Getting started
No, you don't need to be an existing customer to apply for a loan with BCU Bank. If you’re over 18, a resident of QLD or NSW, and have a regular income, you may be eligible to apply for a personal loan.
Once your loan is approved, a BCU Bank membership will be automatically opened in your name. You’ll then be able to enjoy all the benefits of banking with us!
If you want to refinance an existing BCU Bank personal loan, or a loan you have with another bank or lender, we’re here to help.
You might be looking to increase your loan, or combine multiple loans into one with a debt consolidation loan.
We offer both secured and unsecured variable rate personal loans for any purpose. And you can use our repayments calculator to get an idea of your repayments.
If you have an existing BCU Bank loan you want to review or increase, or you want to speak to a team member about a new personal loan application, please contact our lending specialists on 1300 228 228 to apply over the phone, or visit your nearest branch.
If you apply over the phone or in branch, we aim to have a response back within 24 hours, and we'll work to fund the loan as soon as possible.
Timeframes do depend on how quickly you can provide your supporting documentation (payslips, bank statements etc.) and any further information we require, so it pays to be prepared before applying.
When you apply for your personal loan, we’ll ask you for information about your financial situation. This includes:
- your income,
- your expenses (living expenses, rent, insurance etc.),
- your assets (cars, deposit accounts, homes etc.) and
- your debts or liabilities (mortgages, other loans, credit cards, store cards etc.).
You’ll need to provide two forms of identification if you don't already bank with us, as well as proof of your income and bank statements verifying the information you provide.
If you would like to speak with a lending specialist for more information you can call us on 1300 228 228 or visit your nearest branch.
When we assess your loan application we consider your personal details, including your regular income and expenses, to determine your capacity to repay the loan.
To be eligible to apply for a BCU Bank personal loan you must be earning a primary income from a part time, full time or casual job. We may be able to accept some types of government benefits or centrelink payments as a type of income too.
For further information please contact our friendly lending consultants on 1300 228 228.
General enquiry
You can check the balance of your personal loan in internet banking or the BCU Bank app.
You'll see your loan balance, any amount you're in advance, the amount that is available for redraw (if applicable) and when your next repayment is due.
If you need a payout figure you can call us on 1300 228 228, or visit your nearest branch, and one of our friendly team will be happy to assist.
To increase your existing personal loan amount you'll need to speak with a lending specialist.
Call us on 1300 228 228 during business hours or visit your nearest branch.
You can use our personal loan repayment calculator to get an estimate of your repayments.
The interest on your personal loan is calculated daily and charged monthly.
You can find out your interest rate and how much interest you're paying in the mobile app or internet banking. You can also make extra payments to your personal loan at any time to reduce the amount of interest you'll be charged.
The maximum personal loan amount we will approve for you depends on your personal circumstances, current income and expenses, and is subject to our lending policy.
Use our personal loan repayment calculator to work out what your your minimum repayment will be, and how much you might be able to afford.
Secured personal loan
A secured personal loan means that your loan is guaranteed by an asset, in our case a motor vehicle that is less than seven years old. The loan can be for any purpose.
Securing the loan means that we’ll register an interest on the car at the Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR).
You can read more about this in our Personal Loan Terms and Conditions.
Yes, we can assess your personal loan application and provide you with a loan pre-approval so you can shop for a car with confidence.
If the car you’re buying or refinancing is less than seven years old, you can apply for a car loan - which is a basically a secured loan for the purpose of buying a car.
If the vehicle is older than seven years old, you may be able to get an unsecured loan instead.
Securing the loan simply means that we’ll register an interest on the car at the Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR).
You can read more about this in our Personal Loan Terms and Conditions.
A secured personal loan is where your loan is secured by a motor vehicle that is less than seven years old. So, you might use the car you’re buying as security for your car loan, or you might use a car that you already own, to secure a personal loan for a well deserved holiday. Secured personal loans are often offered at a lower interest rate.
On the other hand an unsecured personal loan doesn’t require any security.
Unsecured personal loan
Yes, you can apply for a personal loan for debt consolidation. You might want to pay off your existing credit card elsewhere to secure a lower interest rate, or combine a number of loans and credit cards to simplify your repayments.
Yes, our personal loans can be used for almost any purpose. This includes to pay for a holiday or other travel purposes.
You can visit a branch or contact us on 1300 228 228 to discuss your needs with a personal lending specialist.
Repayments & redraw
You can make extra repayments to pay off your loan quicker, either as a lump sum or higher regular repayments. This will help you save on interest and monthly fees over the life of the loan.
If you pay off your BCU Bank loan early, you won't be charged an early repayment/payout fee.
If you’d like to know how much you could save by making extra repayments, check out our personal loan repayment calculator.
To get a current payout figure on your personal loan, you can call 1300 228 228, message us on webchat, or visit your nearest branch. One of our friendly team will be happy to help.
We'll need to know the date you'll be paying the loan out so we can work out any outstanding payments and interest charges.
Our personal loans give you the flexibility to make extra repayments, so you can save money on interest and pay off your loan early.
The redraw facility gives you the added freedom to have access to these extra payments if you ever need to through redraw – by transferring money back to your savings or transaction account.
You can repay your personal loan faster by increasing your regular repayments, or just making one-off or lump sum payments when your can afford to do it.
Use our personal loan repayment calculator to explore ways to pay off your loan sooner and learn how much money you could save in future interest payments.
Interest on your personal loan is calculated daily, and then charged at the end of each month. Which means that each day you have a reduced balance on your loan account, you are paying less interest.
Say for example, you get a tax return and are not sure what to do with it. Consider putting it towards your personal loan and you'll save on interest charges. With the redraw available on your personal loan you'll have the option to redraw the funds again if and when you need them.
If you’re having trouble meeting your next home loan, personal loan or credit card repayment please call us on 1300 228 228 or visit your nearest branch during business hours and we’ll connect you with a team member who can help.
We’ll work with you to come to an agreement based on your personal circumstances and may be able to offer you financial hardship assistance during this period.
Credit reporting
Your credit score is a summary of your credit report. It’s a number that indicates how healthy your credit report is – generally, the higher the number, the better you’re managing your credit. Your credit score can change as well, and under Comprehensive Credit Reporting (CCR), things like on-time repayments will positively affect your score.
There are a number of ways to find out your credit score, however the score that matters for your next credit application may depend on which reporting body the credit provider uses.
You can find out more about obtaining your credit score on the CreditSmart website.
Your credit report shows how many times you’ve applied for credit and which loans you've opened. It outlines your history of making repayments, any defaults, and how much debt you currently have. This is very important information as it tells the new credit provider how you’ve treated those debts, which gives an indication about how you’re likely to treat the new debt.
It includes information that is needed to identify you - your name; birth date; and recent addresses; current or last known employer’s name and driver’s licence number (if you have one).
Your credit report helps us determine your suitability for credit (loan) products, like home loans, personal loans or credit cards. When you apply for a home loan, personal loan or credit card with us we will check your credit report. We will also record your application for credit.
You can access your own credit report using the credit reporting bodies outlined on the CreditSmart website.
Comprehensive credit reporting (CCR) was introduced in Australia to provide a more complete picture of your credit history.
Under CCR, financial institutions are sharing additional information which forms part of your credit report, providing a more in-depth view of your credit history. This information includes the type of accounts you hold, when they were opened, your credit limit(s), and up to 24 months of your repayment history – including payments made on time.
If you make your repayments on time, your credit score will reflect your good payment behaviour. This means lenders may look at this information more favourably if you have requested credit. If you’ve had difficulty in the past making repayments on time, but are now back on track, this will be considered in your loan application and may impact your ability to obtain credit.
Credit providers are looking for the following key indicators on your credit report to show that you are a good prospective customer:
- Good payment history – credit providers want to see that you’ve made your payments on time. Don’t worry if you’ve missed the occasional payment by a few days. One of the good things about the credit reporting system is that each payment you do make on time will make you look better to credit providers. If you think you’ve missed (or will miss) more than an occasional payment, it's best to speak to your lender about it.
- Stability – for example, credit providers want to make sure that you haven’t moved house too many times over a short period.
- Not too much credit – this includes credit that you’ve taken out, but also credit that you’ve simply applied for.
- No negative entries – this includes defaults, bankruptcy information and court judgments. These types of things will make it harder for you to get credit (at least until they fall off your credit report in 5-7 years).
In Australia, everyone has the right to one free credit report per year from each of the three main credit reporting bodies. These reports include the information that credit providers see when you apply for a loan or credit, so it’s important to check each report for any errors.
It's worthwhile getting a copy of your credit report before you apply to borrow money or buy something on credit, if you're eligible to. Checking your own credit report has no impact on your credit report or credit score when viewed by a credit provider.
You can access your credit report from the following organisations:
If you want to access your credit report more than once per year you can also choose to pay for an additional one from some of these organisations.
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