Work Equipment Loans

The cost of gearing up for a new job

A new job starts Monday and the induction email says steel cap boots and hi vis are on you before day one. A first apprenticeship comes with a tool list a page long. A uniform policy means turning up in gear you buy yourself, not gear your employer hands over. None of that is optional, and all of it costs money before your first pay cycle even lands.

The amounts vary a lot depending on what the job needs. A single pair of work boots typically runs $80 to $250. A set of safety gear, hi vis, safety glasses, gloves, hearing protection, usually adds a few hundred dollars on top. A first full kit of hand tools plus a few power tools an employer doesn't supply commonly lands somewhere between $800 and $2,500 or more, depending on the job and how much of it you need on day one.

These are retailer estimates rather than figures from a single authoritative cost survey, so treat them as a guide to the shape of the expense rather than an exact quote for your trade or role. What matters for choosing a Beforepay product is the same either way: is this one item, or is this a proper kit out.

One item now, or kitting out properly: Pay Advance or Personal Loan

A single pair of boots or a set of safety gear usually sits comfortably inside Beforepay Pay Advance: $50 to $2,000, repaid in up to 4 instalments aligned to your pay cycle, over a maximum term of 62 days. See how Pay Advance works.

A full kit out that lands at $2,001 or more is a bigger one off cost, and that's where Beforepay Personal Loan fits: $2,001 to $5,000, repaid over 3 to 12 months rather than squeezed into a few pay cycles. See Personal Loan for the full detail.

Both products carry the same fixed 5% setup fee and interest of up to 24% p.a., no traditional credit check, and no late fees or early repayment fees. The cost figures above are general retailer estimates rather than a single authoritative benchmark, so treat them as a guide to the shape of the expense rather than an exact quote for your situation.

What it actually costs to borrow

Borrow $500 towards boots and basic safety gear on Pay Advance and the fixed 5% setup fee is 5% of $500, which is $25, plus interest of up to 24% p.a. on the amount and time it's outstanding. Borrow $2,500 for a full kit on Personal Loan and the same 5% fee applies: 5% of $2,500 is $125, again plus interest over your chosen term. Neither product charges a late fee or an early repayment fee.

Ask your employer first

Before spending your own money, it's worth asking your employer directly. If specific tools, safety gear or a uniform are a condition of the job, it's reasonable to ask whether your employer will supply the item or reimburse you for it. Exactly what an employer has to provide varies by industry, award and individual employment agreement rather than being set out in one universal rule, so it's worth checking your award or asking your employer or HR team directly rather than assuming either way.

Separately, the Australian Taxation Office allows employees to claim a deduction for protective items, equipment and tools they buy themselves and aren't reimbursed for, where there's a genuine workplace risk the item protects against, for example steel cap boots or high visibility clothing required for safety. Ordinary workwear generally doesn't qualify unless it's genuinely protective rather than just a uniform. This is general information, not tax advice. Check the ATO's guidance on protective items, equipment and products, or speak to a registered tax agent about your own circumstances.

Other ways to spend less

A few options can reduce what you need to finance at all. Secondhand and ex trade tools, sold through verified secondhand marketplaces or tool auctions, can cost meaningfully less than new stock for gear that still has plenty of working life left. Some tool and hardware retailers also offer their own buy now pay later options for smaller purchases repaid over a few weeks, which is worth comparing for a single item buy. And you don't have to buy everything on day one. Building a kit incrementally as jobs come up spreads the cost naturally, rather than financing a full kit before you actually need every item in it.

It's worth being honest, too, about which items are genuinely required for the job and which are nice to have. A tool that makes a task faster or more comfortable is a different call to a tool the job cannot be done without, and it's worth keeping that distinction in mind before deciding how much to borrow.

Who this page is for

This page is for employees who need to buy their own gear for a job they're employed in: boots, safety gear, a uniform, or hand tools an employer doesn't supply. It isn't for someone equipping their own business. Beforepay's products are for personal, domestic or household purposes, not business use, so if you're setting up or running your own business rather than starting or continuing in a job, this use case, and Beforepay's products generally, aren't the right fit.

Eligibility, at a glance

Before applying for either product, check the basics. You need to be 18 or over, an Australian resident, employed with a regular wage, with less than 51% of your total income from Centrelink, and hold valid Australian ID. See the full eligibility criteria before you apply. There's no traditional credit check on either product, approval is typically decided in under 60 seconds, and funds can land in as little as 5 minutes once you're approved.

This page is factual information only, not financial or tax advice. Terms and conditions, eligibility criteria and lending limits apply.