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Funding Circle Review

Reviews 14,798
Funding Circle
Funding Circle
Excellent
Reviews 14,798
Michael Graw
Jul. 13, 2023
3 min read
Michael Graw
Funding Circle Summary
Funding Circle is a direct online small-business lender founded in 2010. Since its inception, the company has lent over $19.4 billion to more than 130,000 small businesses. Funding Circle offers small businesses flexible business term loans with affordable monthly payment options and competitive interest rates. The lender offers online applications and can make a funding decision in as little as 24 hours.

Pros

  • Credit decision as little as 24 hours of applying
  • Apply for additional funding options with a single application
  • No prepayment penalty

Cons

  • Requires personal guarantee for most loans
  • Stringent qualifications for borrowers

Funding Circle at a glance

8.4
Editorial score

Online experience

Has learning resources, access to rates
10.0

Customer services and support

Multiple ways of reaching lender, wide range of hours
8.0

Variety of loan types

Offers all loan types*
10.0

Loan amount range

Loan amount up to $500K
8.0

Eligibility

Loans only available to excellent credit, high-revenue businesses
6.0

Overview

Funding Circle specializes in small business term loans from 6 months to 7 years. They also offer  a business line of credit and SBA 7(a) loans through their network of lending partners. Depending on which type of loan you choose, you can borrow between $25,000 and $500,000 and repay your loan in monthly installments.

Funding Circle has a unique model for offering loans compared to other online lenders. With the term loans offered through Funding Circle, the company handles the application, approval, and loan servicing process directly, but your loan is purchased by one of the company’s institutional investors.

Why Funding Circle Is Good For Your Business

Funding Circle offers a wide range of loan options, including small business term loans as well as business lines of credit and SBA 7(a) loans through their network of lending partners. Working with a network of lending partners allows Funding Circle to offer funding to a wider range of businesses than most individual lenders.

On top of that, you can apply for a Funding Circle term loan as well as a business line of credit and SBA 7(a) loan through Funding Circle’s network of lending partners using a single online application. Funding Circle makes loan decisions in as little as 24 hours after you submit your supporting documentation, and can deliver funds in as little as  two business days. So, this service is suitable if your business needs money quickly.

Business Term Loan Features

Funding Circle Small Business Term loans range in size from $25,000 to $500,000.  Features and minimum requirements for a Funding Circle Business Term Loan include:

  • Borrow $25,000 to $500,000
  • Receive funds in as little as 2  business days after approval
  • Must be in business for at least 2 years
  • Cannot have filed for bankruptcy in the last 7 years
  • Minimum credit score of 620 to qualify
  • Minimum annual revenue of $50,000
  • One time origination fee from about 4% - 9%
  • No prepayment penalty

Application Process

You can apply for a small business loan with Funding Circle online. The application takes just 6 minutes to complete and asks for information about the size of the loan you’re looking for, your business, and your financial history. Funding Circle runs a soft credit check, which doesn’t impact your credit score, as part of your application. However, if your business is organized as a general partnership, a hard inquiry will be run so your credit score may be impacted.

Once you submit the application, Funding Circle will contact you within as little as 24 hours of documents being submitted with a credit decision. If approved, your dedicated Funding Specialist will walk you through your approved funding solutions.Depending on the type of loan you select, funds can be available within 2 business days.

How Much Can You Borrow? 

Funding Circle term loan loans range  from $25,000 to $500,000. However, the exact amount you can borrow varies based on your business’s revenue and overall creditworthiness.Funding Circle also offers a business line of credit, ranging from $5,000 to $250,000 and a SBA 7(a) loan, ranging from ($50k-$500k), through their network of lending partners.

Repayment Terms

Funding Circle offers repayment terms from 6 months to 7 years for their business term loans.  Interest rates start as low as  7.49%, and Funding Circle charges an origination fee of between 4.49% to 8.49% of your approved loan amount. There is no prepayment penalty and no monthly maintenance fees.  Funding Circle business term loans require a business lien and personal guarantee.

Privacy and Security 

Funding Circle uses SSL (Secure Socket Layer) encryption to protect your application information and the online loan management portal. The company has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and a 4.6-star rating on Trustpilot as of April 2023.

Help & Support

You can contact Funding Circle’s customer support team by phone or email from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm (MT), Monday to Friday. The company’s website also has a detailed FAQs page that answers questions about rates, repayment, and the application process.

Phone: (855) 385-5356

Email: loanquestions@fundingcircle.com

Physical Address

Funding Circle, 707 17th St Suite 2200, Denver, CO 80202 

Summary

Funding Circle is a direct small business lender specializing in small business term loans from 6 months to 7 years. They also offer SBA loans with terms up to 10 years, and business lines of credit through their network of lending partners.. You can apply online in minutes and get a funding decision in as little as 24 hours. Funding Circle has funded over $19.4 billion in small business loans to date and has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. 

Methodology

This review was created with information from the Funding Circle website, the Better Business Bureau, and Trustpilot.

Disclaimers

All loan offers and qualifications require credit approval and are subject to change with or without notice.

Loans are made by FC Marketplace, LLC dba Funding Circle and arranged pursuant to Nevada Installment Loan Company License No. IL11154 and IL11155, California Financing License No. 6054785, North Dakota Money Broker License MB 102840, South Dakota Money Lending License MYL.3054, Vermont Commercial Lender License No. 1287979 CLL, and Florida Consumer Company License CF9901099. Partner Loans are made or arranged pursuant to their applicable lending license(s).


Michael Graw
Written by
Michael Graw
Michael Graw is a Bellingham, Washington-based writer focusing on finance, tech, and science. His work has been featured in print magazines and high-impact websites. He writes for BestMoney and enjoys helping readers make sense of the options on the market.‎
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Trustpilot reviews
See what some customers are saying about Funding Circle
Excellent • Reviews 14,798
on
Excellent
84%
Great
6%
Average
1%
Poor
1%
Bad
8%
We upload 100 to 400 Trustpilot reviews to our website daily, displaying them by default from "best" to "worst". You have the option to adjust the sorting criteria. If you wish to see all reviews, you can visit Trustpilot's website here.
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Adrian
7 minutes ago
Simple process and speedy service
The whole process was straightforward and was handled professionally. They kept me informed at every stage and was completed within a reasonable timeframe.
MG
MG
22 minutes ago
Very fast forward application
Very fast forward application, I received the forms in my account 4 days after I applied. Thank you to Aidan MacEwen my account manager who provided me very clear instructions and made everything to go fine. Kind regards
GM
Gibbs Humphrey Moyo
22 minutes ago
Got exceptional advice and…
Got exceptional advice and encouragement throughout the application process. The account manager was so professional and patient with me.
NA
NATHAN
24 minutes ago
Archie was really helpful and made it…
Archie was really helpful and made it very simple
Waverley Chauffeur Services Ltd
24 hours ago
The service we received was seamless…
The service we received was seamless from start to finish. These are the go to guys for business finance. I would rate them 10/10 for customer service.
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