Business funding with fair credit: published minimums compared (2026)
Edited by Moe Ameen · Published
Depending on where you sit in FICO's fair band of 580 to 669, you may meet the published minimums of several small business lenders. Of the products we checked, Fundbox sets 600, Ameris Bank's small business loan 620, OnDeck and Bluevine 625, and Ameris equipment financing 640. Torro lists 400 for existing businesses. Invoice factoring companies look mainly at your customers' credit instead of yours.
Key takeaways
- FICO calls 580 to 669 fair.
- Fundbox, Ameris Bank, OnDeck and Bluevine publish minimums between 600 and 640.
- The same lender can set very different minimums by product: Credibly asks 550 for working capital and 700 for its line of credit.
- Factoring companies we checked base decisions mainly on your customers' credit.
What credit score counts as fair?
FICO calls 580 to 669 fair, 670 to 739 good, and anything under 580 poor.
Those bands come from myFICO [1]. Lenders don't have to use the same labels; National Funding, for one, describes its XPRS requirement as a fair to excellent credit score without giving a number [13].
Which lenders publish a minimum score in the fair range?
Fundbox (600), Ameris Bank's small business loan (620), OnDeck and Bluevine (625), Ameris equipment financing (640), and Kapitus and Crest Capital (650).
Fora Financial's minimum sits just under the band at 570 [10], and Credibly's working capital product at 550 [7]. Torro says it works with personal FICO scores as low as 400 for existing businesses [14]. The full list, with time in business and revenue, is in the table below.
What else do lenders ask for besides a credit score?
Time in business and revenue. A 600 score at Fundbox comes with 6 months and $30,000 a year; Ameris Bank's 620 loan wants a year and $300,000.
Fundbox asks for 6 months in business and $30,000 in annual revenue [2]. OnDeck wants a year and $100,000 [5]. Bluevine wants 12 months and $10,000 a month [6]. Ameris Bank's small business loan asks for a year and $300,000 [3]. A lower score minimum doesn't mean the rest of the bar is lower.
Does invoice factoring depend on my credit score?
Mostly not. The factoring companies we checked base decisions on your customers' creditworthiness and on having invoices you can verify.
altLINE says your business credit score has no impact on its factoring application [15]. eCapital says its factoring line depends on the creditworthiness of your customers [16]. Riviera Finance says even recent start-ups are usually fine as long as there are verifiable receivables [17]. Factoring only works if you invoice other businesses.
How do I compare the cost of offers with fair credit?
Ask for the APR. California and New York require one on offers up to $500,000 and $2.5 million; elsewhere you may only get a dollar cost.
California requires an annual percentage rate on commercial financing of $500,000 or less, including factoring and merchant cash advances [18]. New York requires an estimated APR, calculated the federal Truth in Lending way, on offers up to $2.5 million [19]. Comparing two offers on APR is fairer than comparing their total payback amounts.
Glisten check
Published minimums around the fair-credit band
| Lender and product | Minimum score | Time in business | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ameris Bank: equipment financing | 640 [4] | 2+ years [4] | $100,000+ [4] |
| Ameris Bank: small business loan | 620 [3] | 1 year [3] | $300,000+ [3] |
| Bluevine: line of credit | 625 [6] | 12 months [6] | $10,000 a month [6] |
| Credibly: line of credit | 700 [8] | 6 months [8] | $20,000 average monthly deposits [8] |
| Credibly: working capital | 550 [7] | 6 months [7] | $20,000 average monthly deposits [7] |
| Crest Capital: equipment financing | 650 for owners of 20%+ [9] | 2+ years under current ownership [9] | No stated minimum [9] |
| Fora Financial: loans and revenue advances | 570 [10] | 6 months [10] | $240,000+ [10] |
| Fundbox: line of credit | 600 [2] | 6 months [2] | $30,000+ [2] |
| Kapitus: equipment financing | 660 [12] | 2 years [12] | Not published |
| Kapitus: line of credit | 650 [11] | 2+ years [11] | $180,000 [11] |
| National Funding: XPRS | "Fair to excellent," no number [13] | 6 months [13] | $120,000+ [13] |
| OnDeck: term loan and line of credit | 625 [5] | 1 year [5] | $100,000 [5] |
| Torro: existing businesses | As low as 400 [14] | Not published | Not published |
Balboa Capital's website now redirects to Ameris Bank Equipment Finance, so its figures are listed under Ameris. Credibly shows how much a minimum depends on the product: 550 for working capital and 700 for a line of credit at the same company.
Is this right for you?
Best for
- Owners with a score between 580 and 669 deciding where to apply.
- Businesses that invoice other businesses and are weighing factoring.
Not ideal for
- Predicting whether you'll be offered funding. Lenders weigh more than these published minimums.
- Owners with no revenue yet. Most products here require some.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a business loan with a 600 credit score?
Fundbox publishes a 600 minimum for its line of credit, with 6 months in business and $30,000 in annual revenue [2].
What credit score does OnDeck require?
625 personal FICO, plus a year in business and $100,000 in annual revenue [5].
Is invoice factoring possible with bad credit?
altLINE says your business credit score has no impact on its factoring application; it looks at your customers [15].
Do lenders have to tell me the APR?
In California and New York, on offers up to $500,000 and $2.5 million, yes [18][19]. Elsewhere, ask for it.
What if I'm turned down?
The lender has to notify you, and give the reasons or tell you how to get them; the rules depend on your revenue. See business loan denied.
How we know this
On October 28, 2026 we read each lender's and factoring company's own requirements or FAQ page for a minimum credit score, time in business and revenue, myFICO's score ranges, and California's and New York's commercial financing disclosure rules. Where a lender publishes no figure, the table says so.
- Credit scores, myFICO. Checked October 28, 2026.
- Lines of credit guide, Fundbox. Checked October 28, 2026.
- Business line of credit FAQ, Ameris Bank Equipment Finance. Checked October 28, 2026.
- Equipment leasing, Ameris Bank Equipment Finance. Checked October 28, 2026.
- Loan qualifications, OnDeck. Checked October 28, 2026.
- Line of credit, Bluevine. Checked October 28, 2026.
- Working capital loans, Credibly. Checked October 28, 2026.
- Business line of credit, Credibly. Checked October 28, 2026.
- Credit requirements, Crest Capital. Checked October 28, 2026.
- Requirements, Fora Financial. Checked October 28, 2026.
- Line of credit, Kapitus. Checked October 28, 2026.
- Equipment financing, Kapitus. Checked October 28, 2026.
- XPRS FAQs, National Funding. Checked October 28, 2026.
- FAQs, Torro. Checked October 28, 2026.
- Is invoice factoring possible with bad credit?, altLINE. Checked October 28, 2026.
- FAQs, eCapital. Checked October 28, 2026.
- FAQs, Riviera Finance. Checked October 28, 2026.
- Commercial financing disclosure regulations (press release, PDF), California DFPI. Checked October 28, 2026.
- Financial Services Law §803: Disclosures, New York State Senate. Checked October 28, 2026.