Quick answer
In the final 90 days of a short-term business loan, confirm the exit is on track (day 90), lodge or finalise the refinance, sale or collection and ask about extension terms if anything is uncertain (day 60), request the payout figure and confirm settlement arrangements (day 30), and reconcile the final figure and funds flow (day 7). Acting at each checkpoint keeps options open; waiting until the last fortnight removes them.
Key points
- Day 90: honest check — is the exit on track, and is the evidence in hand?
- Day 60: the last comfortable point to raise an extension or switch to plan B.
- Day 30: payout figure requested, settlement or funds flow confirmed.
- Day 7: final numbers reconciled, daily adjustment known, everyone briefed.
- Keep ATO, wages and super obligations covered throughout — the exit shouldn't starve the business.
Every short-term loan has a date on it. Most of the stress around short-term finance comes from the last few weeks before that date — the settlement that hasn’t been booked, the bank that wants one more document, the payout figure nobody requested.
Almost all of that stress is avoidable with a simple countdown. This guide sets out what to do at 90, 60, 30 and 7 days before the due date, with notes for each of the main exit routes: refinance, sale, money owed and trading surplus.
It assumes you wrote an exit plan before signing. If you didn’t, start with our five-part exit plan — it takes an hour, and this countdown builds on it.
Why 90 days?
Because most exits take longer than a month to complete, and most fallbacks take longer than a fortnight to arrange. Ninety days is enough time to:
- finish a bank refinance that’s already under way;
- negotiate and settle a sale that’s already on the market;
- chase and collect a large debtor;
- arrange an extension if something slips.
It’s also early enough that you’re negotiating from strength. A borrower who calls a lender 90 days out with a clear update is having a routine conversation. One who calls in the last week is having an urgent one.
For a 3-month loan, compress the timeline: treat day 45 as your “day 60” checkpoint and day 20 as your “day 30”.
Day 90: the honest check
Sit down with your exit plan and answer four questions truthfully:
- Is the source still on track? Has anything changed about the refinance, sale, receivable or trading forecast?
- Is the amount still enough? Remember the exit must cover the full payout — principal plus accrued interest, capitalised amounts and fees — not just the amount borrowed. See payout figures.
- Is the date still realistic? With what evidence?
- Is the buffer intact? How many weeks between expected exit and the due date?
Then act by route:
| Exit route | Day-90 actions |
|---|---|
| Bank refinance | Application lodged or about to be; financials and tax returns with the bank; valuation booked |
| Property or asset sale | On the market with realistic pricing; campaign progress reviewed; conveyancer engaged |
| Business sale | Buyer identified; due diligence under way; heads of agreement signed |
| Money owed | Payer contacted; payment date confirmed in writing; any disputes resolved |
| Trading surplus | Cash flow forecast updated; surplus accumulating as planned; tax obligations provided for |
If any of these aren’t done, you now know what to do this week.
Day 60: decide, don’t drift
Day 60 is the most important checkpoint. It’s the last point at which you can comfortably change course.
If the exit is on track: confirm the next steps and dates with everyone involved — bank, agent, conveyancer, customer. Ask your lender how much notice they need for a payout figure.
If the exit is at risk: this is the moment to act.
- Raise an extension with your lender now, with evidence of progress and a specific amount of extra time. Our extensions and rollovers page covers how to ask.
- Start the fallback in parallel — a second buyer, a different lender, a partial sale.
- Price each option in dollars so the decision is clear.
Don’t wait to see if things sort themselves out. Every week you wait removes an option.
Worried an exit elsewhere is slipping? Talk to a lending specialist about refinancing options — there’s no credit check to enquire.
Keep the business funded during the countdown
A common mistake in the final months is starving the business to save for the exit. The loan gets repaid, but the BAS is late or super is missed — and that creates a new problem.
Keep these covered throughout:
- BAS. The ATO lists quarterly BAS due dates of 28 October, 28 February, 28 April and 28 July, with monthly BAS due on the 21st of the following month. If one falls inside your countdown, provide for it.
- Wages and super. The ATO confirms that from 1 July 2026, under Payday Super, contributions must reach an employee’s fund within 7 business days after payday. Super now leaves the account every pay cycle rather than quarterly.
- Key suppliers. A business that stops paying suppliers to meet a loan exit can damage the very trading that supports it.
If your exit depends on trading surplus, build these into the forecast rather than treating them as optional.
Day 30: paperwork and payout
At day 30, the job shifts from strategy to logistics.
Request the payout figure. Ask your lender for the payout as at your expected repayment date, plus the daily adjustment (per diem) in case the date moves. Ask how long the figure is valid and what the lender needs to release any security.
Confirm funds flow.
| Exit route | Day-30 logistics |
|---|---|
| Bank refinance | New lender has the payout figure; settlement date booked; discharge documents organised |
| Property sale | Conveyancer has the payout figure; settlement statement drafted; discharge arranged |
| Business sale | Completion date confirmed; payout to be made from proceeds at completion |
| Money owed | Payment date reconfirmed; account details for repayment ready |
| Trading surplus | Funds accumulated or scheduled; repayment date set |
Check the payout against your contract. Principal, interest days, fees, any early repayment charge and discharge costs. Query anything that doesn’t reconcile now rather than on settlement day.
Day 7: final reconciliation
A week out, confirm:
- the final payout figure for the actual settlement date;
- that the exit funds are available or will be at settlement;
- that everyone knows who pays whom, when and how — especially for sales and refinances where several parties are involved;
- that you have the lender’s account details verified directly (never rely on an emailed change of bank details without calling to confirm);
- that discharge documents for any security are ready.
If settlement slips by a day or two, use the per diem to adjust. If it slips by more, call the lender immediately.
What if the exit arrives early?
Good news — if your contract rewards it. On loans where time-based cost accrues daily with no minimum, repaying early stops the cost the day you pay. On loans with a minimum period or prepaid cost, early repayment may save less. Check the clause and ask for a payout figure; our early repayment page explains the options.
If the exit arrives in pieces — a partial sale, instalment payments — ask whether partial repayments reduce the time-based cost. If they do, pay down as money lands.
What if the exit fails completely?
Occasionally the main exit falls over: a bank declines, a sale collapses, a customer disputes the invoice. If you’ve followed the countdown, you’ll know this by day 60 at the latest, with time to act. The options are usually:
- a refinance with another lender, possibly on a longer term;
- an extension while a new exit is arranged;
- the fallback from your original plan;
- a sale of another asset.
What matters is acting quickly and specifically. Lenders respond to a clear plan with evidence; they struggle with silence.
A countdown you can print
| Day | Checkpoint | Done? |
|---|---|---|
| 90 | Exit source, amount, date and buffer honestly checked | |
| 90 | Route-specific actions under way | |
| 60 | On track confirmed — or extension raised and fallback started | |
| 60 | Lender’s payout notice period confirmed | |
| 30 | Payout figure and per diem requested | |
| 30 | Settlement or funds flow booked | |
| 30 | Payout checked against contract | |
| 7 | Final figure for settlement date | |
| 7 | Exit funds confirmed | |
| 7 | Bank details verified by phone | |
| 0 | Loan repaid; security discharged; confirmation received |
The exit strategy builder generates a dated version of this list from your own loan and exit dates.
Start your next loan with the countdown built in
If you’re planning a short-term loan, the easiest countdown is the one designed in from the start: a term that leaves a buffer, fair payout terms and an exit with evidence behind it. Tell us what you need and how you plan to repay, and a lending specialist will help structure it that way. Enquiring doesn’t touch your credit file, and your details stay with the person handling your enquiry instead of being shared around. Please be specific on the form about your exit and its timing — it’s the detail that shapes the whole loan.
Frequently asked questions
When should I start planning to repay a short-term loan?
Before you sign it. But the active countdown should start at least 90 days before the due date, so there's time to fix problems, arrange an extension or switch to a fallback if the main exit is running late.
When should I ask for a payout figure?
Roughly 30 days before the expected repayment date, and earlier if a refinancing lender or conveyancer needs it. Ask for the daily adjustment amount too, so the figure can be updated if settlement moves.
When is it too late to ask for an extension?
There's no fixed cut-off, but requests made in the last week or two leave the lender little time and you little bargaining power. Aim to raise it by around day 60 if there's any doubt.
What if my exit is ready early?
Repay early if the contract rewards it. Check the payout rules — if interest accrues daily with no minimum, early repayment saves the remaining time-based cost.