How we chose and scored these companies
We started from the cash advance and revenue-based financing companies that show up most on other ranking sites and in search, kept the ones that publish enough on their own websites to be judged, and wrote a full review of each. Every company was scored on the same seven criteria from our methodology, and this list simply sorts those scores.
| Criterion | Weight | What it means for a cash advance |
|---|---|---|
| Cost disclosure | 20% | Is the factor rate range, every fee and the debit schedule on the website? |
| Contract matches the quote | 15% | Do owners report a contract that differs from the pitch? |
| Post-signing conduct | 25% | Reconciliation when sales drop, debits after payoff, lien release, collection behavior |
| Payoff treatment | 10% | Is there a written discount for paying the balance early? |
| Total cost | 15% | Published factor rates against the 1.1 to 1.5 market range [1] |
| Customer evidence | 10% | Review scores split into invited and organic, BBB, regulator actions |
| Lead handling and support | 5% | Is your file shared widely? Can you reach a person? |
Two things we did not do. We did not apply for funding to test any company, and we did not accept money from any of them. Scores rest only on public evidence dated Oct 21, 2026: the company's own pages, Trustpilot and BBB records, and regulator and court filings. Where the public record was thin, a criterion got a middle score of 2.5 rather than a guess.
Factor rates, requirements and speed side by side
This table puts the published minimums next to each other. "Not published" means we could not find the figure on the company's own site; it does not mean there is no minimum.
| Company | Min credit | Time in business | Revenue | Factor rate | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fora Financial | 570 [3] | 6 months [3] | $240K a year [3] | 1.13 to 1.50 [2] | As little as 24 hours after acceptance [3] |
| Credibly | 550 [4] | 6 months [4] | $20,000 a month [4] | From 1.11 [4] | As fast as 4 hours after approval [4] |
| Forward Financing | 500 [6] | 1 year [6] | $10,000 a month [6] | Not published | Often same day [6] |
| National Funding | Not published | 6 months [9] | Not published | 1.25 in its example [9] | As fast as next business day [9] |
| Rapid Finance | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Within hours of approval [10] |
| Biz2Credit | 575 [13] | Not published | Not published | Not published | As fast as 72 hours [12] |
| Kapitus | 650 [14] | 2 years [14] | $250,000 a year [14] | Not published | As little as 24 hours [14] |
Notice how few companies print a factor rate at all. Only Fora gives both ends of a range, and only Credibly lists its fees by name. When you get offers, run each through our offer comparer to turn the factor rate, fees and debit schedule into total payback in dollars.
What a merchant cash advance costs, in dollars
A merchant cash advance is a purchase of future receivables, collected by a split of sales or a fixed debit, subject to reconciliation. Its price is a factor rate, a decimal you multiply by the advance. Factor rates typically range from 1.1 to 1.5 [1].
| Factor rate | Where it comes from | Total payback | Cost in dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.05 | Fora's floor with early payback [2] | $52,500 | $2,500 |
| 1.11 | Credibly's lowest [4] | $55,500 | $5,500 |
| 1.25 | National Funding's example [9] | $62,500 | $12,500 |
| 1.50 | Fora's top [2] | $75,000 | $25,000 |
Fees sit on top. Credibly's 2.5% underwriting fee on $50,000 is $1,250, and its $50 monthly administration fee adds $600 over a year [5]. The shorter the time you have to repay, the higher the yearly cost of the same factor rate, so always ask how many debits the offer expects.
Who rewards you for paying early
With most advances, the full payback is owed no matter how fast you pay. A written early payoff discount is the single best protection if you expect a big sale, a tax refund or a cheaper loan to arrive soon.
- Credibly says it can reduce the factor part of the amount sold by 20% when you pay the full balance in one lump sum [4].
- Fora Financial says early payback provisions can bring its factor rate down to as little as 1.05 [2].
- National Funding says it may offer early payoff discounts, with the amount and terms disclosed before you accept [8].
- Forward Financing lets you pay off the full balance at any time with no extra charge [7].
Get any discount in the contract itself, with the formula, before you sign. A promise on a call is not a term.
Matching a company to your business
The top score is a good starting point, not the answer for every owner. The published minimums sort most businesses quickly.
- Under a year old: Fora, Credibly and National Funding all say six months can qualify [3][4][9]. Forward and Kapitus want at least a year or two [6][14].
- Credit below 550: Forward Financing is the only one here that publishes a minimum that low, at 500 [6].
- Smaller revenue: Forward asks for $10,000 a month [6]. Credibly asks for $20,000 a month [4]. Fora's floor of $240,000 a year works out to $20,000 a month [3].
- Large amounts: Biz2Credit says as much as $5M+ [12] and Kapitus up to $5 million [14], both for established businesses.
- Likely to pay early: favor Credibly or Fora, which put an early payoff benefit in writing on their sites [2][4].
Whichever you pick, read the review first. Each one lists the complaints we found, how the company answered them, and what to ask before you sign. If two offers look close, the one with a written reconciliation clause and a written payoff discount is usually the safer choice.
What New Jersey owners should know
New Jersey has no commercial financing disclosure law in force, so funders do not have to show you an estimated APR here. Senate bill S1760, pre-filed for the 2026 session, would require certain disclosures by providers of commercial financing [17]. Until then, ask for total payback, every fee and the number of debits in writing.
Product availability also differs here. National Funding says that in New Jersey, among 16 states, the financing offered is limited to sales-based financing [8]. Forward Financing's fixed installment product is offered in 14 states, and New Jersey is not one of them [6]. Both can still offer revenue-based or sales-based funding, so ask which product your contract is before you sign.
Where our own funding service fits
Batch Capital is our funding service. It is not on this list and is not scored here. It compares offers from funding partners, and we earn money when a deal it arranges is funded.