Backd Business Funding: Fast, High-Limit Line of Credit and Reliable Support
Backd is an online lender that offers lines of credit, term loans and merchant cash advances to small-business owners. The application and funding processes are quick but come at a cost.
Karrin Sehmbi is an editor and content strategist on the small-business team. She has covered small-business software and lending since 2022 and has more than sixteen years of editorial experience in the fields of educational publishing, content marketing and medical news. She has also held roles as a teacher and a tutor.
Karrin Sehmbi is an editor and content strategist on the small-business team. She has covered small-business software and lending since 2022 and has more than sixteen years of editorial experience in the fields of educational publishing, content marketing and medical news. She has also held roles as a teacher and a tutor.
Sally Lauckner has over a decade of experience in print and online journalism. Before joining NerdWallet, Sally was the editorial director at Fundera, where she built and led a team focused on small-business content. Her prior experience includes two years as a senior editor at SmartAsset, where she edited a wide range of personal finance content, and five years at the AOL Huffington Post Media Group, where she held a variety of editorial roles. She has a master's in journalism from New York University and a bachelor's in English and history from Columbia University. Email: slauckner@nerdwallet.com.
Sally Lauckner has over a decade of experience in print and online journalism. Before joining NerdWallet, Sally was the editorial director at Fundera, where she built and led a team focused on small-business content. Her prior experience includes two years as a senior editor at SmartAsset, where she edited a wide range of personal finance content, and five years at the AOL Huffington Post Media Group, where she held a variety of editorial roles. She has a master's in journalism from New York University and a bachelor's in English and history from Columbia University. Email: slauckner@nerdwallet.com.
NerdWallet's content is
fact-checked for accuracy, timeliness, and relevance by humans.
It undergoes a thorough review process involving writers and editors to ensure
the information is as clear and complete as possible. Learn more by checking
our
Editorial Guidelines.
Content was accurate at the time of publication.
Why trust NerdWallet
250+ small-business products reviewed and rated by our team of experts.
80+ years of combined experience covering small business and personal finance.
50+ categories of the best business loan selections.
NerdWallet's small-business loans content, including ratings, recommendations and reviews, is overseen by a team of writers and editors who specialize in business lending. Their work has appeared in The Associated Press, The Washington Post, MarketWatch, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur, ABC News, MSN and other national and local media outlets. Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet's strict guidelines for editorial integrity to ensure accuracy and fairness in our coverage.
Advertiser disclosure
You're our first priority.
Every time.
We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with
confidence. While we don’t cover every company or financial product on
the market, we work hard to share a wide range of offers and objective
editorial perspectives.
So how do we make money? Our partners compensate us for advertisements
that appear on our site. This compensation helps us provide tools and
services - like free credit score access and monitoring. With the
exception of mortgage, home equity and other home-lending products or
services, partner compensation is one of several factors that may affect
which products we highlight and where they appear on our site. Other
factors include your credit profile, product availability and
proprietary website methodologies.
However, these factors do not influence our editors’ opinions or ratings, which are based on independent research and analysis. Our partners cannot
pay us to guarantee favorable reviews.
Here is a list of our partners.
Karrin Sehmbi is an editor and content strategist on the small-business team. She has covered small-business software and lending since 2022 and has more than sixteen years of editorial experience in the fields of educational publishing, content marketing and medical news. She has also held roles as a teacher and a tutor.
Karrin Sehmbi is an editor and content strategist on the small-business team. She has covered small-business software and lending since 2022 and has more than sixteen years of editorial experience in the fields of educational publishing, content marketing and medical news. She has also held roles as a teacher and a tutor.
Sally Lauckner has over a decade of experience in print and online journalism. Before joining NerdWallet, Sally was the editorial director at Fundera, where she built and led a team focused on small-business content. Her prior experience includes two years as a senior editor at SmartAsset, where she edited a wide range of personal finance content, and five years at the AOL Huffington Post Media Group, where she held a variety of editorial roles. She has a master's in journalism from New York University and a bachelor's in English and history from Columbia University. Email: slauckner@nerdwallet.com.
Sally Lauckner has over a decade of experience in print and online journalism. Before joining NerdWallet, Sally was the editorial director at Fundera, where she built and led a team focused on small-business content. Her prior experience includes two years as a senior editor at SmartAsset, where she edited a wide range of personal finance content, and five years at the AOL Huffington Post Media Group, where she held a variety of editorial roles. She has a master's in journalism from New York University and a bachelor's in English and history from Columbia University. Email: slauckner@nerdwallet.com.
NerdWallet's content is
fact-checked for accuracy, timeliness, and relevance by humans.
It undergoes a thorough review process involving writers and editors to ensure
the information is as clear and complete as possible. Learn more by checking
our
Editorial Guidelines.
Content was accurate at the time of publication.
Why trust NerdWallet
250+ small-business products reviewed and rated by our team of experts.
80+ years of combined experience covering small business and personal finance.
50+ categories of the best business loan selections.
NerdWallet's small-business loans content, including ratings, recommendations and reviews, is overseen by a team of writers and editors who specialize in business lending. Their work has appeared in The Associated Press, The Washington Post, MarketWatch, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur, ABC News, MSN and other national and local media outlets. Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet's strict guidelines for editorial integrity to ensure accuracy and fairness in our coverage.
Advertiser disclosure
You're our first priority.
Every time.
We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with
confidence. While we don’t cover every company or financial product on
the market, we work hard to share a wide range of offers and objective
editorial perspectives.
So how do we make money? Our partners compensate us for advertisements
that appear on our site. This compensation helps us provide tools and
services - like free credit score access and monitoring. With the
exception of mortgage, home equity and other home-lending products or
services, partner compensation is one of several factors that may affect
which products we highlight and where they appear on our site. Other
factors include your credit profile, product availability and
proprietary website methodologies.
However, these factors do not influence our editors’ opinions or ratings, which are based on independent research and analysis. Our partners cannot
pay us to guarantee favorable reviews.
Here is a list of our partners.
Backd - Line of credit
The bottom line:
Backd offers one of the highest borrowing amounts for its line of credit compared with other online lenders. But it’s not available to startups, and rates are higher than traditional loans.
Loan details
Min. Loan Amount
$50,000
Min. Term Length
6 months
Min. APR
35%
Max Loan Amount
$1,000,000
Max Term Length
12 months
Max APR
55%
Qualifications
Min. credit score
650
Min. Time in Business
24 months
Min. Annual Revenue
$100,000
Pros & Cons
Pros
Fast application and funding process.
Responsive and helpful customer support.
No prepayment penalties.
Larger line of credit limit than most online competitors.
Cons
Charges draw fee.
Can’t be used to build business credit.
Shorter terms than many other online lines of credit.
Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, Backd provides small-business loans through a fast and straightforward online application process. Qualified applicants may receive funding in as little as 24 hours. But speed and convenience may come at a cost. Like many online lenders, its offerings are expensive compared with traditional lenders.
Is Backd right for you?
Consider Backd if you:
Skip Backd if you:
Need large funding amounts.
Prefer a repayment period longer than 12 months.
Need quick access to cash.
Have good-to-excellent credit. (Try for a bank or SBA loan instead.)
Prefer a streamlined online process over applying in person.
Are looking to build business credit.
How much do you need?
We’ll start with a brief questionnaire to better understand the
unique needs of your business.
Once we uncover your personalized matches, our team will consult you
on the process moving forward.
No prepayment penalty; offers prepayment discounts.
Terms
Up to 18 months.
Repayment schedule
Weekly, but certain qualified borrowers may be eligible for biweekly payments.
Funding speed
As fast as 24 hours.
Where Backd stands out
High business funding limits
Backd offers generous business funding limits compared with many online lenders. Its business line of credit goes up to $1,000,000, and its merchant cash advance can reach $2 million.
These high limits may appeal to businesses with significant financing needs. However, the cost of borrowing will likely be much higher than traditional bank financing. This is especially true for its MCA as those are among the costliest forms of business financing. Receiving an advance this high can result in a significant repayment burden.
Calculate the total cost of a Backd MCA
Use NerdWallet’s merchant cash advance calculator to get an accurate picture of your total borrowing costs if you choose to apply for a MCA from Backd.
Backd’s streamlined digital application and fast turnaround can be a big advantage for business owners trying to seize an opportunity or cover an unexpected expense. Qualified borrowers may receive approval and funding within 24 hours, offering a speed advantage over traditional bank or SBA loans.
NerdWallet tested the pre-application flow for the Backd business line of credit. The first of three sections (owner details, business details, financial information) took only about five minutes to complete. The interface was clean and easy to read. Marginal text in the app flow states that “Your credit score won’t be affected.” The flow prompts the user to create a Backd account log in (email address and password) before proceeding to the business and financial details sections. This is pretty standard among online lenders and allows for quick and secure submission of necessary financial documents.
Responsive customer support
Backd offers customer assistance through a dedicated phone line and online contact form. When NerdWallet tested both, a representative answered the phone in under a minute and responded to a contact form submission via email in just over 10 minutes. In both cases, Backd’s representatives were friendly, helpful and well-informed.
Where Backd falls short
High borrowing costs
Backd’s financing options come at a premium, especially when compared with traditional bank loans. Small-business owners with tight profit margins or those who qualify for lower-cost funding (such as bank or SBA loans) should explore other options.
Can’t be used to build business credit
Backd doesn’t report payments to any of the major commercial credit bureaus. This means on-time payments won’t help you build or improve your business credit score, something that can help you unlock better terms and rates on future business loans.
Bring in a lower annual revenue than Back requires.
Headway Capital is another online lender offering lines of credit to small-business owners. It may be a better fit for newer businesses, as it accepts applicants with just 6 months in business and a minimum annual revenue of $50,000, far lower than Backd’s 24-month and $100,000 requirements. However, Headway Capital’s line of credit tops out at $100,000, well below Backd’s $1,000,000 maximum. Its APR may also be higher than Backd’s line of credit.
Need a smaller advance amount ($5,000 to $500,000).
Forward Financing’s MCA is more accessible for business owners with bad credit. It accepts applicants with a credit score as low as 500, compared with Backd’s 625 credit score requirement. Like Backd, it may approve applicants in as little as 24 hours, however, it requires a slightly higher annual revenue of $120,000 and has a lower maximum advance limit ($500,000 versus Backd’s $2 million limit).
Want more business loan options?
If you haven’t found the right fit for your business financing needs on this page, then check out our list of the best online business loans. From startup loans and fast funding to loans for bad-credit borrowers, our list helps you compare your options and choose the best one.