Senior Writer & Content Strategist | Small business, business banking, business loans
Randa Kriss is a senior writer and NerdWallet authority on small business. She has nearly a decade of experience in digital content. Prior to joining NerdWallet in 2020, Randa worked as a writer at Fundera, covering a wide variety of small-business topics and specializing in the lending and banking spaces. Her work has been featured by The Washington Post, The Associated Press and Nasdaq, among others. Randa earned a bachelor's degree in English and Spanish at Iona University (formerly Iona College).
Senior Writer & Content Strategist | Small business, business banking, business loans
Randa Kriss is a senior writer and NerdWallet authority on small business. She has nearly a decade of experience in digital content. Prior to joining NerdWallet in 2020, Randa worked as a writer at Fundera, covering a wide variety of small-business topics and specializing in the lending and banking spaces. Her work has been featured by The Washington Post, The Associated Press and Nasdaq, among others. Randa earned a bachelor's degree in English and Spanish at Iona University (formerly Iona College).
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.
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Senior Writer & Content Strategist | Small business, business banking, business loans
Randa Kriss is a senior writer and NerdWallet authority on small business. She has nearly a decade of experience in digital content. Prior to joining NerdWallet in 2020, Randa worked as a writer at Fundera, covering a wide variety of small-business topics and specializing in the lending and banking spaces. Her work has been featured by The Washington Post, The Associated Press and Nasdaq, among others. Randa earned a bachelor's degree in English and Spanish at Iona University (formerly Iona College).
Senior Writer & Content Strategist | Small business, business banking, business loans
Randa Kriss is a senior writer and NerdWallet authority on small business. She has nearly a decade of experience in digital content. Prior to joining NerdWallet in 2020, Randa worked as a writer at Fundera, covering a wide variety of small-business topics and specializing in the lending and banking spaces. Her work has been featured by The Washington Post, The Associated Press and Nasdaq, among others. Randa earned a bachelor's degree in English and Spanish at Iona University (formerly Iona College).
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. And while our site doesn’t feature every company or
financial product available on the market, we’re proud that the guidance
we offer, the information we provide and the tools we create are
objective, independent, straightforward — and free.
So how do we make money? Our partners compensate us. This may influence
which products we review and write about (and where those products
appear on the site), but it in no way affects our recommendations or
advice, which are grounded in thousands of hours of research. Our
partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products
or services. Here is a list of our partners .
National Funding - Equipment financing
Overview
The bottom line:
Borrowers who can't qualify for more traditional loan options might consider National Funding for fast access to capital.
Loan details
Min. Loan Amount
$0
Min. Term Length
24 months
Max Loan Amount
$150,000
Max Term Length
5 years
Qualifications
Min. credit score
600
Min. Time in Business
6 months
Min. Annual Revenue
$250,000
Pros & Cons
Pros
Funding in as little as 24 hours.
Prepayment discounts available.
Offers loans to startups and borrowers with bad credit.
No collateral or down payment required.
Cons
Charges a factor rate that makes it more difficult to compare costs with other lenders.
Requires higher annual revenue than other online lenders.
Misleading website marketing: National Funding offers only short-term loans and equipment financing/leasing.
Charges an origination fee.
National Funding is an online lender that issues small-business loans to entrepreneurs in a variety of industries. The company offers short-term, working capital loans as well as equipment financing and leasing.
National Funding is known for its flexible eligibility requirements, simple application process and fast funding timeline. The lender charges interest as a factor rate, however, which can make it difficult to compare costs with those of other lenders.
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.
National Funding is best for borrowers who:
Need cash fast. National Funding offers a simple application process with minimal documentation required. You can apply, receive a decision and get funding in as little as 24 hours.
Can repay the loan early. You may be able to receive a special discount for repaying your loan early. When you get your business loan agreement, National Funding will provide information regarding the discount amount and time parameters. You must pay off your balance in full within the given timeline to access the discount.
Don’t meet the eligibility requirements of other lenders. National Funding considers borrowers with at least six months in business as well as those with bad credit.
National Funding offers short-term business loans, which can be used to make payroll, purchase inventory and cover working capital needs, among other purposes.
National Funding quotes interest as a factor rate — which starts at 1.1 for borrowers with strong credit.
National Funding quotes interest as a factor rate — which starts at 1.1 for borrowers with strong credit.
Fees
Origination fee of 1%-2%.
Late fees as applicable.
Origination fee of 1%-5%.
Late fees as applicable.
Terms
24 to 60 months.
Four to 24 months.
Repayment schedule
Monthly.
Daily or weekly.
Funding speed
As fast as 24 hours.
As fast as 24 hours.
National Funding loan requirements
To qualify for a business loan from National Funding, you’ll need to meet the following minimum criteria:
Minimum credit score: 600.
Minimum time in business: 6 months.
Minimum annual revenue: $250000.
National Funding also requires that you have a business bank account. If you’re applying for equipment financing or leasing, you’ll need to provide an equipment quote from a vendor as part of your application.
National Funding’s loan application is relatively simple. Business owners can apply online in minutes and get a decision within 24 hours. Plus, approved loans may be funded as soon as the next business day. A business loan from a traditional bank takes days or even weeks to get from application to funds in the bank.
💬 From our Nerds: Even when you need funding quickly, don’t neglect this step
"The worst thing you can do when you’re in a rush to receive financing is neglect to read through your loan terms and agreement before you sign. By doing so you run the risk of being caught off guard by a payment date, or even agreeing to something that isn’t in your business’s best interest. If you need help understanding your loan agreement, you can ask for clarity from your loan officer. A reputable lender will want to help you understand."
Olivia Chen, lead writer, Small Business
Easier for businesses to qualify
Small-business owners typically need a credit score of 690 or higher to qualify for an SBA loan or to secure a loan through a traditional bank. National Funding offers business loans to borrowers with bad credit (a personal credit score as low as 600).
National Funding can also be a good option for startup companies because the lender requires a minimum of only six months in business to qualify.
Early repayment discount
Instead of charging prepayment penalties, National Funding offers a discount for borrowers to repay their loans early. Before you accept the terms of your loan, National Funding will provide the prepayment discount amounts and details of the offer.
To receive the discount, you must pay off your balance in full, be current and be in good standing within the given time parameters.
Where National Funding falls short
Daily or weekly repayments
National Funding’s short-term loans require daily or weekly payments. This frequent payment schedule can put a strain on businesses with irregular sales or cash reserves that are already stretched thin.
Charges interest as a factor rate
National Funding charges interest on its business loans as a factor rate. Factor rates are multiplied by your loan amount to calculate the total amount you’ll need to repay.
For instance, say you have a 12-month, $20,000 loan with a factor rate of 1.1. To calculate the total cost of the loan, you’d multiply $20,000 by 1.1 to get $22,000.
Compared with more traditional interest rates, factor rates can be hard to understand and make it more difficult to compare loan costs with those of other lenders. Converting your factor rate into an annual percentage rate, or APR, can give you a better sense of your borrowing costs.
National Funding’s website can make it difficult to determine exactly what type of loan products the lender offers. For example, the main navigation allows you to browse “Loans & Financing,” which lists: Small Business Loans, Working Capital Loans, Short Term Business Loans and Equipment Financing and Leasing, among your options. Based on this list, you might be led to believe that National Funding offers four types of loans.
When you investigate further, however, you’ll find that the lender offers only short-term loans and equipment leasing and loans. Similarly, the website also displays loans based on industry (e.g., construction loans, medical practice loans, agriculture business loans), which can cause a similar type of confusion about the actual financing options National Funding offers.
Alternatives to National Funding
Triton Capital
If you’re looking for an alternative equipment lender to National Funding, you might consider Triton Capital. Triton offers equipment loans up to $250000 with repayment terms up to 60 months. Unlike National Funding, however, Triton Capital does not offer equipment leasing.
With Triton, you can finance used or new equipment, and interest rates start as low as 6.5%. You can apply for equipment financing online with minimal documentation and receive approval within two to four hours. After you’ve been approved, Triton is typically able to provide funds within one to two business days.
To qualify for an equipment loan from Triton, you’ll need a minimum credit score of 580 and annual revenue of $150000 or more. Generally, Triton prefers that companies have 24 months in business.
OnDeck
OnDeck offers short-term business loans with fast funding times and flexible qualification requirements. You can get a short-term loan of up to $250000 with repayment terms of 18 or 24 months.
Like National Funding, you can apply for a loan from OnDeck in just minutes and receive approval the same day. Funds can be available in as little as 24 hours.
To qualify for an OnDeck loan, you’ll need a minimum credit score of 625, at least 12 months in business and a minimum annual revenue of $100000.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is National Funding a legitimate company?
Yes. National Funding is a privately held small-business financing company based in San Diego. The company has been in operation since 1999 and accredited by the Better Business Bureau since 2013.
National Funding has an A+ rating with the BBB and over 1,900 Trustpilot reviews for a score of 4.7 stars.
Does National Funding do a hard credit inquiry?
No. When you apply and get a loan with National Funding, the company will only perform a soft credit inquiry so that your credit score is not impacted. If National Funding refers you to one of their lending partners, however, some of those companies may do a hard credit pull.
What is National Funding Ignite?
National Funding Ignite is a direct-mail campaign that the lender uses to encourage small-business owners to apply for working capital loans. The mail campaign includes a picture of a card that looks like a credit card, called the Ignite card. When business owners apply for a loan on the National Funding website, they can input this personalized number to link their application to the pre-qualification card they received in the mail.