Lendus.

Palletiser Finance

A robotic palletiser arm typically costs from around £20,000 to £80,000 on its own, but integration, guarding and conveyor interfacing commonly doubles the total project cost, so a complete installed cell often runs from £60,000 to £180,000.

Can you finance a palletiser?

Yes, palletisers are financed as a standard asset purchase, usually on hire purchase or a lease, with the machine itself acting as the security. UK prices typically run £60,000 to £180,000, and most deals are written over 24-84 months with a deposit of around 10-20%. Decisions typically take 24–48 hours. Used machines are financeable too, usually with a shorter term.

200+ UK lenders
2-minute application
No credit check to apply
FCA-regulated brokers

Typical Cost

£60k – £180k

Approval Speed

24–48 hours

Same-day for < £30k

Rates From

5.3% - 9.7% per annum

What would a palletiser cost per month?

£110,000
10%
60 months
9%
£0

Your estimate

Indicative only. Not a quote and not an offer of finance.

Pre-filled with a typical palletiser price. Indicative only, not a quote.

Compare palletiser finance rates from 200+ lenders

Check Eligibility

Finance options

Hire Purchase (HP)

Rate
5.7% - 9.7% per annum
Term
24-84 months
Deposit
10-20%
Ownership
Yours at the end
Best for
Manufacturers installing palletising as a permanent, owned end-of-line station

Finance Lease

Rate
5.3% - 8.7% per annum
Term
24-84 months
Deposit
None required
Ownership
Return or buy (balloon payment)
Best for
Bundling the robot arm, guarding and integration into one deductible payment

Operating Lease

Rate
6.1% - 9.7% per annum
Term
24-60 months
Deposit
None required
Ownership
Return at end
Best for
Businesses that want the cell off balance sheet and upgraded as product formats or throughput needs change

Representative example

On a purchase price of £110,000: a 10% deposit of £11,000, then 48 monthly payments of £2,320 at 5.9% APR representative (fixed). Total amount payable £122,360, including the deposit. The rate you are offered depends on your business and the asset.

What buyers actually specify

Guide prices for sizing a finance agreement, not quotes. Manufacturers in this market mostly price on application, so where a current UK list price could not be confirmed the row describes a specification class rather than naming a model. Your supplier quote is what the agreement is written against.

Machine or specification Guide price Type
ABB IRB 460 (compact case palletiser, robot only) £20,000 - £45,000 Robotic Palletiser (Robot Only)
KUKA KR 180 PA (carton palletiser, robot only) £35,000 - £65,000 Robotic Palletiser (Robot Only)
Complete installed palletising cell (robot, guarding, conveyor interface) £70,000 - £180,000 Integrated Palletising Cell

Ready to compare palletiser finance? 2 minutes, no credit check.

Check Eligibility

Tax benefits

A robotic palletiser is treated as plant and machinery for tax purposes, so it qualifies for the Annual Investment Allowance (AIA), letting a business deduct the full cost from taxable profits in the year of purchase, up to the current £1,000,000 annual limit. Companies buying new, unused equipment may also qualify for full expensing, a 100% first-year deduction against Corporation Tax. These allowances apply where you own the asset, so they are available under a Hire Purchase agreement. Under a Finance Lease or Operating Lease you do not own the palletiser outright, so allowances are not claimed directly; instead the payments are generally deducted as a business expense against profits. Always confirm treatment with your accountant before committing to a structure.

Market context

Robotic palletisers are increasingly displacing manual pallet stacking on lines with high or repetitive throughput, which is primarily a labour and workplace injury question rather than a cost-saving one, since the case for automating end-of-line stacking usually rests on staff availability and manual handling risk as much as anything else. The robot arm itself, from suppliers such as ABB, KUKA and Yaskawa, is typically only part of the project cost, with UK integrators such as Phoenix Handling Solutions adding guarding, safety systems and conveyor interfacing that can match or exceed the robot's own price. Buyers are food, drinks, building materials and general manufacturing businesses reaching a throughput level where manual palletising becomes a bottleneck or a recruitment problem.

Bad credit?

Several of our 200+ lenders specialise in businesses with imperfect credit histories. You may need a larger deposit or personal guarantee, but options exist. Checking your options here does not affect your credit score, because we do not run a credit search to match you. A lender will run their own checks only if you decide to apply.

Compare rates from 200+ lenders, takes 2 minutes.

Check Eligibility

Frequently asked questions

Does palletiser finance cover the robot arm only, or the whole installed cell?
It can cover either, but most businesses finance the whole installed cell, meaning the robot arm plus the guarding, safety systems and conveyor interfacing an integrator adds, since these together form the working asset. Ask your integrator for a single itemised quote covering the full project so the lender can assess it as one package. Your broker can talk this through against your own trading history and site circumstances before you commit to a particular structure.
Why is integration such a large share of a palletiser project's cost?
The robot arm is a general-purpose piece of equipment that needs safety guarding, an end-of-arm gripper matched to your product, conveyor interfacing and programming before it can actually palletise your specific product range, and this integration work is often as significant a cost as the robot itself, sometimes more. It's worth getting a detailed, itemised quote covering both the robot and the integration work before comparing suppliers.
Can I finance a used or refurbished robotic palletiser?
Yes, used robot arms from major manufacturers are financeable and commonly refurbished by specialist integrators before resale, offering a lower-cost entry point than a new robot, though integration and guarding costs still apply on top. Lenders will want to see the robot's condition and any service history. Ask for evidence of servicing and, where one exists, any dealer or manufacturer warranty that transfers with the sale, since this can materially affect both the valuation a lender puts on the equipment and the rate you're offered.
What's driving businesses to automate palletising now?
The main driver reported by manufacturers is difficulty recruiting and retaining staff for repetitive, physically demanding end-of-line work, alongside the manual handling injury risk of continuous pallet stacking, rather than a specific cost target. Businesses reaching a throughput level where manual stacking becomes the bottleneck in the line are the most common buyers. Your broker can talk this through against your own trading history and site circumstances before you commit to a particular structure.
Is a robotic palletiser eligible for Annual Investment Allowance?
Yes, a robotic palletiser qualifies as plant and machinery, so it's eligible for AIA up to the current annual limit under Hire Purchase, which is significant given typical installed cell values. Leased cells don't attract AIA directly, but the rental is usually deductible as a business expense instead. Confirm the treatment with your accountant before committing to a structure. Because AIA is a single annual limit across all your capital purchases, it's worth checking the timing of this purchase against anything else you're planning to buy or finance in the same tax year, particularly if several items are being bought together.

Related equipment finance

More manufacturing finance

See how lenders treat manufacturing assets

Guides and resources

Ready to finance your palletiser?

Compare rates from 200+ lenders. No credit check.

Check Eligibility →
Check Eligibility, 2 min, no credit check