Pepper Money: commercial property, SMSF and asset finance

Pepper Money is better known to many Australians for home and car loans, so its commercial arm can come as a surprise. It is a legitimate option for business owners with property to borrow against or equipment to buy, particularly when a bank’s policy has left you on the outside.

This profile covers the commercial products Pepper Money publishes as at October 2026, who they tend to suit, questions to ask, and where to go if it says no. Pepper updates its pages regularly, so confirm the details directly before you commit.

What does Pepper Money offer businesses?

Its commercial lending page sets out three areas:

Area	What it funds	Published detail
Commercial property loans	Buying or borrowing against commercial property	Up to $5m, up to 80% LVR, terms of 1 to 30 years
SMSF loans	Self-managed super funds buying Business Real Property	Up to $5m at up to 80% LVR; corporate trustees only
Commercial asset finance	Vehicles and equipment	Open after two years of ABN registration; balloon options

Pepper’s wider business is well known elsewhere, but only these three are relevant here.

How do the commercial property loans work?

The property loan targets small business owners and investors buying or refinancing commercial premises. Published features include:

• A maximum of $5m, with residential securities capped at $3m
• Up to 80% LVR, varying by loan option, documentation and property type
• A full documentation option using one year of tax returns, plus alternative documentation
• Cash-out options, refinancing, and debt consolidation including tax debts
• An interest offset sub-account and online redraw, subject to minimums

The list of acceptable security is wider than many lenders’. It names shop fronts and retail, warehouses, industrial units, showrooms, strata offices, medical suites, childcare centres, boarding houses and student accommodation, among others. Our commercial property loans guide explains how lenders assess each property type, and the LVR calculator shows how a valuation shifts your borrowing.

What about Pepper’s SMSF loans?

For trustees of a self-managed super fund, Pepper lists loans to buy or refinance Business Real Property up to 80% LVR and $5m, and to refinance an existing residential investment property up to 90% LVR and $3m. Terms reach 30 years, with interest-only available for up to five years. Eligibility is restricted to corporate trustees, and the property must remain eligible for the life of the loan.

SMSF lending carries its own rules and structure, so read our guide to SMSF commercial property loans before going further.

Is Pepper Money’s commercial asset finance worth a look?

For equipment and vehicles, Pepper describes two structures:

• Commercial loan (similar to a chattel mortgage): Pepper lends you the money to buy the asset and holds it as security until you repay.
• Finance lease: Pepper buys the asset and leases it to your business for an agreed period. See our page on the finance lease.

Assets named include trucks, buses, trailers, tractors, excavators, forklifts, fit-outs, and dental and medical equipment. Pepper highlights balloon payment options, which lower regular repayments by deferring part of the cost to the end. The glossary entry on the balloon payment explains the trade-off, and our equipment finance calculator lets you test it.

One fact to plan around: asset finance applications open after the business has held an ABN for two years. Newer businesses will need a different route. If you’re not sure which route fits, send us the details and we will point you at the lender categories that match.

Who suits Pepper Money, and who doesn’t?

It tends to suit:

• Small business owners buying or refinancing commercial premises, including with a one-year tax return
• Owners with a tax debt or other debts they want to consolidate against property
• Established businesses (two years or more) buying equipment or vehicles
• Borrowers who value a lender that says it assesses beyond credit score

It tends to suit less:

• Newer businesses without a two-year ABN history for asset finance
• Anyone needing unsecured working capital, since the published range centres on property and assets
• Urgent timing, as property lending involves valuations and legal work

Pepper says loans under $1.5m may be approved within a set number of days if eligible, but it does not state the number, so ask.

Questions to ask before you sign

1. What is the total cost in dollars, including fees, valuation and legal costs?
2. How does the LVR change if the valuation comes in low?
3. What happens to repayments after any interest-only period?
4. If I choose a balloon, what is due at the end and how will I fund it?
5. What security and guarantees are required?

Banks are often the cheapest option for property and equipment, and when you fit a bank’s criteria, take that offer seriously. A non-bank earns its place when speed, documents or credit history are the sticking points.

If Pepper Money says no

Work backwards from the reason:

• Trading under two years: property security alone may still work with a different lender, or consider other asset finance structures.
• LVR too tight: add more security, or look at a second mortgage.
• Time pressure: a bridging loan can cover a gap.
• Bank decline first: see being declined by the bank.

Comparable lenders with profiles here include La Trobe Financial and Liberty Financial. For a side-by-side view, read La Trobe Financial versus Pepper Money for business.

Want someone to match the lender to the deal?

The right lender depends on the property or asset, how long you have traded, the credit picture and when you need the money. That is a lot to weigh alone, especially after a knock-back.

Filling in our form takes about a minute and does not touch your credit file. We do not scatter your details across a crowd of lenders; one person reads your enquiry and phones you. Accurate answers about the asset, amount and timing help us suggest something that fits first time.

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