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Best fast business loans March 2023

Mar 02, 2023
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Compare the best fast business loans in March 2023

LENDER AND LOAN TYPE BEST FOR MIN. FICO CREDIT SCORE LOAN AMOUNT MIN. TIME TO FUNDS
Bluevine line of credit Unsecured fast loan 625 Up to $250,000 1 day
Credibly line of credit Secured fast loan 600 Up to $300,000 1 day
Triton Capital equipment financing Fast equipment loan 600 $10,000-$500,000 1 day
Credibility Capital installment loan Fast loans for established businesses 650 $50,000-$500,000 3 days
Upstart small business loan Fast application 550 $5,000-$200,000 1 day
Fora Financial small business loan Fast, large loans 500 $5,000-$1.4 million 1 day

Bluevine line of credit: Best for unsecured fast loan

Minimum FICO credit score
625
Minimum annual revenue
$480,000
Minimum time in business
24 months
Interest rates from
6.20%
Loan amount
Up to $250,000
Term lengths
6 or 12 months

 

Overview: Established in 2013, Bluevine is a financial technology offering innovative business banking and funding solutions. Its business line of credit lets you access up to $250,000. You can repay borrowed amounts weekly or monthly and then borrow again. 

Why Bluevine is the best for unsecured fast loans: You don’t need perfect credit to qualify for this loan product, nor do you need to put down collateral. But if you have a solid credit rating, you can qualify for a simple interest rate as low as 6.20 percent. Another key benefit of this loan product is the ability to receive a lending decision and access to capital in as soon as one business day. 

Pros

  • No loan origination or early repayment fees
  • Streamlined application process with minimal documentation required
  • Relatively low credit requirement

Cons

  • Maximum interest not disclosed
  • High minimum annual revenue requirement
  • Not available in Nevada, North Dakota and South Dakota

Credibly line of credit: Best secured fast loan

Minimum FICO credit score
600
Minimum annual revenue
$180,000
Minimum time in business
6 months
APR from
Not disclosed
Loan amount
Up to $300,000
Term lengths
Not applicable

 

Overview: Credibly is an online lending platform that connects small business owners with funding opportunities. It services companies in more than 325 industries nationwide and provides direct working capital loans of up to $300,000, along with merchant cash advances. The lenders in Credibly’s partner network offer long-term business loans, equipment financing, invoice factoring, restaurant financing and SBA loans. 

Why Credibly is the best secured fast loans: Both unsecured and secured business lines of credit are available through Credibly. The eligibility criteria are relatively flexible: You don’t need perfect credit to qualify. Plus, you could be eligible for funding with only six months in business, far less than most traditional lenders require. This loan product helps you build business credit if managed responsibly.

Pros

  • Perfect credit not needed to qualify 
  • Prequalify online with no impact to your credit score 
  • Physical branches in Arizona, Michigan and New York 

Cons

  • Origination fee 
  • May not be available in all states
  • Interest rate not disclosed

Triton Capital equipment loans: Best for fast equipment loans

Minimum FICO credit score
600
Minimum annual revenue
$350,000
Minimum time in business
Available to startups
APR from
5.99%-24.99%
Loan amount
$10,000-$500,000
Term lengths
12-60 months

 

Overview: Triton Capital is a loan marketplace. It partners with financial institutions to provide innovative funding solutions to small businesses in as soon as two business days. Secured equipment loans range from $10,000 to $500,000 and feature generous repayment terms and competitive interest rates. You can make payments monthly, quarterly or annually, semi-annually or seasonally.

Borrowers can also access working capital loans and SBA loans through this platform. 

Why Triton is the best for fast equipment loans: It’s not uncommon for lenders to have a minimum time in business requirement to qualify for equipment financing. But that’s not the case with Triton Capital, which offers equipment loans to startup businesses. Plus, Triton's funding time of one or two days is much faster than many equipment loans.

Pros

  • Available to new businesses 
  • Streamlined online application process with minimal documentation requirements
  • Competitive interest rates

Cons

  • Documentation fee between $150 and $750 applies 
  • Not all industries eligible for funding 
  • $350,000 minimum annual revenue may be out of reach

Credibility Capital installment loan: Best fast loans for established businesses

Minimum FICO credit score
650
Minimum annual revenue
$200,000
Minimum time in business
Two years
Interest rates from
9.49%
Loan amount
$50,000-$500,000
Term lengths
Up to 5 years

 

Overview: Credibility Capital is a direct lender offering lines of credit and installment loans. If you’re interested in the latter, loan amounts are between $50,000 and $500,000 with interest as low as 9.49 percent and terms of up to five years. Payments are made monthly.

Why Credibility Capital is the best for established businesses: If you’ve been in business for at least 24 months, an installment loan from Credibility Capital could be a viable option. The application process is handled entirely online, and you can have the funds you need in as soon as three days. This loan comes with fixed monthly payments and a low starting interest rate for qualified applicants.

Pros

  • Prequalify with a soft credit pull
  • Fixed interest rates and flexible repayment options
  • No early repayment penalties  
Cons
  • Online loan management unavailable 
  • Closing fee of 2.99 percent to 4.99 percent 
  • Loans not offered in Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota and Vermont

Upstart small business loan: Best for fast application

Minimum FICO credit score
550
Minimum annual revenue
Not disclosed
Minimum time in business
12 months
APR from
Up to 35.99%
Loan amount
$5,000-$200,000
Term lengths
1 or 2 years

Overview: Upstart is an online lending marketplace that connects both individuals and small business owners with loans that fit their unique needs. Lenders in the network understand you’re more than just a credit score. Small business owners can borrow between $5,000 and $200,000 and make payments for up to two years. Online prequalification is available in minutes with no impact to your credit score.

Why Upstart is the best for fast application: Upstart’s digital application takes a few minutes to complete. Plus, the online lending platform leverages artificial intelligence to help connect small business owners to lending solutions. And you won’t have to worry about providing loads of documentation since Upstart does the bulk of the work for you by verifying the details from your application. 

Pros

  • Check rates online in minutes
  • More accessible to new business owners with lower credit scores 
  • Limited documentation needed to apply 

Cons

  • Small loans not available in Iowa, Maryland, Nevada, New Hampshire or West Virginia 
  • Funding limited to companies in select industries and unavailable to sole proprietors
  • Origination fee of up to 6 percent

Fora Financial small business loan: Best for fast, large loans

Minimum FICO credit score
500
Minimum annual revenue
$144,000 ($12,000/month)
Minimum time in business
6 months
Factor rate from
1.15-1.40
Loan amount
$5,000-$1.4 million
Term lengths
4-15 months

Overview: Fora Financial is a direct lender offering small business lending solutions. Its term loans provide between $5,000 and $1.4 million in working capital with four- to 15-month terms. Plus, you won’t have to put up collateral. Fora Financial also offers  revenue advances to help manage cash flow. 

Why Fora Financial is the best for fast, large loans: The amount business owners qualify for varies depending on their revenue but can be up to a whopping $1.4 million. Fora's small business loans also stand out for their rapid approval funding times — expect a lending decision as soon as four hours and funding in just 24 to 72 hours. And once you’ve paid off 60 percent or more of the balance, you may qualify for additional funding. 

Pros

  • Flexible funding requirements that go beyond credit score
  • Possible discount for paying your loan off early
  • Soft credit check at application

Cons

  • Steep annual revenue requirement 
  • Payments not reported to credit bureaus — so you won’t build business credit
  • Maximum factor rate is fairly high

The Bankrate guide to choosing the best fast business loans

Running a business often requires liquid funds for unexpected expenses or to fill in gaps caused by late invoices. If you need working capital now, consider a fast business loan. Fast business loans are financing options that are funded in five or fewer business days. 

In this guide, you’ll find our top picks along with each option's detalis to help you see why they stand out among the competition. You’ll also learn about what types of loans are available quickly and how to choose the right one.

We chose these products based on availability, funding time, affordability, prequalification tools and the ease of application, among other factors.

Types of fast business loans

There’s no shortage of fast business loan options to meet your company’s needs. Popular solutions include:

  • Term loans: These loans can be secured or unsecured and give you a lump sum of money. Most come with fixed interest rates and are payable over one to five years in equal monthly installments. They can be used to cover an assortment of business expenses but generally come with stringent eligibility requirements and steep interest rates for newly established companies. 
  • Lines of credit: Lines of credit are more flexible. You can pull what you need on an as-needed basis, and you’ll only pay interest on what you borrow. They operate similarly to business credit cards and reset as you pay down the balance. But you’ll be subject to a draw period: a limited amount of time during which you can access funds. 
  • Merchant cash advance: The amount you’ll receive with a merchant cash advance is based on your credit card sales volume. And unlike other traditional loans, you’ll be subject to a factor rate instead of paying interest. Merchant cash advances are easier to access if you don’t have good credit or high annual revenue. Still, the borrowing costs are steep, and you will likely get a short repayment that could lead to cash flow problems in your business. 
  • Invoice factoring and financing: These funding solutions allow you to use outstanding invoices to secure working capital in a jiffy. You can borrow up to 85 percent of the total invoice amount, but there’s a key difference between the two. Invoice factoring requires you to sell the invoice directly to the lender, and they will remit the remaining balance that’s owed minus factor fees. But if you choose invoice financing, you’ll collect the funds and repay the lender the advanced amount and any applicable factor fees.

How to get a quick business loan

Applying for a quick business loan doesn’t have to be time-consuming or overwhelming. Follow these steps to help streamline the process

1. Choose the right loan product.

Explore fast funding options to determine which best suit your company’s needs. Keep the interest rates, terms and funding timelines in mind when evaluating your options. 

2. Determine your funding needs. 

How much do you want to borrow? How do you intend to use the funds? Be sure to have readily available answers to these questions before you apply. Most lenders will request that you enter this information. 

3. Select a lender

Each lender has its own set of guidelines, but most require you to have a certain credit score, amount of time in business and minimum annual revenue to be eligible for funding.

Make a shortlist of lenders offering the loan product you wish to apply for with guidelines you meet. Compare the borrowing costs, fees and other perks to decide which is best. 

If you have a weak business or personal credit score, you may need to consider a bad credit business loan.

4. Gather documentation 

You’ll generally need to upload documents when applying for a small business loan, including:

5.  Apply for a loan 

If it’s an option, get prequalified with your top lenders to gauge approval odds and narrow down your list. Otherwise, formally apply with your top lenders and upload the requested documents. Be sure to complete the application in its entirety and review it for errors or omissions. 

If approved, read the loan agreement carefully before signing it to avoid surprises in the future. Once you sign on the dotted line, the lender will close the loan and disburse funds to you. 

When to get a fast business loan

A fast business loan may be sensible if you have significant cash flow issues, aren’t able to qualify for other forms of funding and are on the brink of having to close the doors to your business.

A fast business loan could also help you take advantage of a limited-time opportunity to grow your business, whether it’s investing in inventory, services, equipment or staff. 

However, you may want to consider an alternative, like a conventional bank loan or SBA loan, with a lengthier funding timeline if you’re not in a rush. These options commonly offer a larger loan amount and more competitive terms.

FAQs about fast business loans

Methodology

To choose the best fast business loans, we ensured all loans featured are broadly available across the United States, have a funding time of five days or less and offer an online application process. We then considered features that make loans affordable and accessible to businesses with different characteristics and needs, including interest rates, credit score requirements, minimum annual revenue and fees. Additionally, lenders were evaluated for notable qualities such as ease of application and prequalification tools.