Sunshine Loans
Sunshine Loans is an Australian family-owned online lender, operating since 1999 under ASIC Credit Licence 390556, that issues unsecured MACC cash loans of $2,050 to $3,500 directly to individual consumers, including bad-credit borrowers, via a fully paperless application and electronic-signature platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersSurfers Paradise, Australia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Sunshine Loans does
Sunshine Loans Pty Ltd is an Australian family-owned credit provider headquartered in Surfers Paradise, Queensland, operating under ASIC Australian Credit Licence Number 390556 since 1999. The company issues unsecured Medium Amount Credit Contracts (MACCs) in the $2,050 to $3,500 range, with terms of 63 to 182 days, a maximum 48% per annum interest rate, a $400 establishment fee per loan, and a $35 failed-payment default fee. Revenue is generated primarily from interest charges and the per-loan establishment fee, with no account-keeping or recurring monthly fees, and no early-repayment penalties.
Distribution is exclusively direct-to-consumer through a paperless online platform: applicants complete a web-based application available 24/7, receive assessment during extended business hours (7am-7pm Monday-Friday plus weekends), sign contracts electronically, and receive instant fund transfer on approval. The platform includes 128-bit SSL encryption, a customer self-service account portal, and no native mobile app or public API. Loan amounts above $2,500 are gated to returning customers with two prior successfully completed Sunshine Loans. The product portfolio markets the same underlying MACC under multiple use-case labels (car repair, wedding, holiday, vet, renovation, rental bond, emergency cash, bad credit), targeting Australian adults aged 18+ with at least $750/week in regular income, including borrowers with imperfect credit histories assessed via bank-statement affordability review. Customer acquisition runs primarily through organic SEO and a content blog/resource hub; there are no physical branches, agents, or third-party distribution partners, and no external venture capital or institutional ownership.
Sunshine Loans firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sunshine Loans
- Legal name
- Sunshine Loans Pty Ltd
- Website
- https://sunshineloans.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Sunshine Loans is an Australian family-owned online lender, operating since 1999 under ASIC Credit Licence 390556, that issues unsecured MACC cash loans of $2,050 to $3,500 directly to individual consumers, including bad-credit borrowers, via a fully paperless application and electronic-signature platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sunshine Loans industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Consumer Lending (Short-Term Personal Loans)
- NAICS
- Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (522)
- SIC
- Personal Credit Institutions (6141)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Emergency & Short-Term Installment Personal Loans (Unsecured) (FSAKAAAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Large Purchase & Lifestyle Personal Loans (Unsecured Installment) (FSAKAAAG)
Keywords
Where Sunshine Loans is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Surfers Paradise
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Sunshine Loans business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Medium Amount Credit Contract (MACC) Interest: Interest charged on medium amount credit contracts ranging from $2,050 to $3,500 with terms of 63-182 days. Maximum APR is 48% per annum.
- Establishment Fee: One-time establishment fee of $400 charged at loan origination
- Failed Payment Default Fee: $35 fee charged when customer fails to make a scheduled repayment
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Small Cash Loans: $2,050 - $2,500 for new and returning customers |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Larger Loans: $2,501 - $3,500 for eligible returning customers |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Sunshine Loans product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sunshine Loans provides unsecured short-term personal loans (Medium Amount Credit Contracts) to Australian consumers, ranging from $2,050 to $3,500, repayable over 63–182 days at a maximum 48% APR with a $400 establishment fee. Loans are applied for, assessed, e-signed, and disbursed entirely online through the company's website, with same-day approval during extended business hours and instant electronic fund transfer upon signing. The company also lends to borrowers with imperfect credit histories and offers purpose-marketed loan variants (car repair, wedding, holiday, vet bills, renovations, bond), all built on the same underlying MACC product.
Product overview
Sunshine Loans is an Australian family-owned short-term loan provider operating since 1999, offering unsecured Medium Amount Credit Contracts (MACC) through a unified digital platform. The core product is the Small Cash Loan, a single loan type ranging from $2,050 to $3,500 with standardized terms (63-182 day terms, 48% APR max, $400 establishment fee). The company distributes its loans exclusively through a paperless online application system with no physical branches. Specialized loan products target specific use cases (car repairs, weddings, holidays, vet bills, renovations, bond loans) but share the same underlying loan structure. Customers access their accounts through a dedicated portal for balance inquiries, payments, and statement requests. The product portfolio is differentiated primarily by marketing purpose rather than technical features, with consistent loan terms across all categories.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Small Cash Loans (Medium Amount Credit Contract) Core unsecured personal loan product structured as a Medium Amount Credit Contract (MACC) ranging from A$2,050 to A$3,500, with 63–182 day (9–26 week) terms, a maximum 48% APR per annum, a fixed A$400 establishment fee, and same-day approval during business hours. Funds are transferred instantly upon electronic contract signing. The same underlying MACC is delivered through marketing variants such as same-day, weekend, online, short-term, cash advance, and emergency cash loans.
- Bad Credit Loans MACC personal loan marketed to borrowers with imperfect credit histories or prior defaults. Eligibility is assessed primarily through review of bank statements and demonstrated income/repayment capacity rather than through traditional credit-bureau credit checks, making the product accessible to consumers excluded from mainstream bank lending.
- Car Repair Loans Purpose-marketed MACC loan (A$2,050–A$2,500, 12–20 week terms) intended to cover the cost of vehicle accident repairs and other car-related expenses.
- Wedding Loans Purpose-marketed MACC loan (A$2,050–A$2,500) intended to cover wedding expenses including flowers, venue hire, photography, and other ceremony costs.
- Holiday Loans Purpose-marketed MACC loan (A$2,050–A$2,500) intended to cover travel and holiday expenses such as airfares and short-term accommodation.
- Loans for Renovations Purpose-marketed MACC loan (A$2,050–A$2,500) intended to fund home improvement projects including painting, carpet replacement, and kitchen upgrades.
- Bond Loans Purpose-marketed MACC loan (A$2,050–A$2,500) designed specifically to cover the rental bond required when a tenant moves into privately rented accommodation.
- Loans for Vet Bills Purpose-marketed MACC loan (A$2,050–A$2,500) intended to cover veterinary expenses including medication, overnight stays, and surgery for pets.
Quantifiable outcome
- Loans approved and funds transferred within the same day during business hours
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Sunshine Loans
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Sunshine Loans technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Sunshine Loans partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Sunshine Loans competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Cash Converters: Long-established Australian provider of small-dollar, short-term personal loans alongside its pawnbroking business. Overlaps directly with Sunshine Loans on the unsecured short-term installment product, though Cash Converters also operates physical branches.
- SocietyOne: Australian online personal loan provider using a marketplace model. Compares on channel (pure online), customer profile (creditworthy Australian consumers) and product (unsecured personal installment loans), though ticket sizes are larger.
- Wallet Wizard: Australian online medium amount credit contract lender with a similar $2,000–$5,000 loan band and comparable APR/establishment-fee structure. Direct product and pricing analogue to Sunshine Loans' core offering.
- Nimble: Australian online consumer lender offering small personal loans ($300–$5,000) with similar short-term, high-APR economics and a fully digital application flow. Closest direct competitor to Sunshine Loans on product, channel and target customer.
- MoneyMe: ASX-listed Australian digital lender offering personal loans, automotive finance and revolving credit. Comparable in being a digitally native consumer lender targeting similar unsecured personal loan use cases, though at higher average ticket sizes.
- Plenti Group: ASX-listed Australian fintech lending platform offering automotive, renewable energy and personal loans. Comparable as a digitally native consumer lender serving the same Australian borrower base, although its product mix is broader.
- Ferratum Australia: Australian arm of European fintech Ferratum offering small, short-term consumer loans online. Direct overlap on ticket size, product type and target borrower, including bad-credit applicants.
- Cigno: Australian short-term small-amount lender that operated in a directly comparable niche. Cited as relevant because its product set mirrored Sunshine Loans' short-term installment model before regulatory intervention reshaped the segment.
Broad incumbents
- Afterpay (Block): Largest Australian BNPL provider (now part of Block). Competes for the same end-customer discretionary and emergency spend with lower-cost point-of-sale installment credit, applying pricing pressure on Sunshine Loans' high-APR model.
- Latitude Financial: Major Australian consumer finance provider (personal loans, credit cards, BNPL via Latitude Pay). Broad incumbent competitor in Australian unsecured consumer credit, offering similar products at typically lower APRs.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Sunshine Loans social profiles
Digital presenceSunshine Loans compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance8 records
Sunshine Loans financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sunshine Loans leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Sunshine Loans funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sunshine Loans M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sunshine Loans
What does Sunshine Loans do?
Sunshine Loans provides unsecured short-term personal loans (Medium Amount Credit Contracts) to Australian consumers, ranging from $2,050 to $3,500, repayable over 63–182 days at a maximum 48% APR with a $400 establishment fee. Loans are applied for, assessed, e-signed, and disbursed entirely online through the company's website, with same-day approval during extended business hours and instant electronic fund transfer upon signing. The company also lends to borrowers with imperfect credit histories and offers purpose-marketed loan variants (car repair, wedding, holiday, vet bills, renovations, bond), all built on the same underlying MACC product.
Is Sunshine Loans a public or private company?
Sunshine Loans is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Sunshine Loans founded?
Sunshine Loans was founded in 1999. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Sunshine Loans based?
Sunshine Loans is headquartered in Surfers Paradise, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Sunshine Loans make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Medium Amount Credit Contract (MACC) Interest is the primary driver. The others are establishment Fee and failed Payment Default Fee.
Who are Sunshine Loans's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Cash Converters, SocietyOne, Wallet Wizard, Nimble, MoneyMe, Plenti Group, Ferratum Australia and Cigno. Broad incumbents are Afterpay (Block) and Latitude Financial.
Does Sunshine Loans have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sunshine Loans.
What industry is Sunshine Loans in?
Sunshine Loans's product category is Consumer Lending (Short-Term Personal Loans). Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAKAAAH, Emergency & Short-Term Installment Personal Loans (Unsecured), with a secondary code of FSAKAAAG, Large Purchase & Lifestyle Personal Loans (Unsecured Installment). Its NAICS code is 522 and its SIC code is 6141.