Glossary
Establishment fee
A one-off fee a lender charges to set up a new loan. It's disclosed up front and belongs in any comparison between loans.
By Leverage Finance · Updated 17 July 2026
Most NZ lenders charge an establishment fee when a loan begins. It covers credit checks, documentation and setting up the security. It's usually added to the loan balance rather than paid in cash, which means it accrues interest like the rest of the loan.
Under the CCCFA, fees must be disclosed before you sign, so an establishment fee never has to be a surprise. When weighing up a refinance, put it in the maths alongside any break fee on your old loan: the new loan has to be better after those costs, not before.
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