A home loan cashback offer generally involves a lender offering an incentive for you to take out a new loan with them or refinance an existing one. This usually means cash, which might be debited from your outstanding loan balance or paid as a lump sum.
Of course, these deals are designed to entice you. As good as $2,000 cash in your pocket right now might sound, it shouldn't be the deciding factor for which home loan you choose.
Borrowing $610,000 over 30 years at a rate of 6.00% p.a. could cost you $3,050 a month and $733,044 in interest over the life of the loan (with principal and interest repayments), according to our home loan calculator.
In contrast, that same loan at a rate 5.00% p.a. would cost you $2,541 a month and $594,290 over the life of the loan. That's a difference of $385 a month and $138,754 in interest over the life of the loan, so even if the former loan offered a few thousand dollars in cashback, you'd be far better off choosing the latter.
Typically, the most important things to look at when choosing a loan are the advertised rate, comparison rate, the features, and your potential monthly repayments.
Below are some of the banks and lenders offering cashback deals:
| Lender | Home Loan | Interest Rate | Comparison Rate* | Monthly Repayment | Repayment type | Rate Type | Offset | Redraw | Ongoing Fees | Upfront Fees | Max LVR | Lump Sum Repayment | Additional Repayments | Split Loan Option | Tags | Features | Link | Compare | Promoted Product | Disclosure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
5.99% p.a. | 6.03% p.a. | $2,995 | Principal & Interest | Variable | $0 | $0 | 80% |
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6.04% p.a. | 6.05% p.a. | $3,011 | Principal & Interest | Variable | $0 | $180 | 90% |
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6.04% p.a. | 6.07% p.a. | $3,011 | Principal & Interest | Variable | $0 | $799 | 80% |
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6.19% p.a. | 6.58% p.a. | $3,059 | Principal & Interest | Variable | $395 | $250 | 70% |
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6.44% p.a. | 6.44% p.a. | $3,141 | Principal & Interest | Variable | $0 | $160 | 70% |
Which banks and lenders offer home loan cashback deals?
ANZ cashback offer
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Cashback amount: $2,000 cashback for refinancing a loan below 80% LVR to ANZ
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Conditions: For customers refinancing Owner Occupier Principal loans with Principal and Interest (P&I) repayments and Residential Investment loans of $250,000 or more.
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Expiry date: Available until withdrawn.
BankVic cashback offer
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Cashback amount: $3,000
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Conditions: Eligibility is limited to current police and emergency service workers either refinancing or purchasing a new property. Loans must be at least $350,000 with an LVR 80% or less (owner occupier or investor loans). Cashback will be paid into a BankVic transaction or savings account within eight weeks of settlement.
- Expiry date: Lending applications must be received between 16 November 2024 and 18 February 2025 with funds settled or disbursed by 30 April 2025
Credit Union SA cashback offer
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Cashback amount: $2,000
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Conditions: For customers refinancing Owner Occupier (P&I) and Investment home loans with a maximum LVR of 80% and a minimum balance of $300,000. Offer is exclusive to current or retired employees of the South Australian Education Community, students carrying out studies in education, or their eligible immediate family member
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Expiry date: Ongoing
Greater Bank cashback offer
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Cashback amount: $2,000 for loans up to $499,999, $2,500 for loans above $500,000
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Conditions: For customers refinancing Owner Occupier (P&I) and Investment home loans with a maximum LVR of 80% and a minimum balance of $250,000.
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Expiry date: Commenced 1 June 2024, available until withdrawal.
imb Bank cashback offer
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Cashback amount: $2,000 for loans between $350,000 and $699,000; $3,000 for loans between $700,000 and $999,999; $4,000 for loans >$1 million.
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Conditions: For customers refinancing Owner Occupier (P&I) and Investment home loans with a maximum LVR of 80% and a minimum balance of $300,000. Excludes refinance of IMB loans, commercial, construction, and bridging loans.
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Expiry date: Applications made from 18 October 2024. Must be settled within 90 days of application. See varied conditions for earlier application dates.
ME Bank cashback offer
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Cashback amount: $3,000 for loans above $700,000
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Conditions: For customers refinancing Owner Occupier (P&I) and Investment loans with a maximum LVR of 80%. Not available for refinances from other BOQ Group banks such as Bank of Queensland and Virgin Money.
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Expiry date: Apply from 15th June 2024 and settle within 120 days of the loan application date.
Newcastle Permanent cashback offer
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Cashback amount: $2,000 for loans $250,000-$499,999; $3,000 for loans ≥$500,000
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Conditions: For customers refinancing an Owner Occupied (P&I) or Investment home loan through online application channel. To be eligible for the offer, customers need to be refinancing an existing home loan of $250,000 or more (max. 80% LVR) from another institution. Customers refinancing from Greater Bank are not eligible for the offer.
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Expiry date: Offer commenced 21st August 2023. Was bumped from $2,000 to $3,000 for applications after 12 February 2024.
Other home loan offers
Cashback offers are typically the most lucrative and popular offer lenders will use, but that doesn't mean there aren't others out there.
Lenders often waive some loan fees such as monthly fees or application fees, or reduce fees and rates on their other products, like credit cards or transaction accounts.
Many lenders have started reducing or completely waiving Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI) as a way to bring in first home buyers.
Less often, lenders will offer rewards points for loyalty programs, either as a result of a team-up or through their own program.
Below are some of the other offers lenders are using to try and win your business.
ANZ First Home Buyer Bonus
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Offer: $3,000 for eligible first home buyers (including recipients of state or territory government first home buyer concessions) with a loan of $250,000 or more.
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Conditions: Only available for first home buyers with home loans of $250,000 or more.
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Expiry date: Drawdown within 180 days of applying.
Suncorp Better Together offer
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Loan name: Back to Basics variable home loan
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Offer: Combine a Suncorp Back to Basics home loan with an Everyday Options account to get a discounted interest rate, with no loan establishment or monthly account keeping fees
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Conditions: Available on loans $150,000 or more
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Expiry date: Until further notice
Unloan discount offer
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Loan name: Live in variable home loan
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Offer: Every year you hold your home loan, you'll receive a 0.01% p.a. discount off your rate up to a maximum 0.30% p.a. reduction.
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Conditions: Available on all loans
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Expiry date: Until further notice
Westpac LMI waiver
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Offer: Westpac offers lenders mortgage insurance (LMI) waivers to registered healthcare workers and eligible workers in accounting, legal, and sports and entertainment.
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Conditions: Effective 2 October 2022, eligible healthcare professionals applying for a home loan with a 5% deposit can avoid LMI if they earn over $90,000 per annum. Accounting, legal, sports and entertainment workers can borrow up to 90% LVR with no LMI if they meet income requirements.
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Expiry date: Until further notice.
First published on November 2024
Image by Artem Beliakin via Unsplash
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