Finance Direct

What Finance Direct does

Finance Direct is a New Zealand licensed Non-Bank Deposit Taker headquartered in Auckland, founded in 1999, that originates auto, property, personal, and business loans directly and through a regional broker network. The company lends its own balance sheet alongside brokered loans to third-party financial institutions, with stated borrower interest rates from 8.95% to 27.95% and terms ranging from 6 months to 30 years depending on loan type. It also accepts secured term deposits from investors at rates of 3.25% to 5.40% p.a., with deposits up to $1,000,000 and Depositor Compensation Scheme protection up to $100,000 per depositor effective 1 July 2025.

The operating technology stack is centered on Lending Crowd, Finance Direct's wholly-owned online lending platform and subsidiary, through which all loan applications are submitted and processed. Supporting capabilities include standard credit-bureau integrations with Centrix and Equifax for borrower credit checks, and a partnership with Virginia Surety Company / Protecta Insurance for loan-repayment insurance. Customer-facing tooling includes four online calculators (borrow amount, cost, vehicle finance, and debt-buster refinancing) deployed on the corporate website to drive top-of-funnel lead capture.

The business model combines balance-sheet net interest spread with peer-to-peer-style investor participation through Lending Crowd and reciprocal referral relationships with mortgage brokers. Distribution is multi-channel: direct-to-consumer via the Lending Crowd platform and a toll-free phone sales line, plus an indirect channel managed by dedicated regional Business Development Managers and a nationwide mortgage-broker referral network. The customer base is a horizontal long-tail of New Zealand consumers and SMBs, including self-employed borrowers and applicants declined by mainstream banks, with no disclosed enterprise anchor customers and no external equity funding.

Name

Finance Direct

Legal name

Finance Direct Limited

Website

https://financedirect.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Finance Direct is a New Zealand licensed Non-Bank Deposit Taker founded in 1999 that originates auto, property, personal, and business loans through its Lending Crowd online platform and a regional broker network, funded by its own balance sheet and retail term deposits.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-Bank Consumer and Business Lending

NAICS

Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (522), Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (522310)

SIC

Personal Credit Institutions (6141), Loan Brokers (6163)

akta.pro primary industry

Large Purchase & Lifestyle Personal Loans (Unsecured Installment) (FSAKAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Personal Loan Refinance (Rate/Term) (FSAKAIAB), Private Banking Lending (Securities-Backed, Real Estate, Structured Credit) (FSABADAE), Middle-Market Lending (FSANADAI), Direct Lending — Senior Secured (First Lien) (FSAHAJAA)

Keywords

• Consumer lending
• Vehicle finance
• Property finance
• Business lending
• Term deposits

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Interest Income from Lending: Finance Direct lends its own funds and brokers business to third-party financial institutions. Interest rates range from 8.95% to 27.95% depending on loan type and credit assessment. Primary revenue stream from interest spread on loans extended.
2. Term Deposit Investments: Finance Direct accepts secured term deposits from investors ranging from 3 months to 5 years, with rates from 3.25% to 5.40% p.a. This provides funding capital for lending operations.
3. Peer-to-Peer Lending via Lending Crowd: Lending Crowd enables Finance Direct to combine balance sheet lending with investor participation, allowing investors to access carefully selected lending opportunities within the Finance Direct group.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Finance Direct is a New Zealand licensed Non-Bank Deposit Taker that lends its own funds and brokers loans to third-party financial institutions across four core lending verticals: Auto Finance (vehicle loans), Property Finance (mortgages and bridging finance), Personal Finance (unsecured and debt consolidation loans), and Business Finance (asset, working capital and acquisition loans). It also accepts secured term deposits from investors through its wholly owned online platform subsidiary Lending Crowd. Interest rates range from 8.95% to 27.95% on loans and 3.25% to 5.40% p.a. on term deposits, with terms spanning 6 months to 30 years.

Product overview

Finance Direct operates as a licensed Non-Bank Deposit Taker and direct lender offering a portfolio of lending products through its own platform and subsidiary Lending Crowd. The core product suite includes Auto Finance (vehicle loans from 8.95%), Property Finance (mortgages from 4.55%), Personal Finance (unsecured loans), and Business Finance (from 11.50%). Lending Crowd serves as the online lending platform handling application processing. The company also offers Secured Term Deposits for investors with terms from 3 months to 5 years, protected under the Depositor Compensation Scheme. Supporting tools include loan calculators for vehicle financing, affordability assessment, cost estimation, and debt consolidation. All applications are submitted through the Lending Crowd online platform, combining balance sheet lending with investor participation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lending Crowd: Finance Direct's fully funded online peer-to-peer lending platform and subsidiary that enables combining balance sheet lending with investor participation.

Products and services

• Auto Finance Vehicle financing for cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats, and industry-specific vehicles purchased through dealers or private sales. Offers fixed interest rates from 8.95%, terms of 6 months to 5 years, 1-hour approvals, and tailored repayment options for individual borrowers in New Zealand.
• Property Finance Mortgage and property-related lending for home purchases, refinancing, restructuring, debt consolidation, property investment, bridging finance, and renovations. Offers low doc options for self-employed borrowers, competitive rates from 4.55%, same-day conditional approvals, and tailored repayment schedules up to 30 years.
• Personal Finance Unsecured personal loans and debt consolidation services for individuals, designed to consolidate multiple debts into one manageable payment and reduce monthly outgoings. Includes fast application processing and flexible financing terms with fixed interest rates.
• Business Finance Business lending for asset and machinery purchases, business cash flow, working capital, and business acquisition. Offers tailored repayments matching business cycles, terms from 12 to 60 months, interest-only options, and rates from 11.50%, with the ability to use business assets as security.
• Secured Term Deposits Secured term deposit investments offered to individual and institutional investors, with terms from 3 months to 5 years, minimum $1,000 and maximum $1,000,000 per investor. Standard rates range from 3.25% to 5.35% and loyalty rates from 4.20% to 5.40% p.a., covered under the Depositor Compensation Scheme.
• Lending Crowd Finance Direct's fully funded online lending platform and wholly owned subsidiary that handles loan application processing. Enables the combination of balance sheet lending with investor participation to fund loans efficiently, offering investors access to selected lending opportunities within the Finance Direct group.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1-hour approvals for auto loans
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lending CrowdcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLending Crowd is Finance Direct's fully funded online platform and subsidiary. It enables Finance Direct to combine balance sheet lending with investor participation, funding loans efficiently while offering investors access to carefully selected lending opportunities.
• Virginia Surety Company, Inc. (VSC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInsurance provider for Loan Repayment Insurance offered to borrowers. VSC and its agent Protecta Insurance collect information to evaluate insurance cover eligibility.
• Protecta Insurance New Zealand LimitedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInsurance agent for Virginia Surety Company handling Loan Repayment Insurance claims and policy administration. Located at 110 Symonds Street, Auckland.
• Third-Party Financial InstitutionscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFinance Direct brokers business to third-party financial institutions, allowing them to cater to a wide range of customers beyond what they can fund from their own balance sheet.
• Mortgage Brokers Throughout New ZealandminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of mortgage brokers with strong relationships throughout New Zealand who refer customers when Finance Direct is unable to provide a suitable loan.
• Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ)coreOthersThe Depositor Compensation Scheme is administered by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand - Te Pūtea Matua. Finance Direct is a licensed Non-Bank Deposit Taker subject to RBNZ oversight.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Harmoney: Trans-Tasman peer-to-peer / personal-loan lender operating in Australia and New Zealand. Directly competes with Finance Direct's Lending Crowd on unsecured personal and consumer loans in the same regulatory environment.
• Instant Finance: NZ-based non-bank personal-loan and consumer-credit specialist; directly comparable on personal-loan rates, terms, and risk profile.
• Avanti Finance: NZ non-bank deposit-taker and consumer/SMB lender. Competes head-to-head with Finance Direct across personal, business and rural lending using a similar deposit-funded direct-lending model.
• Heartland Group Holdings (Finance Now): NZX-listed NZ non-bank group; Finance Now is its consumer-finance arm offering personal, auto and asset finance across NZ — the closest scale and product-set comparable to Finance Direct.
• Turners Automotive Group: NZX-listed NZ automotive group with a dedicated auto-finance arm — competes directly with Finance Direct's Auto Finance vertical on the same vehicle-loan customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Liberty Financial: Australian non-bank lender providing mortgages and personal loans; comparable on specialist and self-employed lending positioning across the Tasman.
• Latitude Financial Services: Pan-ANZ consumer-finance and digital-payments group; overlaps with Finance Direct on personal loans and auto finance at much larger scale.
• Pepper Money: Established AU/NZ non-bank lender across mortgages, personal and asset finance. Broader geographic and product footprint than Finance Direct but overlapping on the specialist/self-employed mortgage and consumer niches.
• SBS Bank: NZ mutually-owned bank offering personal and property lending — overlapping with Finance Direct's Property and Personal products through a different funding model (member deposits).
• Co-operative Bank: NZ community-focused bank with personal and household lending; competes with Finance Direct for similar retail personal-loan and mortgage customers under a different operating model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/finance-direct-limited

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Finance Direct