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Page last updated: 24 June 2026

Consumer credit provider licensing

Who needs a licence

Whether a licence is required will depend on the type of credit you provide and who you provide it to. From the transfer date, any entity that is acting as a creditor under a consumer credit contract will need a consumer credit provider licence.

You may not be required to hold a consumer credit provider licence if you do not carry on a business of providing credit. We recommend seeking legal advice if you are unsure whether a licence is required.

Please see our fact sheet for further information on licensing. 

Download the ‘What it means to be licensed by the FMA as a consumer credit provider' factsheet [263KB]

Please note:

If you are looking to become a lender (i.e. you are not already certified), there is now insufficient time for the Commerce Commission to complete your certification assessment before the transfer date.

On 1 July 2026, the certification regime will be replaced with a licensing regime. Any new applications to become licensed will need to be submitted to the FMA from 1 July 2026.

If you have any questions about this prior to 1 July 2026, please email the Commerce Commission at [email protected]

 

Existing consumer credit providers certified or exempt by the Commission

Under the new legislation, a consumer credit provider with a certification (or exemption because they are already licensed by the FMA or Reserve Bank of New Zealand) granted by the Commission will automatically be deemed to hold a consumer credit provider licence. This means you will be subject to the same ongoing obligations and oversight as other licence holders under the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013. 
 
While your previous certification or exemption reflects compliance with certain regulatory standards, you should consider what changes may be needed to your policies, systems and governance to support compliance with your ongoing obligations as a licensee. 
 
We recommend familiarising yourself with the guide to consumer credit provider licence requirements. This will help you consider how your existing practices can be mapped to, or adapted for, the licensing framework.  
 
Download the guide to consumer credit provider licence requirements [919 KB]
 
If you have questions about transitioning from the Commission certification or exemption to a licence, please contact the FMA for further guidance.

New entrants needing to apply for a consumer credit provider licence

The legislation will require new entrants to the market who intend to operate as a consumer credit provider to hold a licence before providing regulated credit services to consumers. 

Steps to apply for your Consumer credit provider licence

Although you can’t apply for a licence until the legislation comes into effect, you can start preparing now. The steps below outline the process to follow. 

Step 1

Check whether you need a credit licence

Consider whether your activities fall within the scope of regulated credit services and whether a licence is required.

Step 2

See what questions we’ll ask

Review the guide to consumer credit provider licence requirements and get familiar with the questions you’ll need to answer as part of your application. 

Step 3

Get your compliance arrangements ready

Make sure you have appropriate policies, systems, and controls in place to show how you will meet your licensing obligations.

Step 4

Get the basic admin done

Log in to the Financial Service Providers Register (FSPR) on the Companies Office website and select the relevant licensed credit service:

  • Consumer Credit Contract – Licensee, OR  
  • Consumer Credit Contract – Authorised Body

This must be done at least 24 hours before you start your application.

STEP 5

Access the application portal

Log in to myFMA, our online application portal, using your existing login or by registering for an account.

Step 6

Start your application

You can save your application as a draft and return to it at any time. We won’t be able to see your information until you submit it.

Step 7

We’re here to help

If you need assistance with the application process, you can contact the FMA or speak with your professional advisers.

Step 8

Press submit!

Once you’ve submitted your application, we’ll be in touch to confirm we’ve received it and explain the next steps.

Licensing costs

Existing certified (or exempt because they are already licensed by the FMA or Reserve Bank of New Zealand) consumer credit providers will be deemed to hold a consumer credit provider licence and will not need to apply or pay an application fee.

The standard application fee for a consumer credit provider licence is $670.00.  
 
If the time required to assess your application exceeds 4.75 hours, we may charge an additional fee in line with the Financial Markets Conduct (Fees) Regulations 2014. This is charged at $178.25 per hour (pro rata for part hours) for work carried out by an FMA staff member. Please refer to the regulations for further information.

If we expect your application to incur additional fees, we will let you know in advance and explain why. 
 
Applications to vary the conditions on an existing licence incur an application fee of $115.00, plus $178.25 per hour (pro rata for part hours) for work carried out by an FMA staff member.

All amounts are GST inclusive.  
 
These fees cover the consumer credit provider licence only and do not include any annual levies or FSPR registration fees.

After you submit a licence application

Once we receive your licence application, we will acknowledge it by email. During our assessment, we may contact you if we need clarification or more information. This is the same approach we use for all licence applications.

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