Prospa–Qantas deal gives brokers a fresh SME edge

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THE NON-BANK lending pitch to small businesses is a well-trodden script: faster than the banks, less paperwork, funds in your account quickly. This has been a successful formula, but as the SME lending market has matured, speed alone no longer tends to set a lender apart – most clients take it as a given. Brokers know this. Their clients know it too. Prospa, one of Australia’s best-known non-bank SME lenders, has taken a rare step, pairing its business loan products with Qantas Business Rewards. The arrangement means that small business borrowers can earn Qantas Points on eligible Prospa loans, adding a layer of practical, everyday value to what has traditionally been a purely financial transaction. It’s a move that reflects a broader rethink about what brokers need from their lending partners and what small businesses want from the lenders they deal with. It also reflects a company at the leading edge of its competitive space and one that is keen to set new standards before competitors are even aware the old leading edge has become the baseline. “Prospa made its mark by removing the barriers that slow small businesses down and delivering funding quickly when it matters most,” says Beau Bertoli, co-founder and chief revenue officer at Prospa. “Today, fast access to funds is simply the starting point. Small businesses want partners who can offer more than just capital.”

Prospa is Australia’s leading online lender to small businesses, providing fast, flexible funding solutions designed to make financial management simpler for SMEs. Since 2012, Prospa has helped thousands of businesses access capital through its award-winning technology, easy online applications and fast approvals. The company has provided more than $5 billion in lending, contributing an estimated $10 billion to Australia’s GDP and supporting over 114,000 jobs. Prospa’s proprietary technology, including its advanced credit decision engine, enables quick, confident lending decisions and seamless digital experiences. With teams across Australia and New Zealand, Prospa is committed to helping small businesses grow and thrive.

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Beau Bertoli, Prospa

For brokers working with SME clients, the value of any lender relationship often comes down to what they can bring to the table when they pick up the phone or sit across from a client. Rate matters, of course. So does turnaround time. But differentiation is harder to achieve when multiple lenders can tell a similar story on both counts. “As expectations rise, we’ve continued to evolve our offering,” says Bertoli. “We’re focused on building smarter, more connected financial tools that deliver practical value for small businesses.”

The Qantas Business Rewards partnership gives brokers something different to lead with. Rather than opening with a comparison of interest rates or approval times, they can now point to tangible business benefits that clients can use well beyond the settlement date. Bertoli says the shift in the conversation is deliberate. “This partnership moves the conversation beyond speed or cost and towards outcomes that matter to small businesses. Brokers can show clients that funding with Prospa meets their financial needs while also delivering Qantas Points they can use in their business.” He adds that the arrangement opens doors with both new and existing clients. “It gives brokers a new reason to reconnect with existing clients and offer additional value alongside funding.”

Why it hasn’t happened before Given that loyalty programs have been woven into credit cards, car rentals and hotel bookings for decades, it’s reasonable to ask why it took this long for rewards to find their way into non-bank SME lending. The answer, according to Bertoli, involves more moving parts than it might appear. “Bringing rewards into lending requires the right partner, a strong commercial model and technology that integrates seamlessly, so there’s no added friction for brokers or customers,” he says. “Until now, non-bank SME lending has focused mainly on fast access to capital.”

Building for the long term Prospa has been clear that the Qantas deal is part of a wider strategic shift rather than a standalone promotion. The company has been investing in payments capability alongside its lending products, with a view to becoming a more comprehensive financial platform for small businesses. The ambition, as Bertoli describes it, is to be present in the daily financial lives of SME operators, not only when they need a loan. “Lending is just one part of how small businesses manage their daily finances,” he says. “Our focus is on supporting everything that surrounds it.”

“Brokers can show clients that funding with Prospa meets their financial needs while also delivering Qantas Points they can use in their business”

A first-of-its-kind rewards partnership between Prospa and Qantas Business Rewards is reshaping how brokers pitch non-bank lending to small business clients, turning a funding conversation into something more useful

The alignment between the two businesses turned out to be a significant factor in making the deal work. Qantas Business Rewards already has deep penetration among small business owners, many of whom use points for flights, upgrades and business travel. That existing familiarity meant the partnership didn’t require Prospa to educate borrowers on an unfamiliar concept. “From the start, our goals aligned with those of small business owners,” Bertoli explains. “Qantas understood how members already use points in their businesses. Together, we built something practical and relevant into the lending journey.” The result, he says, is something that works for both sides of the broker relationship. It’s a “unique opportunity for brokers and clients alike – access to funding that supports business growth while delivering everyday value”. Fitting into the broker workflow One of the friction points that has historically slowed the uptake of add-on products in broking is complexity. If a new feature adds steps to an already-detailed process, many brokers will quietly set it aside, regardless of how appealing it looks on paper. Prospa has been explicit about this risk in the way it has designed the partnership. The rewards component is intended to sit within the existing lending journey rather than create a parallel process that brokers need to manage separately. Bertoli is direct about the standard Prospa applies when assessing any potential partnership. “Every partnership we consider must meet a clear standard: it needs to help brokers win business and deliver real, practical value to small businesses. That means partnering with brands that small business owners already trust, focusing on what matters most to them, and making sure the experience fits seamlessly into broker workflows. If a partnership adds complexity or confusion, we simply won’t move forward.” He sums it up plainly: “The Qantas Business Rewards partnership makes lending easier, not harder.”

Cash flow management sits at the centre of that vision. Many small business owners describe the gap between paying suppliers and receiving payment from customers as one of their most persistent operational headaches. Cash reserves are being squeezed and B2B invoice defaults are revisiting historically high levels, according to industry surveys such as CreditorWatch’s Business Risk Index. Prospa sees an opportunity to address that pressure through an integrated suite of tools. “Our aim is to make it simple for businesses to pay bills, manage expenses and oversee cash flow, all in one place,” Bertoli says. “This delivers value that goes well beyond the loan itself.” For brokers, the implications of this direction extend beyond any single product or partnership. A lender that continues to add value for clients between loan applications gives brokers a stronger reason to maintain those referral relationships and clients a stronger reason to stay. Bertoli frames it in terms of the relationships that brokers are trying to build. “For brokers, it’s an opportunity to build deeper, longer-term relationships, as Prospa continues to deliver value and support beyond funding.”

A new conversation starter

Published 04 May 2026

Brokers need to think beyond standard offerings such as speedy approval in order to stand out in a market where the basics are increasingly assumed. When many lenders deliver similar turnaround times and rates, differentiation comes from the additional value brokers can offer their clients. “This partnership is part of a broader transformation, supporting Prospa’s evolution into a platform that helps businesses operate more efficiently every day, with integrated rewards and financial solutions,” says Bertoli.

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How many Qantas Points can SMEs earn?

Eligible SMEs can earn up to

500,000

Qantas Points per Prospa Small Business Loan or Business Loan Plus

Source: Prospa

Source: CreditorWatch Business Risk Index

Note: Feb 2020 = 100

B2B trade payment defaults remain historically high

181

July 2025

176

April 2025

158

January 2025

Month

Index

181

February 2026

Beau Bertoli, Prospa

“This partnership is part of a broader transformation, supporting Prospa’s evolution into a platform that helps businesses operate more efficiently every day, with integrated rewards and financial solutions”