Last updated: July 2026
Big 4 vs Challenger Banks — Term Deposit Rates
How do ANZ, CBA, NAB, and Westpac compare against ING, Rabobank, Judo Bank, and other challengers? The gap is wider than most people expect.
At 12 months — the most commonly compared term — the best challenger rate is (Heartland Bank) vs the best Big 4 rate of 5.30% p.a. (ANZ). That's a 15 basis point gap — on $100,000, an extra $150 per year.
Challenger & Neo Banks
12-month rate · sorted highest first
Head-to-Head Comparisons
Why challenger banks pay more
The Big 4 banks — ANZ, Commonwealth Bank, NAB, and Westpac — dominate Australian retail banking and hold the majority of the country's deposits. Because they can rely on that sticky deposit base, they rarely need to compete aggressively on term deposit rates. Challenger banks have no such luxury: they must offer higher rates to attract customers who have no existing relationship with them.
This structural difference has been consistent over time, though the size of the gap varies with market conditions. Historically, challenger banks have offered 30–80 basis points above the Big 4 for comparable terms; the current spread is visible in the table above. On a $100,000 deposit over 12 months, even a 15 basis point gap is worth $150 in additional interest — for identical risk, since all deposits with authorised deposit-taking institutions up to $250,000 are covered by the Australian Government Financial Claims Scheme.
The practical catch is convenience. Challenger banks often lack branch networks and may have less sophisticated online banking. For a term deposit — where you lock in a rate and leave it alone — that rarely matters. The money sits untouched for the term, and at maturity you roll it over or transfer it back. The friction cost is low; the rate benefit is real.
Rate gaps between Big 4 and challengers shift with the RBA and bank funding needs — we'll alert you when they move.
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