Bendigo Bank Discharge Form: How to Discharge Your Home Loan
Quick answer. The Bendigo Bank discharge form is a PDF called the Loan Discharge Authority. You download it from Bendigo, every borrower and guarantor signs it, and you return it digitally or at a branch. Bendigo charges a $350 discharge administration fee and a $100 settlement fee, plus the NSW government’s $182.73 to register the discharge, and asks for up to 15 business days’ notice for a refinance settlement even though it processes the form itself in 2 to 7 business days. A broker refinancing you handles this for you.
Where to get the official Bendigo Bank discharge form
Bendigo’s closing your home loan page links the Loan Discharge Authority form (PDF). Format: PDF. All borrowers and all guarantors must sign. Bendigo says to return the signed form “digitally or by visiting your nearest branch”, but does not print an email address on the page or the form, so if you are not using a branch, call 1300 236 344 and ask where to send it.
The same number is the one to ring if you need to postpone or cancel the discharge. Bendigo and Adelaide Bank are the same company, and Bendigo’s form covers both.
What you’ll need to fill it in
- Borrower and guarantor details, and any other parties to the loans.
- Your solicitor or conveyancer, or the other financial institution if refinancing.
- The security being discharged and why: sale, refinance (all debt paid out and closed), or a release with no sale or refinance.
- What should happen to each existing loan account: repay and close, no change, or reduce the debt by an amount.
- A declaration that you will keep making repayments until settlement, will pay the fees, and agree to the bank talking to your representative.
- Signatures from every borrower and every guarantor.
What it costs
| Cost | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Bendigo discharge administration fee | $350 (as at 20 September 2026) | Bendigo lending fees and charges, May 2024 |
| Bendigo settlement fee | $100 (as at 20 September 2026) | Bendigo lending fees and charges, May 2024 |
| Agent lodgement fee | $125 if an agent attends settlement or lodges documents (as at 20 September 2026) | Bendigo lending fees and charges, May 2024 |
| Fixed-rate break cost fee | Individually calculated; confirmed two days before settlement | Bendigo home loan fees and charges |
| NSW government fee to register the discharge | $182.73 incl. GST (as at 20 September 2026; other states differ) | NSW LRS 2026/27 fees |
Bendigo lists more line items than most: the $350 to prepare the discharge, $100 to process the settlement, and possibly $125 if an agent has to attend or lodge, plus a $150 production fee per document if a title has to be produced. Bendigo’s own page says the payout figure will itemise them, so ask for it early. Note the fee sheet is dated May 2024; confirm with the bank.
On a fixed rate, Bendigo’s break cost fee applies if you repay the loan in full, change the rate, or overpay by more than $20,000 during the fixed period. The form warns that break costs can be considerable, change daily, and cannot be confirmed until two days before settlement.
How long it takes
Bendigo is one of the few banks that gives two numbers. It processes the discharge request itself in usually 2 to 7 business days, but it requires up to 15 business days’ notice for a discharge settlement: 10 for a sale, 15 for a refinance or any other release. So the form can be quick, but the settlement date still needs three weeks’ notice.
Because the form does not print a return address, the delay we see is people sitting on a signed form not knowing where to send it. Ring 1300 236 344 or use a branch.
The traps we see people fall into
Confusing the two timeframes. “2 to 7 business days” is Bendigo processing the paperwork. The settlement still needs 15 business days’ notice on a refinance. Count back three weeks from the date the new lender wants.
Lodging before the new loan is unconditional. The declaration on the form commits you to fees and to the discharge. Wait for the incoming lender’s unconditional approval.
The offset and redraw. At settlement Bendigo clears the loan and closes the linked accounts, offset included; redraw is used up in the payout. Move the money deliberately, and check the offset was being credited before it closes. How to check.
A break cost you only learn two days out. Bendigo confirms the exact break cost two days before settlement. Get an estimate at the start so there are no surprises when it is too late to change course.
Run the numbers before you send the form
A discharge only makes sense if the new loan beats the old one after the fees. 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 — the new lender’s rate next to what Bendigo Bank charges you now.
- Home loan offset calculator — what an offset account is worth to you, at either lender.
- Offset account checker — before the old loan closes, check Bendigo Bank was crediting your offset properly. It is much harder to argue a mistake after the account is gone.
Refinancing? You don’t need to do any of this yourself
When Soren Financial refinances a client away from Bendigo Bank, we prepare the Loan Discharge Authority, tell you exactly where to sign, lodge it, chase the payout figure and any break cost, and book settlement so the Bendigo Bank loan closes the day the new one opens. With Bendigo we lodge with the full 15 business days’ notice and get a break-cost estimate early. 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 much is the Bendigo Bank discharge fee?
A $350 discharge administration fee and a $100 settlement fee as at 20 September 2026, plus possibly a $125 agent lodgement fee, government registration fees and any break cost. Bendigo’s payout figure itemises them.
How long does a Bendigo Bank discharge take?
Bendigo processes the request in usually 2 to 7 business days, but requires up to 15 business days’ notice for a refinance settlement (10 for a sale).
Where do I send the Bendigo discharge form?
Bendigo says to return it digitally or at a branch but does not print an email address. Call 1300 236 344 to confirm where to send it, or use a branch.
Can I postpone or cancel a Bendigo discharge?
Yes. Bendigo says to call 1300 236 344 if you need to postpone or cancel.
Does Bendigo charge break costs on a fixed loan?
Yes, if you repay in full, change the rate, or overpay by more than $20,000 during the fixed period. The exact figure is confirmed two days before settlement.
Is the Bendigo 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 Bendigo Bank to release the mortgage. If you are refinancing with us, we fill it in and lodge it for you.