Straight answers.
No fine print.

Smart Business Funding requires a minimum credit score of just 500, and we only perform soft credit pulls, so checking your eligibility never impacts your credit score. We look at the overall health of your business — not just a number on a credit report.

Your business needs to be operating for a minimum of 1 year to qualify for our Direct Fund Program. This applies across all 50 states and all eligible industries.

Yes. Because our minimum credit requirement is just 500 and we prioritize monthly revenue and cash flow over credit history, business owners with less-than-perfect credit regularly qualify through our Direct Fund Program.

No. A merchant cash advance is not a collateral-based product. Instead of securing the advance against equipment, property, or other assets, approval is based on your business's revenue and cash flow.

Smart Business Funding requires a minimum of $50,000 in monthly revenue for all merchants, across all industries and funding programs.

Yes. We fund businesses already carrying existing advances, offering 1st through 5th+ position funding, including side-by-side deals structured around your current obligations.

We fund a wide range of industries, including restaurants, medical and healthcare practices, wholesale distribution, construction, e-commerce, education, fitness, beauty and personal services, agriculture, transportation, and many more. If your business generates consistent monthly revenue, there's a strong chance we can help.

Businesses need at least 1 year of operating history to qualify for our core Direct Fund Program. If your business is younger than that, our team can walk you through partner-placed alternatives that may fit your stage.

A merchant cash advance (MCA) provides your business with a lump sum of capital in exchange for a percentage of future revenue, repaid daily or weekly over a short term. Rather than a fixed monthly loan payment, repayment flexes with your business's cash flow.

Technically, no. An MCA is a purchase of future receivables, not a loan in the traditional legal sense. That distinction is why MCA approval criteria and repayment structures differ so much from a bank loan.

Traditional bank loans typically require strong credit, collateral, and weeks or months of underwriting. A merchant cash advance through Smart Business Funding can be underwritten in 1–5 hours, requires only a 500 minimum credit score, and funds as fast as the same or next day.

Smart Business Funding provides funding amounts from $10,000 up to $5,000,000, depending on your business's monthly revenue and overall financial profile.

Our Direct Fund Program offers terms ranging from 2 to 10 months, with repayment structured daily or weekly to match your business's natural cash flow cycle.

Both options are available. Many merchants choose daily repayment for smaller, more manageable deductions, while others prefer weekly repayment. We structure it around what works for your business.

Position refers to the order in which advances are repaid relative to other outstanding advances on your business. A 1st position advance is your only or primary advance; 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th+ positions stack behind it. Smart Business Funding funds across all position levels, including side-by-side deals.

A factor rate is a decimal figure (for example, 1.25) multiplied against your funding amount to determine your total repayment amount — it's a fixed cost, not a compounding percentage like traditional interest. Smart Business Funding's rates range from 1.25–1.49 for prime merchants and 1.359–1.499 for high-risk merchants.

Yes. Renewals are available once your existing advance reaches roughly 50–70% payback, allowing qualifying merchants to access additional capital without waiting for the current advance to fully close out.

Repayment structures are built around your daily or weekly cash flow to minimize missed payments, but if an issue arises, it's important to communicate with your funder immediately. Smart Business Funding works directly with merchants to find workable solutions rather than defaulting straight to collections.

Cost is expressed as a factor rate rather than an interest rate. Smart Business Funding's factor rates range from 1.25 to 1.49 for prime merchants and 1.359 to 1.499 for high-risk merchants, depending on time in business, revenue, and industry.

Yes, typically. High-risk industries — such as those with seasonal revenue, thinner margins, or higher chargeback rates — usually see factor rates toward the upper end of the range, from 1.359 to 1.499.

Smart Business Funding provides transparent terms upfront — your factor rate, term length, and repayment structure are disclosed before you accept funding, so there are no surprise costs buried in fine print.

Underwriting through our Direct Fund Program typically takes 1 to 5 hours, and most approved merchants receive funds the same day or the next business day.

No. Smart Business Funding uses soft credit pulls only during the qualification process, which do not affect your credit score.

Most applications require basic business bank statements and identification — our team will walk you through exactly what's needed for your specific industry and funding amount during the application call.

Yes. You can apply directly through smartbusinessfunder.com, and our team follows up quickly to move your file through underwriting.

SBA loans typically offer lower costs and longer terms but require strong credit, collateral, and a lengthy approval process — often weeks to months. A merchant cash advance trades some cost efficiency for speed and accessibility, funding in as little as a day with a 500 minimum credit score. Smart Business Funding offers both directly-funded MCAs and partner-placed SBA financing, so we can help you weigh which fits your timeline and qualifications.

A line of credit gives you a revolving pool of capital you draw from as needed and repay over time, similar to a credit card. An MCA delivers a lump sum upfront with a fixed repayment structure over a set term. Businesses that need one large infusion of working capital typically lean toward an MCA; businesses with ongoing, unpredictable capital needs often prefer a line of credit.

An MCA makes sense when speed matters, when your credit doesn't meet bank standards, when you lack collateral, or when you need capital same-day or next-day rather than waiting weeks for approval.

A term loan is repaid in fixed monthly installments at a set interest rate over a defined period, typically requiring stronger credit and more documentation. A merchant cash advance repays daily or weekly against a factor rate and is generally faster and more accessible for businesses that don't qualify for traditional term loans.

Yes. Smart Business Funding holds an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, a 5-star rating on Trustpilot, and was named to the Inc. 5000 list in 2020 as one of the fastest-growing private companies in the country.

Smart Business Funding has been operating since December 2014, funding businesses across all 50 states for over a decade, with more than $500 million funded to date.

Anthony Collin is the CEO and founder of Smart Business Funding. You can reach the team at 1-866-Re-Smart, by email at Info@SmartBusinessFunder.com, or in person at 2420 NE 186th Street, Suite 401, North Miami Beach, FL 33160.

Yes. Restaurants are one of our core industries, and our team understands the unique cash flow patterns of food service — from seasonal slowdowns to the need for fast equipment repairs and inventory turnover.

Yes. Smart Business Funding works with online retailers, Amazon sellers, Shopify store owners, and wholesale e-commerce businesses, structuring funding around the platform-based revenue patterns unique to online sales.

Yes. We regularly fund businesses with cyclical or seasonal revenue patterns, including construction, agriculture, and education, structuring repayment terms that account for predictable slow periods rather than penalizing businesses for seasonality.