Payment solutions
| Payment plan – rental agreement | Payment plan – chattel mortgage* | Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Types of equipment | Energy-efficiency equipment | Available for storage and solar only | |
| How it works | Customer buys energy-efficiency equipment through a Smart Ease payment plan – with no initial capital outlay. The equipment supplier then installs energy-efficiency equipment and gets paid by Smart Ease. Customer’s energy bill is lower. Customer pays Smart Ease for the equipment in fixed monthly instalments for the agreed term. | The system is owned, maintained and insured by our PPA provider. The PPA provider then sells electricity back to the customer at an agreed rate throughout the agreement. This rate is generally lower than grid-sourced energy. | |
| Good for | Smaller installations <50kw. Customers who want to keep capital free for other projects. | Larger or more complex projects – less hassle to fund, install and maintain. Customers who want to keep capital free for other projects. Risk-free ownership –no resources needed to operate, insure or maintain your system. | |
| Apply online (without financials) | Up to $150K** | Up to $150K** | n/a |
| Up front cost | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Ongoing costs | Customer pays fixed monthly instalments for the agreed term. For solar equipment: The amount saved on energy bills typically exceeds your monthly instalments – making it cash-flow positive from day one*. | Customers pay variable monthly costs based on the energy generated by the system. Monthly costs are generally lower than grid-sourced energy. | |
| Term of agreement | Up to 10 years for transactions over $200k | Up to 10 years for transactions over $200k | 7-30 years |
| Who owns the equipment | Smart Ease owns the equipment. The customer has an option to offer to buy the equipment at the end of the agreement. | Customer owns the system from the start of the agreement. | Our PPA partner owns the system. The customer has an option to buy it out at any time during the term of the agreement. |
| Tax notes^ These notes have been prepared for informational purposes only and do not constitute tax advice. | In most cases, a fully tax-deductible operating expense. | As the equipment is an asset, the customer may be able to claim interest and depreciation expenses at tax time. or A 100% instant write-off may apply in some cases^ until June 2023. | Electricity used and paid for can be claimed as a tax-deductible expense. |
| Payment Plan – rental agreement | Payment Plan – chattel mortgage* | Services Funding Agreement | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Types of equipment / services | Smart equipment and technologies | Professional services funded include consulting, training, installation, maintenance and licenses to implement smart technologies. | |
| How it works | Customer funds smart equipment through a Smart Ease Payment Plan – with no initial capital outlay. The equipment supplier then delivers and/or installs smart equipment and gets paid by Smart Ease. | Available for services only or bundled with smart equipment. | |
| Good for | Customers who want to update their equipment and implement smart technology in their business or organisation. Keeping capital free for other projects. | Making smart technologies more affordable – for services, equipment or both. Businesses that are moving to cloud-based technologies. | |
| Apply online (without financials) | Up to $150K** | Up to $150K** | Up to $20K total, for services and product. |
| Up front cost | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Ongoing costs | Customer pays fixed monthly instalments for the agreed term. | ||
| Term of agreement | Up to 5 years | Up to 5 years | Up to 5 years |
| Who owns the equipment | Smart Ease owns the equipment. The customer has an option to offer to buy the equipment at the end of the agreement. | Customer owns the system from the start of the agreement. | Where equipment has been bundled with services, the customer owns the equipment. |
| Tax notes^ These notes have been prepared for informational purposes only and do not constitute tax advice. | Typically, a fully tax-deductible operating expense. | As the equipment is an asset, the customer can claim interest and depreciation expenses at tax time. or A 100% instant write-off may apply in some cases^ until June 2023. | Customer may be able to claim regular payments as an expense at tax time. |
*A chattel mortgage is a finance agreement where a lender provides funds to purchase an asset, and the lender accepts that financed asset as security for the loan. In this case, the ‘chattel’, or financed asset, is the equipment purchased and the ‘mortgage’ is the loan to pay for the equipment.
**Subject to credit criteria and approval.
^Smart Ease Pty Ltd and its affiliates do not provide tax, legal or accounting advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, tax, legal or accounting advice. You should consult your own tax, legal and accounting advisors before engaging in any transaction.
