poppyWhat is a short-term business loan?
A short-term business loan is repaid over months, not years. It’s designed for needs that pay for themselves fairly quickly, such as buying stock you’ll sell this season, a piece of equipment that brings in new work, or bridging the gap until customers pay.
With Poppy, you choose a term of 3 to 24 months and repay in equal weekly amounts by direct debit. The weekly amount doesn’t change, so it’s easy to budget for.
Choosing a term
A shorter term means higher weekly repayments but a lower total cost. A longer term lowers the weekly repayment but costs more overall. As a rough guide:
- 3 to 6 months: stock for a season, a one-off bill or a short cash flow gap
- 9 to 12 months: equipment, a new contract or a marketing campaign
- 18 to 24 months: a fit-out or expansion that takes longer to pay back
Try different terms in our business loan calculator.
Short-term loans vs overdrafts and lines of credit
An overdraft or line of credit lets you draw and repay as you go, and is usually cheaper if your bank offers one. A short-term loan gives you a fixed amount with a fixed end date, which suits a specific purchase or project. Read business loan vs overdraft for a side-by-side comparison.
Who can apply
- A registered business in Australia (with an ABN) or New Zealand (with an NZBN)
- Trading for 6 months or more
- Around $10,000 or more in monthly sales
- A business bank account with regular deposits we can see
- The loan is for a business purpose, not personal or household spending
How it works
- Check eligibility. Tell us about your business in a 3-minute form. No documents and no credit check at this stage.
- Connect your bank. Share read-only business bank data through a secure link, so we can see how you actually trade.
- Review your offer. You get one summary: the loan amount, the term, your weekly repayment and the total to repay, including all fees.
- Get the funds. Sign online and the money is paid to your business account.