Skip to content
A builder sliding fresh timber into the tray of a grey double cab ute beside a new timber house frame, green hills behind

Ute finance for work, farm and weekends

Apply online and we aim to give you an initial decision quickly, often within the hour during business hours.

Apply now Estimate repayments

The short answer

How does ute finance work in New Zealand?

Ute finance is a vehicle loan used to buy a ute, repaid in regular instalments over an agreed term. With Finance Made Easy you apply online and we aim to give you an initial decision quickly, often within an hour during business hours. Once approved, funding usually follows within 24 to 48 hours. All lending is subject to lender criteria.

Last updated

Why FME

Built around a working day.

A ute is usually a tool before it is a vehicle. The process is kept short so the finance does not hold up the job.

Apply online

Tell us about the ute, your work and your income in one online application. Prefer to talk? Call 0800 995 014.

A quick initial decision

We aim to come back within the hour during business hours. Know where you stand before you shake hands with a seller, so you can shop with a clearer idea of what fits your budget.

Funding in 24 to 48 hours

Once your loan is approved and your details are verified, funding usually follows within 24 to 48 hours.

Work, farm or family

What can ute finance be used for?

Ute finance is used to buy a ute, whether it spends the week on a building site, the weekend towing the boat or both. Most people buying a ute want one vehicle that carries gear, tows and still gets the family around.

Talk to us about ute finance if you are:

  • Buying a work ute for a trade, with room for tools, timber or a canopy.
  • Replacing a tired farm or lifestyle block ute that is costing more to keep running.
  • Upgrading to a double cab that tows the caravan, trailer or boat and seats the family.
  • Moving from a car to a ute for the first time.

Before you apply

What do lenders look at for a ute loan?

Lenders look at whether the repayments are affordable for you, and at the ute you are buying. Every lender sets its own criteria, so the detail varies.

In most ute finance applications, expect questions about:

  • Your income and how steady it is, including how long you have been in your current work.
  • Your regular outgoings and any other loans, credit cards or buy now pay later accounts.
  • Your credit history.
  • The ute itself: its age, kilometres and price, and any deposit or trade-in you are putting towards it.
  • Proof of identity, address and income, which lenders verify before funds are released.

Budgeting

What should you budget for beyond the repayment?

A father and teenage son hitching a covered box trailer to a white double cab ute in the driveway of a weatherboard home

Budget for the running costs of the ute as well as the loan repayment. Utes often work harder than cars, and the costs of that work add up.

Before you settle on a price, estimate ute repayments with our calculator and weigh them against the rest of what the ute will cost to own:

  • Fuel, and road user charges if the ute runs on diesel.
  • Insurance, registration and the Warrant of Fitness.
  • Tyres and servicing, which can cost more on a 4WD that tows or goes off road.
  • Towing gear, a canopy, a tray or racks if the ute needs fitting out for work.
  • Repairs on a used ute. A mechanical warranty, arranged through a range of warranty providers, is available with or without a loan.

Personal or business

Is a work ute personal or business finance?

It depends on who will own the ute and what it is mainly used for. If you are buying it in your own name, personal ute finance is the usual starting point. If a company or trust will own it and use it for the business, look at business vehicle finance instead.

How a ute is treated for tax, and whether it suits your structure to buy it through the business, is a question for your accountant. We explain the finance options, not the tax.

Looking at something other than a ute? See all our vehicle finance options.

How it works

From application to keys in hand.

Four steps, starting online. Talk to us whenever you need to.

  1. 01

    Apply online

    Apply for ute finance online. Prefer to talk? Call 0800 995 014 and we will go through it with you.

  2. 02

    Get an initial decision

    We aim to come back to you with an initial decision within the hour during business hours, so you know where you stand before you commit to a ute.

  3. 03

    Verify your details and choose your ute

    Send through proof of identity, address and income. If you are still looking, approvals typically remain valid for 30 days.

  4. 04

    Settle and drive

    Once your loan is approved, funding usually follows within 24 to 48 hours and the ute is yours to put to work.

Side by side

What is the best way to finance a ute in New Zealand?

There is no single best way. It depends on where you are buying, how much legwork you want to do and how quickly you need an answer. Here is how the three common routes generally work.

Dealer financeYour bankFinance Made Easy
Where you startAt the yard, once you have picked a ute.With your bank, online or in a branch.With an online application, before or after you find a ute.
Who does the legworkThe dealer’s finance team.Mostly you.We work through the application and the lender paperwork with you.
Tied to one sellerUsually, to utes sold by that dealer.No.No. Dealer or private sales, subject to lender criteria.
Speed of an answerVaries by dealer and lender.Varies by bank.A quick initial decision, often within an hour during business hours, then funding usually within 24 to 48 hours of approval.

General information about how each route usually works, not financial advice.

Related

More vehicle finance

Questions

Ute finance, answered.

Quick answers. Longer chats are welcome on the phone.

No. You can apply before or after you find one. We aim to give you an initial decision quickly, often within an hour during business hours, which gives you a clearer idea of your budget while you look. Approvals typically remain valid for 30 days.

Yes. We arrange ute finance for private sales as well as dealer sales, subject to lender criteria.

Unfortunately not. Your main income needs to come from work, so we are not able to help if your main income is a benefit or you are not currently working.

Yes. We arrange mechanical warranties through a range of warranty providers, and you can take one with or without a loan through us. See mechanical warranties for how it works.

Applications are not an offer of finance. All lending is subject to lender criteria, affordability, verification and responsible lending checks. Calculator results are estimates only. This page is general information, not financial advice.

Finance Made Easy is a trading name of TrueNorth Financial Services Limited, FSP1011270, and a member of Financial Services Complaints Ltd (FSCL), membership 9517.

Request a call back

Rather we call you?

Answer a few quick questions and we aim to call you within 15 minutes during business hours. It is an enquiry with no obligation, and it is not an offer of finance. Ready to go? Apply online now.

  • Vehicle loans, personal loans and mechanical warranties
  • Plain English, no jargon
  • We aim to call you within 15 minutes during business hours
Prefer to talk? 0800 995 014 info@fmefinance.co.nz

What do you need?

Select the option that fits.