology Sydney, and has earned multiple award nominations, including a Highly Commended recognition at the 2017 Lizzies. Elizabeth began her career at Finder in 2013, progressing through roles to become Lead Editor, where she oversaw a wide range of personal finance coverage until 2024. See full bio

Elizabeth's expertise
Elizabeth has written 210 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Banking
  • Personal finance
  • Investing

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4 Responses

    Default Gravatar
    AngelaMay 7, 2024

    I am on Centerlink payments jobseeker and I own my own unit out right nothing owing,I get board from my flatmate of 90 PW I have never had any credit before but would like to borrow 20000 over 3yrs could I have a chance if I put my unit as security?

      AvatarFinder
      SarahJune 25, 2024Finder

      Hi Angela,

      If you’re willing to put your property as security, that would definitely help you application. You would actually apply for a home loan, as the home is the security against the loan. Your chances of approval depend on a range of things, including the length of the loan, your income and other debts.

      To see what some of your options may be, you can review some loans here.

      Hope this helps!

    Default Gravatar
    WarrenAugust 2, 2017

    I earn $565 per week. Am I able to borrow $5000?

      AvatarFinder
      RenchAugust 2, 2017Finder

      Hi Warren,

      Thanks for reaching out to us.

      Your ability to borrow money would depend on how your chosen lender would assess your creditworthiness. If you meet their eligibility requirements, there’s a higher chance you’ll get approved. You can use our calculator to get an idea how of much you can borrow. You can also read more about how to increase your chance of getting approved for a personal loan.

      I hope this helps.

      Cheers,
      Rench

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