Establishment Fee

The establishment fee is an initial payment made upon application or during the opening of a loan, credit card account, or other financial service. Also called the opening or application fee, it is meant to cover the costs of creating your file, setting up the interview, and producing the necessary documents. Not all institutions will charge an establishment fee, as some of them can shoulder the costs on your part. If they do charge the fee, Australian law requires them to disclose the rate and amount in the loan ad.