Business Insurance Starting at $11 Per Month
With Next Business Insurance, get instant online quotes and coverage across 8 policy types. Discounts available for multiple policies.
Learn MoreCredibly Review
Credibly is an online lender that offers a number of short and long-term financing options for businesses of all sizes.
-
WRITTEN & RESEARCHED BY
Expert Contributor
Last updated onUpdated
-
REVIEWED BY
Editor & Senior Staff Writer
Our content reflects the editorial opinions of our experts. While our site makes money through referral partnerships, we only partner with companies that meet our standards for quality, as outlined in our independent rating and scoring system.
Credibly
| Total Rating | 3.6 |
|---|---|
| Rates & Fees3.1 | |
| Services3.7 | |
| Eligibility Requirements3.3 | |
| Application4.0 | |
| Sales & Advertising Transparency3.6 | |
| Customer Service4.3 | |
| User Reviews4.0 | |
Credibly At A Glance
- Small business loans for bad credit
- Short- and long-term financing options
- Funding up to $600,000
Pros
- Low credit score requirements
- Discounts for repaying early
- Financing is suited for business growth needs
- The application process is fast and easy
Cons
- Rates can be expensive
- Some additional fees are charged
- A blanket lien is required
Table of Contents
What Is Credibly?
Credibly is an online lender that offers short-term business financing, including working capital loans and cash advances, as well as long-term small business loans and SBA loans.
With fees that fall well within alternative lending norms (which tend to be quite high), Credibly relies on its relatively easy qualifications to attract customers. Your business might qualify even if you’ve only been in operation for six months or have a credit score of 500. (Learn about startup loans for bad credit if you want to explore other options for your business.)
Credibly is a worthwhile alternative business loan option if your business doesn’t yet qualify for financing elsewhere. Credibly offers competitive rates and has transparent service, with plenty of positive customer reviews to boot.
Credibly Services Offered
| Services3.7 |
|---|
| Lending Services 5.0 |
| Lending Limits 3.0 |
| Payment Portal & Mobile App 2.5 |
Credibly gets serious points for offering a large number of lending options. Credibly is a direct lender for merchant cash advances and working capital loans, but can connect borrowers with long-term loans, SBA loans, lines of credit, and more through its network of partner lenders.
The company’s lending limits are average, but not standout, and there are no mobile apps for managing your loan, which puts the company at 3.7/5 for this section rating.
As follows are the main business lending services offered by Credibly:
- Short-Term Loans: A financial product that grants borrowers a lump sum. Unlike other term loans, short-term loans carry a one-time fee that is repaid along with the principal. Repayments are made daily or weekly, with the term usually lasting less than a year.
- Long-Term Loans: These are more traditional term loans. The lender provides a lump sum with long-term loans, and the borrower pays back the principal plus accrued interest over the term. Payments are typically made monthly or weekly.
- Merchant Cash Advances: With a merchant cash advance, the funder buys a percentage of your future credit/debit card sales for a lump sum. A percentage of your daily card-based sales is held back until the funder has collected the amount it advanced plus a flat fee.
- Business Lines Of Credit: With a business line of credit, the borrower has a set amount of credit they can draw from. The business only has to repay what they end up borrowing.
- SBA Loans: SBA loans are partially government-backed term loans that allow qualifying businesses to secure loans with lower rates and longer terms than they would otherwise qualify for.
- Equipment Financing: This type of financing is used specifically to finance business equipment, such as heavy machinery or computer systems. Because the equipment itself is used as collateral to secure the loan, equipment financing typically doesn’t have a minimum credit score or business revenue requirement.
- Invoice Factoring: With this type of business financing, business owners sell invoices to a factoring company at a discounted rate. The factoring company fronts the business with a lump sum for the invoices and then assumes responsibility for collecting the invoices.
Credibly Borrower Qualifications
| Eligibility Requirements3.3 |
|---|
| Availability 4.5 |
| Borrower Qualifications 2.8 |
| Transparency 3.0 |
Credibly supports a large number of business types. This lender boasts flexible credit score requirements and time in business requirements, which is a huge bonus for new businesses.
However, Credibly is not very transparent about the exact borrower qualifications for some of its lending options. For example, about its long-term loans, Credibly says:
Source: Credibly website, screenshot captured on 3/13/2024
While we appreciate that Credibly is transparent with borrowing amounts and terms, we wish that Credibly were more transparent about its borrower requirements for certain lending products, which is why it gets a 3.3/5 section rating here.
Working Capital Loans & Merchant Cash Advances
Credibly’s working capital loans and merchant cash advances have the same qualifications:
| Time In Business | 6 months |
| Business Revenue | $15,000/month |
| Personal Credit Score | 500 |
SBA Loans
Here are the minimum qualifications for SBA loans through one of Credibly’s partner lenders:
| Time In Business | 2 years |
| Business Revenue | $100,000/year |
| Personal Credit Score | 620 |
Other Financing Types
No specific qualifying criteria are given for long-term business loans, lines of credit, equipment financing, or invoice factoring.
Credibly Rates & Fees
| Rates & Fees3.1 |
|---|
| Pricing 3.7 |
| Affordability 2.4 |
Credibly’s borrowing fees can be high, especially if you have bad credit. On certain products, Credibly charges extra fees, such as origination, underwriting, and monthly admin fees. However, the fees are generally pretty transparent, which we appreciate, and Credibly offers early payoff benefits on certain products. For example, you can get an early remittance discount if you pay off your Credibly merchant cash advance before the term expires.
These pros and cons score Credibly a 3.1/5 rating for this section.
Working Capital Loans
These are the terms and fees for a Credibly Working Capital Loan:
| Borrowing Amount | Up to $600,000 |
| Term Length | 3 - 24 months |
| Factor Rate | Starts at 1.11 |
| Origination Fee | 2.5% |
| Effective APR | Learn about short-term loan APRs |
| Collateral | UCC-1 blanket lien, personal guarantee |
Credibly’s Working Capital Loan is a short-term loan. Unlike longer-term loans, short-term loans don’t accrue interest over time. Instead, the total cost of borrowing is front-loaded into a fixed fee, expressed as a multiplier called a factor rate. If you want to know how much the loan will cost you, multiply the amount you’re borrowing by that rate. The result is the amount you have to pay back. Note that this does not include the origination fee.
The other major difference comes in the form of the method of repayment. Credibly will withdraw a micropayment from your business account during each payment period through an automated clearing house (ACH) payment process. For this product, repayments can be on a daily or weekly basis.
Since short-term loans tend to translate to very high-interest rates while still technically subject to state loan laws, Credibly’s Working Capital Loans aren’t available in every state. (Credibly doesn’t disclose which states it works with on its site, however.)
Merchant Cash Advances
These are the terms and fees for Merchant Cash Advances:
| Borrowing Amount | $5,000 - $600,000 |
| Term Length | 3 - 24 months |
| Factor Rate | Starts at 1.11 |
| Underwriting Fee | 2.5% |
| Effective APR | Learn about APRs |
Merchant cash advances are similar to Credibly’s working capital loans in that a factor rate is used to calculate the cost of financing. However, there are a few differences. A merchant cash advance isn’t a traditional loan but rather a purchase of future receivables.
In other words, Credibly purchases a percentage of your future sales in exchange for cash upfront. To collect the amount Credibly “purchased,” the funder automatically debits a percentage from either your credit card processor or business bank account each day.
While there aren’t set terms, the anticipated duration of paying off your cash is 3 to 15 months.
Long-Term Business Loans
These are the terms and fees for Credibly’s Long-Term Business Loans:
| Borrowing Amount | Up to $250,000 |
| Term Length | 18 or 24 months |
| Interest Rate | Undisclosed |
| Origination Fee | Undisclosed |
| Effective APR | Undisclosed |
| Collateral | UCC-1 blanket lien, personal guarantee |
A more traditional option is the long-term business loan. These installment loans accrue interest in the same way that bank loans do. Repayments resemble those of short-term loans — except these loans are repaid weekly. The interest rate you’re assigned will be based on your business’s overall health as assessed by Credibly’s underwriting department.
Other Financing Types
Credibly doesn’t supply much information about the terms of its other financing products.
Credibly says factor rates for invoice factoring start at 1.11, with factoring fees ranging from 0.5% to 4.0% and a maximum borrowing amount of $400,000.
Regarding its lines of credit, the company just states that it offers secured and unsecured LOC up to $250,000.
Terms and fees for Credibly’s SBA loans vary depending on the SBA loan type. It’s not uncommon for lenders to not disclose SBA rates and fees since most of that information can be found directly through the SBA (though you may face an SBA packaging fee).
Credibly Application Process
| Application4.0 |
|---|
| Application Process 3.0 |
| Application Timeline 5.0 |
You can “prequalify” for a loan online, a term that here means begin the application process. You’ll be required to enter basic information about yourself and your business. Credibly will use the answers provided to decide whether you’re eligible for a loan and how much funding you qualify for.
If you are eligible, you’ll have to talk to a real person. This person will work with you to determine how much money your business needs and what documentation you have to provide. Before the loan is finalized, you’ll have to provide the following information:
- Business lease agreement or business mortgage statement
- Picture ID of all owners
- Most recent business tax return (if you are applying for a loan above $100,000)
- Bank statements for the last three months
- Basic personal information, such as your social security number
When you’ve provided all the information, your file goes to underwriting.
If all of your information checks out, Credibly will extend a finalized offer to you. Should you accept, you’ll have to sign a business loan agreement, and the money will be transferred to your account.
The time from application to funding generally takes two to five days: one day for the application, one day to get a finalized quote, and one to three days for funding. On certain products, such as equipment financing, Credibly advertises that it offers same-day funding. The general timeline for receiving funding lowered our score slightly, leading to a 4/5 rating for Credibly’s application process.
Credibly Sales & Advertising Transparency
| Sales & Advertising Transparency3.6 |
|---|
| Sales Practices 3.0 |
| Web Presence 4.5 |
Credibly discloses most of the basic information you’ll need on its website, although some elements could use more elaboration. Overall, though, Credibly provides more information than many other online lenders do. However, some customers report poor sales experiences. Paired with the areas we’ve pointed out where Credibly could provide more information, this earned Credibly a 3.6/5 star rating for this section.
Credibly Customer Service & Technical Support
| Customer Service4.3 |
|---|
| Personal Support 4.1 |
| Self-Service 5.0 |
Credibly offers a large number of customer support options, and customers report decent quality of customer support. Customer service often gets cited as one of the high points of working with Credibly. Representatives are friendly, and hold times are short.
| Credibly Customer Service | Availability |
|---|---|
| Phone Support | |
| Email Support | |
| Support Tickets | |
| Live Chat | |
| Dedicated Support Representative | |
| Knowledge Base or Help Center | |
| Videos & Tutorials | |
| Company Blog | |
| Social Media |
Credibly is available by phone, and there is also a chatbot that can answer some basic questions on Credibly’s website. Credibly is also on Facebook and Twitter. Or, if you don’t want to talk to people, an FAQ section is available on their website.
Credibly User Reviews
| User Reviews4.0 |
|---|
| User Feedback 4.0 |
| Review Site Aggregate 4.0 |
Overall, while there are some complaints about Credibly, the company receives mostly positive reviews from customers, earning Creidbly a 4/5 star rating for this section.
Negative Credibly Reviews & Complaints
Here are some of the most common complaints we’ve seen in Credibly reviews:
- Early Repayment Stipulations: While Credibly allows early repayment discounts, you’ll have to read the fine print to ensure you get the discount. For example, it must be made in a lump sum from a qualified account.
- Payment Issues: A few customers complained about the repayment system and having to make more payments than anticipated. Given the nature of merchant cash advances, however, this may not have been Credibly’s fault.
- Long Application Process: Some reviewers complained that the application process took longer than expected. Note that while Credibly makes claims of 48-hour funding, this refers to how long it will take to receive the funds after your application is approved.
Positive Credibly Reviews & Testimonials
In general, customers say they like the following in their Credibly funding reviews:
- Easy Application Process: Compared to traditional lenders, such as banks and credit unions, Credibly’s process should be quick and easy.
- Low Prerequisites: Younger businesses without great credit might still be able to qualify for funding.
- Good Customer Service: Most clients were pleased with the frequency and quality of the assistance they received from Credibly’s staff.
Final Verdict: Is Credibly Worth It?
While Credibly’s rates aren’t the best in the business, it is a fairly transparent online lender with a flexible array of products that are within reach of businesses that have poor credit. If you’re in a pinch and don’t have access to other financing options, Credibly might be a good lending option for your business.
Don’t get a loan from Credibly without making a few comparisons first, though. The best small business lenders (Credibly included) will provide an initial quote within a few minutes without damaging your credit score.
Content Featuring Credibly
Business Loan & Funding Products Review Methodology
Merchant Maverick has been researching and reviewing business lenders since 2015. Our writers have tested over a hundred different funding products, including traditional term loans, online loans, lines of credit, start-up loans, merchant cash advances, and equipment financing. In each review, we evaluate rates and fees, services, eligibility requirements, application process, sales and advertising transparency, customer service, and user reviews.
Read more about how we rate business loans and funding products.
When comparing different lenders and loan products, we consider many data points, including the ease and transparency of the application process, interest rates, repayment structure, sales ethics, time to funding, revenue and time in business qualifications, and credit score requirements. Our lists of the best funding products include only those we’ve deemed worthwhile from multiple vantage points, and often share qualities such as widespread accessibility across fifty states, low rates, flexible requirements, and competitive borrowing amounts.
We spend an average of 10-15 hours researching and updating each one of our lists, making sure the loans and funding products included meet our internal standards for quality and reputation.
Shannon Vissers
Expert Contributor at Merchant Maverick
Shannon has been writing for Merchant Maverick about small business software and financing since 2015. She started writing professionally about business topics in 2005. Shannon has been featured in the Washington Post, Reader's Digest, US News, MSN, Yahoo Finance, Business Insider, and other publications. She has a bachelor's degree in English from San Diego State University and currently resides in San Diego, California.
View Shannon Vissers's professional experience on LinkedIn.
Latest posts by Shannon Vissers (see all)
- Helcim vs Stripe: Comparison - January 23, 2025
- Payment Nerds Review - December 11, 2024
- Wave Payments Review - October 31, 2024
- U.S. Bank Merchant Services Review - October 1, 2024
- Tap To Pay: A Guide For Merchants - August 29, 2024
The Merchant Maverick Seal of Approval 🏆
|
Credibly
|
|---|
After hours of in-depth research and evaluation, we can confidently recommend this brand to our readers. Get started today and see Credibly for yourself.
The Merchant Maverick Seal of Approval 🏆
|
Credibly
|
|---|
After hours of in-depth research and evaluation, we can confidently recommend this brand to our readers. Get started today and see Credibly for yourself.
Read Next
