CBA Discharge Form: How to Discharge Your CommBank Home Loan
Quick answer. The CBA discharge form is an online form called the Discharge/Refinance Authority. You complete it on CommBank’s website (or start it in NetBank), download and print it, have every borrower and guarantor sign, and email it to cbadischarges@cba.com.au or drop it at a branch. CommBank charges a $350 settlement fee when you discharge, plus the NSW government’s $182.73 to register it. CommBank does not publish a processing time for home loans, so check with the bank and lodge early. If you refinance through a broker, the broker prepares and lodges this for you.
If you came here looking for the Commonwealth Bank discharge authority form, it’s the same document as the discharge form. Both names mean the signed paperwork that lets Commonwealth Bank release its mortgage over your property.
Where to get the official CBA discharge form
Start at CommBank’s discharge a home loan or property page. It splits into selling, refinancing and other reasons. The form itself is the Discharge/Refinance Authority online form. If you have NetBank, CommBank will pre-fill most of it for you.
Format: online, then paper. CommBank retired its old paper form (the 000-610) years ago, so there is no blank PDF to download. You fill in the online form, print what it generates, and sign that. CommBank has said it will not accept handwritten changes on the printed form, so if something is wrong, go back and redo it online.
One thing to know before you click “refinancing”: CommBank’s page asks you to call first so it can “take another look at your home loan”. That is a retention call. You are free to take it, and sometimes the rate offer is worth having, but you do not have to. If you decide to go ahead, CommBank then provides the discharge authority. Its discharge team is on 1300 219 166, Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm.
What you’ll need to fill it in
- Details of every borrower and every guarantor on the loan.
- The property address and which security is being released.
- The home loan account number(s) to be paid out.
- If refinancing, the incoming lender’s details and your broker’s or solicitor’s details.
- The reason: sale, refinance, substitution of security, guarantor release, or loan repaid.
- Signatures from all borrowers and guarantors on the printed form. CommBank checks for this before it starts.
Co-borrowers who would rather not see each other’s details can submit separate forms; CommBank allows that.
What it costs
| Cost | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| CommBank settlement fee (charged on discharge) | $350 (as at 20 September 2026) | CommBank consumer mortgage fees, September 2026 |
| CommBank administrative fee (fixed loans repaid early) | $50 (as at 20 September 2026) | CommBank consumer mortgage fees, September 2026 |
| Fixed-rate early repayment adjustment | Individually calculated at the time | CommBank ERA fact sheet |
| NSW government fee to register the discharge | $182.73 incl. GST (as at 20 September 2026; other states differ) | NSW LRS 2026/27 fees |
CommBank’s fee schedule calls the discharge charge a “settlement fee” and says it is payable if you discharge the loan by selling or refinancing with another lender. If your loan is fixed, add the $50 administrative fee, and CommBank will work out whether an Early Repayment Adjustment applies on top. That adjustment is the one that can run into the thousands.
How long it takes
CommBank does not state a turnaround for home loan discharges on its pages. Its business loan form says up to 15 business days, but that is a different process. For a home loan, check with the bank when you lodge. Our working assumption with any major bank is around ten business days from a complete form, and we build the settlement date around that.
Delays at CommBank usually trace back to the printed form: a page missing, a guarantor who did not sign, or a handwritten correction that CommBank rejects. Print the whole thing, sign every place it asks, and send it in one go.
The traps we see people fall into
Taking the retention offer without comparing it. CommBank will often offer a better rate on the call. Sometimes it is a good outcome. But compare it with what the new lender is offering after fees, not against your current rate. A retention rate that still sits above the market is not a win.
Lodging before unconditional approval. The discharge authority tells CommBank to prepare a payout. If the new loan is not yet unconditionally approved, you can end up with a payout ready and no funds to settle. Get the formal approval first.
The offset balance. At settlement CommBank clears the loan and closes the linked accounts, offset included. Move that money on purpose, and before you close the account, check the offset was actually saving you interest. Here is how to check.
The fixed-rate bill. The $50 administrative fee is small. The Early Repayment Adjustment is not. On a large fixed loan with time left it can outweigh two years of savings from a lower rate. Ask CommBank for the figure before you sign with anyone.
Settlement that nobody owns. CommBank’s payout and the new lender’s settlement have to happen on the same day, or you carry two loans. When we refinance a client, we manage that date. If you do it yourself, put it in the diary and chase both sides.
Run the numbers before you send the form
A discharge only makes sense if the new loan beats the old one after the fees. Three of our calculators do the maths in a minute or two:
- Cost to switch calculator — the one to start with: it takes the discharge fee, the government fee and any break cost and tells you how many months until the switch has paid for itself.
- Loan repayment calculator — put in the new lender’s rate and see the monthly repayment side by side with what CommBank charges you now.
- Home loan offset calculator — if you are moving to (or away from) an offset account, this shows what the offset is actually worth in interest.
- Offset account checker — before you close the old loan, check CommBank has been crediting your offset properly. It is much harder to argue a mistake once the account is closed.
Refinancing? You don’t need to do any of this yourself
When Soren Financial refinances a client away from CommBank, we complete the Discharge/Refinance Authority, tell you exactly where to sign, lodge it with CommBank’s discharge team, chase the payout figure and any Early Repayment Adjustment, and book settlement so both loans change hands the same day. The incoming lender pays us, so it costs you nothing.
Written by Mansour Soltani, Director, Soren Financial. Mansour has arranged refinances across the major banks and the non-bank lenders since 2019, and handles the discharge paperwork for every client Soren moves. Certificate IV and Diploma in Finance and Mortgage Broking Management. FBAA member. Credit Representative 527161 of Finsure Finance and Insurance Pty Ltd, Australian Credit Licence 384704.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get a discharge form from CommBank?
Complete the Discharge/Refinance Authority on CommBank’s website, or start it in NetBank. Then download, print and sign it. There is no blank PDF to download.
Where do I send the CBA discharge form?
Email the signed form to cbadischarges@cba.com.au, or drop it at any CommBank branch.
How much does it cost to discharge a CBA home loan?
A $350 settlement fee as at 20 September 2026, plus the government registration fee for your state. Fixed loans also pay a $50 administrative fee and possibly an Early Repayment Adjustment.
How long does a CommBank discharge take?
CommBank does not publish a timeframe for home loan discharges. Check with the bank when you lodge and allow at least a couple of weeks before settlement.
Do all borrowers and guarantors have to sign the CommBank discharge form?
Yes. CommBank asks you to check every borrower and guarantor has signed before you submit it.
Is the Commonwealth Bank discharge authority the same as the discharge form?
Yes, they are the same thing. People call it a discharge authority because signing it authorises Commonwealth Bank to release the mortgage. If you are refinancing with us, we fill it in and lodge it for you.