About, Data Source, and Terms
Who runs Rates API, where the New Zealand rate data comes from, its limits, fair use, the licences of the code and the data, and how to get help.
Who Operates Rates API
Simon Betton, an independent software developer, makes and operates Rates API. For more information about him, go to simonbetton.com.
Rates API is an open source project. The source code, the issues, and the history of changes are in the GitHub repository.
Rates API is independent. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, any lender.
How Data Collection Operates
- A GitHub Actions workflow is scheduled to run the scraper scripts every four hours. Runs can be delayed or fail.
- The scripts read institution websites and their first-party rate feeds for mortgages, personal loans, car loans, and credit cards. They do not fall back to a comparison site.
- The scripts validate all sources and products for each institution. They save verified changes and keep the previous records for institutions that cannot be verified. One failed institution does not stop updates to others.
- The API keeps a maximum of one snapshot for each dataset on each UTC date.
The history starts on 8 March 2025. Direct records have a sourceUrl field. Retained records keep their original source information. A partial update does not count as a new complete check of the dataset.
To see the time of the last change to each dataset, send a request to /api/v1/health. For more information, read Core Concepts.
Limitations
- The data can be incorrect, incomplete, or late. A lender can change a rate before the next check.
- If an institution changes its pages, its data collection can fail. Its stored data stays the same until a later collection passes all checks. Other institutions can still update.
- Before you make a decision, check the rate with the lender.
- Rates API does not give financial advice.
- Rates API is free and has no service level agreement. The service can be unavailable.
Fair Use
An API key is not necessary, and Rates API has no published rate limit. Obey these rules, so that the service stays available for all users:
- Keep the responses in a cache. Checks for new data are scheduled every four hours.
- Do not send many requests in a short time. For example, do not send one request for each visitor to your site.
- To get earlier rates, use the time-series endpoints. Do not use the list endpoints to make your own history.
Rates API can block traffic that causes problems for the service.
Data Source and Licence
| Item | Licence or terms |
|---|---|
| Source code | The MIT licence |
| Direct rate data | See the institution page in sourceUrl |
| Rate records | Check the source fields for provenance and the source’s terms |
The MIT licence applies only to the source code. It does not apply to the rate data.
Source pages have their own terms. Rates API does not grant rights to their content. Check the source that applies to the records you use.
Show users the institution and source URL for direct records. Keep the original attribution for earlier snapshots.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Rates API affiliated with any lender?
No. Rates API is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, any lender. Collection uses institution websites.
Can I use the data commercially?
The source code has the MIT licence. Thus you can use and change the code in commercial work.
The rate data has separate source terms. Check the institution page in sourceUrl for direct records and the original source for earlier snapshots.
Contact
To report an incorrect rate or a problem, ask a question, or suggest a change, open an issue on GitHub. To report a security problem privately, read the contact page.
The privacy notice tells you which data the service keeps about requests, and for how long.
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