Who must comply with Small Amount Credit Contract + Consumer Lease caps (post-SACC reforms)?
The applicability test for Small Amount Credit Contract + Consumer Lease caps (post-SACC reforms) (ASIC), computed across 35 industries, 9 business structures and 6 size bands.
Short answer: Only if
Applies only if you provide small amount credit contracts or consumer leases. Whether it applies turns on a fact that no industry, structure or size settles on its own.
What the obligation is
SACC + consumer lease fee caps + responsible lending tightened post-Royal Commission.
Treasury Laws Amendment (Financial Sector Reform) Act 2022 (Cwlth) introduced SACC + consumer lease reforms including total cost caps + protected earnings amount caps for SACC borrowers + consumer lease providers. Restrictions on unsolicited offers.
The applicability test
Applies only if you provide small amount credit contracts or consumer leases. Whether it applies turns on a fact that no industry, structure or size settles on its own.
How the regulator frames it: SACC providers + consumer lease providers (Cash Converters, BNPL-adjacent).
What triggers it: Providing SACC or consumer lease.
Jurisdiction: Commonwealth law, so the test is the same in every state and territory.
Which industries are in or out
Outcome across the 35 industries Rules Mate maps (2 of 35: only if a further fact applies; 33 of 35: no).
| Industry | Answer |
|---|---|
| Banks & ADIs | Only if a further fact applies |
| Credit licensees & mortgage brokers | Only if a further fact applies |
| No | 33 other industries |
Business structure and size
Structure does not change the answer in the 2 industries it can reach: for every structure the answer is "only if a further fact applies".
Size does not change the answer in the 2 industries it can reach: at every size band the answer is "only if a further fact applies".
Worked examples
Each line is one run of the Rules Mate applicability engine for a single business profile, with the reason the engine gives:
- Pty Ltd company in real estate agents with 6–19 employees, turnover $1M–$3M: does not apply. Requires a trigger outside this questionnaire.
- Pty Ltd company in banks & adis with 6–19 employees, turnover $1M–$3M: check whether it applies. applies only if you provide small amount credit contracts or consumer leases.
Answers that bring it into scope
Starting from a small or large professional services company that does not otherwise meet the test, each of these single facts changes the engine's answer:
- The business holds an Australian credit licence (ACL): it becomes worth checking, because it applies only if you provide small amount credit contracts or consumer leases.
- The business provides credit to customers: it becomes worth checking, because it applies only if you provide small amount credit contracts or consumer leases.
When you need to check further
The engine shows this obligation as "check whether this applies" when a business has credit activity. It then applies only if you provide small amount credit contracts or consumer leases. That fact is not something Rules Mate can infer from industry, structure or size.
What you must do, and when
- When due
- Continuous.
- Frequency
- Ongoing
- Evidence to keep
- Cost cap compliance; protected earnings calculations; documentation.
- Status
- Current
- Priority
- Critical
Penalty for not complying
Maximum penalty: Civil + criminal penalties to NCCP maximum.
Criminal liability
Audit or assurance level
Rules Mate has not yet classified the audit or assurance level for this obligation. Any audit, review or certification requirement is set by the regulator source listed below.
Where it sits in the corpus
Rules Mate tracks 8 published obligations tagged "credit", 5 of them rated critical. For a professional services Pty Ltd company with 6–19 employees operating in every state, 0 of those apply outright. This obligation is rated critical priority and carries criminal liability, and is an ongoing duty.
Regulator, legislation and tools
Regulated by Australian Securities and Investments Commission.
ASIC: Corporate regulator administering the Corporations Act, financial services and credit licensing (AFSL/ACL), markets supervision, insolvency, and registries (ASIC and ABRS).
NCCP Act: Federal regulation of consumer credit.
Free tools that help with this obligation:
Questions
- Who must comply with Small Amount Credit Contract + Consumer Lease caps (post-SACC reforms)?
- Applies only if you provide small amount credit contracts or consumer leases. Whether it applies turns on a fact that no industry, structure or size settles on its own.
- Does Small Amount Credit Contract + Consumer Lease caps (post-SACC reforms) apply to sole traders?
- Only if a further fact applies. Looking in the 2 industries it can reach and every size band, the engine's answer for a sole trader is: only if a further fact applies.
- Does Small Amount Credit Contract + Consumer Lease caps (post-SACC reforms) apply to businesses with 1–5 employees?
- Only if a further fact applies (1–5 employees, turnover $100K–$1M).
- When is "Small Amount Credit Contract + Consumer Lease caps (post-SACC reforms)" due?
- Continuous.
Related
Sources
Computed by the Rules Mate applicability engine from the published obligation corpus; facts last checked 3 October 2026. Rules Mate is not a law firm and this is general information, not legal advice. Confirm your position with the regulator source or a qualified adviser before acting.