Frequently Asked Questions

RateSync is a free Australian mortgage comparison tool. You enter your current loan details and we show you how every home loan product from major Australian banks compares — ranked by how much you could save each month. No sign-in, no bias, just the maths.

You enter your current interest rate, loan balance, property value, and loan type. RateSync filters 375+ products from 10 major banks to find ones you're eligible for, then calculates your potential savings on each — accounting for both interest rates and ongoing fees.

Yes, completely free. There is no sign-up, no paywall, and no hidden costs. We do not receive commissions or referral fees from any bank or lender.

RateSync is operated by Alpine Code (ABN 83 774 179 276), an Australian company. We are not a bank, broker, or financial adviser. RateSync provides general information to help you compare mortgage products — it is not financial advice.

The Consumer Data Right is an Australian Government initiative that requires banks to publish their product data through standardised public APIs. This means anyone — including RateSync — can access accurate, up-to-date home loan rates directly from the banks, without relying on manually collected or advertiser-supplied data.

We pull home loan product data directly from the public CDR APIs operated by Australian banks. We currently cover 10 major banks including the Big 4 (Commonwealth Bank, ANZ, Westpac, NAB) and key competitors like Macquarie, ING, Bendigo Bank, and Bank of Queensland. The data is refreshed daily at 2am AEST.

Our database is refreshed every day. An automated pipeline pulls the latest product data from each bank's CDR API and updates our records. If a bank changes a rate today, you'll see it in RateSync tomorrow morning.

CDR data is published by the banks themselves under regulatory requirements, so it is as accurate as the bank's own website. Occasionally a bank may have a delay in updating their API, but this is typically resolved within 24 hours. RateSync displays rates exactly as the bank publishes them.

Most comparison sites only show products from lenders who pay to be listed, which creates bias. CDR data comes directly from the banks under government regulation — every product is included regardless of whether the lender has a commercial relationship with us. You see the full picture, not a curated subset.

A comparison rate is a standardised rate that includes both the interest rate and most fees and charges associated with a loan. It is calculated on a $150,000 loan over 25 years as required by Australian regulation. It helps you compare the true cost of loans from different lenders, since a low interest rate with high fees can cost more than a slightly higher rate with no fees.

RateSync calculates your current monthly repayment based on the rate, balance, and loan term you enter. It then calculates what your repayment would be on each available product and shows the monthly difference, minus any ongoing fees. The annual saving is the monthly saving multiplied by 12.

The break-even period is how long it takes for your monthly savings to cover the upfront costs of switching (such as application fees and government charges). A product with $200/month savings and $1,000 in upfront fees has a 5-month break-even. Products with shorter break-even periods deliver value sooner.

A product shows $0 savings if its effective cost (interest rate plus ongoing fees) is the same as or higher than your current rate. This can also happen if the product has high ongoing fees that offset a lower interest rate.

LVR is the percentage of your property's value that you're borrowing. For example, a $400,000 loan on a $500,000 property is an 80% LVR. Lower LVRs generally qualify for better interest rates because they represent less risk for the lender. Many of the best rates require an LVR below 80%.

A variable ratecan change at any time at the lender's discretion, usually in response to Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) cash rate changes. A fixed rate is locked in for a set period (typically 1–5 years), giving you certainty over repayments. Fixed rates are usually slightly higher than variable rates to account for that certainty.

With P&I repayments, you pay down both the loan amount and the interest each month, so your balance decreases over time. With interest-only, you only pay the interest for a set period (usually 1–5 years), keeping your balance the same. IO repayments are lower in the short term but cost significantly more over the life of the loan. IO is more common for investment properties.

An offset account is a transaction account linked to your home loan. The balance in your offset account is deducted from your loan balance when calculating interest. For example, if you owe $400,000 and have $50,000 in your offset, you only pay interest on $350,000. Offset accounts can save you thousands over the life of your loan.

Ongoing fees are regular charges from the lender, typically monthly or annual. Common examples include monthly account-keeping fees ($0–$15/month) and annual package fees ($0–$395/year). RateSync subtracts ongoing fees from your savings calculation so you see the true benefit of switching.

Consider refinancing if your current rate is significantly higher than what's available, if your LVR has improved (e.g. your property value has increased), if your fixed rate period is ending, or if you're paying high ongoing fees. Use the break-even period in your RateSync results to see if switching makes financial sense.

Typical refinancing costs include a discharge fee from your current lender (around $300–$350), government mortgage registration fees (varies by state, typically $100–$200), and possibly an application fee from the new lender (many waive this). Some lenders also offer cashback deals to offset these costs.

Refinancing typically takes 4–8 weeks from application to settlement, depending on the lender and the complexity of your situation. Some digital-first lenders can process straightforward applications faster. Your existing lender has a legal obligation to process the discharge within a set timeframe.

RateSync does not require an account or any personal information. The loan details you enter (rate, balance, property value) are used to calculate your comparison and are not stored on our servers. We collect anonymous usage analytics to improve the tool. See our Privacy Policy for full details.

No. RateSync reads publicly available product data from bank APIs — we never send your information to any bank, broker, or third party. Your comparison is between you and your screen.

No. RateSync is designed to deliver value without requiring sign-up or login. You can compare rates immediately with no account, no email, and no personal details.