Quick answer
Fast stock finance is short-term business funding used to buy inventory before it sells, such as stocking up for a busy season, taking a bulk discount or filling a confirmed order. It is usually unsecured and sized on bank statements, with property-secured options for large purchases. Approval within the hour is common.
Key points
- Buy stock before it sells: seasonal peaks, bulk deals, big orders
- Usually unsecured, sized on sales and bank statements
- Term should match how fast the stock sells
- Speed matters when suppliers hold stock or discounts expire
Stock is cash sitting on a shelf. When the shelf is full at the right time, it turns into sales and margin. When it is empty during the busy week, that margin goes to a competitor. Fast stock finance makes sure the timing of your cash does not decide the timing of your stock.
When fast stock funding pays off
- Seasonal peaks: retailers before Christmas, garden suppliers before spring, tourism businesses before school holidays.
- Bulk or end-of-line deals: a supplier offers a substantial discount for a large order paid now.
- Confirmed orders: a customer has placed a big order and you need to buy the materials or goods to fill it.
- Supply risk: a container is landing and must be paid for before release, or a key product is about to go on allocation.
How fast it moves
Stock finance is usually unsecured and assessed on your bank statements. Lenders look at sales patterns, margins visible in the flow of money and existing commitments. With statements shared online, approval within the hour is common, and funds can land within 24 hours, often in time to pay a supplier before a deal expires or a shipment is released.
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Sizing the purchase sensibly
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| How quickly will this stock sell? | Sets the term and repayment timing |
| What is the margin after freight and duty? | Tells you how much the funding can cost before the deal stops making sense |
| What if it sells at half the speed? | Shows whether repayments are still comfortable |
| Is there storage and insurance for it? | Hidden costs that eat the margin |
If the answers are good, speed is worth paying for. If you are unsure whether the stock will move, a smaller first order is often wiser than a bigger loan.
Discounts versus funding cost
When a supplier offers a discount for paying now, compare the discount in dollars with the total cost of a short loan to pay early. The cost of delay calculator lets you enter a missed discount alongside other costs and compare them with a quote. Often the discount alone covers the funding, and everything else is upside.
A worked example (illustrative)
A bike shop in Perth gets an offer from its distributor: buy a full spring range of e-bikes now at a substantial discount, or pay the normal price on delivery later. The order is about $115,000 at the discounted price. The owner shares statements, is approved within the hour for an unsecured short-term loan, pays the distributor that afternoon and sells most of the range over spring. The discount more than covers the cost of the funding.
Your fast-funding checklist
Most delays come from documents that are not ready when they are asked for. Line these up before you enquire:
- Supplier quote or pro-forma invoice
- Your expected sell-through time
- Six months of business bank statements
- Photo ID and ABN
- Details of any existing stock or trade finance
Common delays and how to avoid them
If funding is slower than expected, it is usually because of:
- A supplier quote that keeps changing
- Unclear landed cost once freight and duty are added
- Bank statements split across several accounts
- Leaving the enquiry until the day the deal expires
One request before you enquire
The enquiry form asks for the amount, purpose, time trading, monthly revenue, credit history, state and whether you own property. Each answer points your enquiry towards the right lane. When the answers are accurate, the first call can go straight to approval. When they are rounded up, guessed or left vague, the assessor has to unpick them, and that is where hours turn into days. If you are unsure of a figure, give your best honest estimate and say so.
Quick recap
- Buy stock before it sells: seasonal peaks, bulk deals, big orders
- Usually unsecured, sized on sales and bank statements
- Term should match how fast the stock sells
- Speed matters when suppliers hold stock or discounts expire
How we keep it fast
Fast does not mean careless. Every loan still gets a proper look at how the business trades, who owns it and how the money will be repaid. The difference is that we do the looking quickly and in parallel. Bank statements can be read in minutes once they are shared, property loans do not wait on a valuation, and documents are signed electronically. Approval within the hour is common, and funding within 24 hours is possible when every party signs promptly.
What to do next
The enquiry takes about 60 seconds and there is no credit check when you first enquire. Your details stay with one team rather than being sprayed out to a dozen lenders, and a real person works out what fits. Please answer the form accurately, especially the amount, revenue and whether you own property, because that is what lets us match you properly the first time. Start your enquiry here.
Frequently asked questions
Can I finance stock without property?
Yes. Most stock funding is unsecured and sized on your sales history shown in bank statements. Property security helps for very large purchases.
How long should a stock loan run?
Roughly as long as the stock takes to sell and the cash to come in. Seasonal stock might suit a three to six month term.
Is it worth borrowing to get a supplier discount?
Sometimes. Compare the discount in dollars with the total cost of the funding. Our cost of delay calculator helps with that comparison.
What if the stock does not sell as fast as planned?
That is the main risk. Keep the amount to stock you are confident in and talk to the lender early if sales run slow.
Start the clock right here
The same 60-second enquiry, on this page. No credit check to enquire, and a real person picks it up fast.