8 best easy business loans in 2026
Written byGerri Detweiler
Reviewed by Robin Saks Frankel
Summary
- If you need fast access to funding, some online lenders offer options with minimal paperwork and same- or next-day funding.
- Choose based on what matters most for your business, whether that’s speed, credit checks, bad credit, or the lowest cost,
- Prequalification tools can help you check eligibility without affecting your credit scores.
- Easy loans typically have higher rates or fees than traditional financing, so weigh cost against convenience.
The easiest business loans often come from online lenders that require minimal paperwork, a soft credit check with flexible credit score requirements, and funding in as little as one to two business days. But there’s often a tradeoff: Easy business loans are often more expensive than loans that take longer to get approved, including traditional bank loans and SBA loans.
Getting approved for a small business loan isn’t always easy. In the Federal Reserve’s 2025 Small Business Credit Survey, just 42% of applications from businesses with employees received all the financing they sought. Another 36% received some or most of the amount they requested, while 22% received none.
The easiest business loan to get will depend on your credit, revenues, time in business, how you need it, and how quickly you need it. This guide compares easy business loans, explains what types of financing may be worth considering and helps you weigh convenience against cost.
Best easy business loans compared
Type of financing | Best for | Funding speed | Minimum qualifications |
Business cash advance (BCA)/ merchant cash advance (MCA) | Businesses with at least $5,000 in monthly revenue | May fund as fast as 1-2 days | Revenue and business bank account typically most important |
Business credit card | Startups and existing businesses needing short-term financing | Approval may be instant, cards typically take about 5-7 business days to arrive | Good personal credit (650 - 680+) usually required |
Line of credit | Established businesses needing short-term financing | Some online lenders can fund in days, traditional loans may take days to weeks | Fair to good credit often required, though some online lenders may focus more on revenue than credit |
Term loan | Established businesses looking for financing for specific business projects | Some online lenders can fund in days, traditional loans may take days to weeks | Fair to good credit often required, though some online lenders may focus more on revenue than credit |
Invoice factoring | Businesses with outstanding B2B invoices | May fund in days if business qualifies | The creditworthiness of the business that owes the invoice is typically most important |
SBA 7(a) | Startups and established businesses looking for financing up to $5 million | Often takes several weeks to a month or more to fund | Must meet SBA loan requirements for business size, credit, and cash flow or projections |
SBA Microloan | Businesses needing smaller loan amounts | Often takes at least a couple of weeks or longer | Requirements tend to be more flexible than other SBA loans |
Supplier credit | Buy now, pay later to help cash flow | Approval may take a day to a week or more | Tends to be flexible, though some suppliers require a business entity, EIN, and/or at least 6 months in business |
Nav is not a lender or a credit bureau. Credit information is provided by third-party sources.
What makes a business loan easy to get?
Easy can mean different things when you’re looking for a small business loan. It might mean a shorter application, fewer documents required, low or no credit score requirements, faster decisions, or underwriting that looks at alternative factors to decide whether the business qualifies.
Speed is often associated with easy, and it’s one reason businesses may turn to online lenders. Federal Reserve research found that businesses may choose online lenders because they expect faster decisions, and believe they have a better chance of qualifying.
But an easy online application doesn’t guarantee approval. In the 2025 SBCS, small-bank applicants had a 57% full-approval rate, compared with 38% for online-lender applications. This may be in part due to where borrowers chose to apply. (Not all survey participants applied to all types of lenders.) But it does illustrate that it’s not safe to assume that an online lender will be your easiest option.
There can also be a significant cost for convenience. Among borrowers in the 2025 SBCS, 60% of those using online lenders said their actual borrowing costs were higher than expected. Online-lender borrowers were also more likely to report concerns about high rates and unfavorable repayment terms.
What are the easiest types of business financing to qualify for?
There isn’t one type of financing that’s always the easiest for every business. Qualification depends on the lender, product, and the applicant.
Take crowdfunding, for example. An average crowdfunding campaign takes nine weeks. But Salt and Savour founder Dave Edmondson funded his first campaign in just seven days.
Still, different financing structures may give business owners additional options when a conventional term loan isn’t a fit. Here are options to consider:
Merchant cash advances and business cash advances
Merchant cash advances (MCAs) and business cash advances (BCAs) are a form of revenue or sales-based financing. Companies that offer this funding will analyze the businesses’ merchant account or business bank account for past sales to make an advance against future sales. Funds are usually paid back through daily or weekly payments automatically withdrawn from the merchant account or bank account.
For businesses with at least $5,000 in documented monthly revenue, MCAs or BCAs may be one of the easiest and fastest ways to get funding. Credit score requirements are often very low.
But this funding isn’t always the lowest cost option. Cost is usually expressed as a factor rate. A factor rate of 1.2 means you must repay 1.2 times the amount advanced. The equivalent annual percentage rate (APR) can be 35% or more, depending on the terms.
Business lines of credit
Business lines of credit (LOCs) are available through banks or online lenders. Whether they are easy to get depends on the lender and the borrower’s qualifications. Some LOCs can be approved almost instantly, while others — especially those through traditional lenders like banks — may take longer.
There’s likely to be a credit check, though a personal credit check may be a soft check which doesn’t affect credit scores.
Costs vary widely. Lines of credit typically feature a variable interest rate tied to an index such as the prime rate. Bank lines of credit may carry the lowest rates, while online lenders may be more expensive.
Invoice financing or factoring
Invoice factoring or financing may be an option for businesses that invoice other businesses for products or services. In a factoring arrangement, you sell or assign your invoices to the financing company at a discounted rate in exchange for cash now. The third party company then collects the invoice from the company that owes you money.
This is a short-term type of financing and fees often range from 1—4%, which can result in an equivalent effective APR of 30% or more.
Equipment financing
Equipment financing or leasing may be available through banks; online lenders; third party independent financing companies; or equipment manufacturers or captive financing companies.
This type of financing involves collateral which may make it easier to qualify than for an unsecured loan without collateral. Credit qualifications may be more flexible.
Business credit cards
A business credit card can be easier to get than some types of financing. Most require good to excellent personal credit and sufficient income from all sources. Business owners who qualify may be able to get approved quickly.
Most business credit cards carry interest rates of 19.8% or higher, but some offer 0% intro APRs for several months or more.
Microloans
Microloans are smaller loans, usually made by non-profit lenders trying to help spur economic growth and create jobs. They may be easier to qualify for than traditional bank loans, but they aren’t often thought of as fast funding.
Rates are usually lower than online loans but higher than bank financing.
Easy business loans for startups
Getting a loan for a brand new business can be challenging. Federal Reserve research found that more than half of startup firms surveyed were operating at a loss, highlighting some of the financial challenges younger businesses face.
This translates to challenges getting approved. According to Fed research, among early-stage nonemployer businesses that applied for loans, lines of credit or merchant cash advances, 50% were denied, compared to 42% of later-stage potential employers and 34% of stable nonemployer businesses.
New businesses may be able to get financing through SBA 7(a) loans or microloans, or even business credit cards.
Easy business loans for bad credit or no credit check
A lower credit score can make business financing more difficult, but there is no single minimum credit score that defines an easy business loan. Revenue-based financing is usually more flexible when it comes to credit scores. These lenders may offer no credit check, or they may use a soft credit check which does not affect credit scores.
Also be careful about loans that promise guaranteed approval for bad credit. The FTC warns that legitimate lenders do not promise or guarantee a loan before evaluating an application, and requests for upfront payment before receiving loan proceeds can be a sign of a scam.
Here's how to check if a loan company is legit.
Top picks from Nav's trusted partners
How to choose the right easy business loan
1. Decide whether you really need the money. First, make sure your business actually needs the funding, and if not, consider waiting to take out debt. Then exhaust your other options. If you don’t need to borrow with an easy business loan, it may be best not to. You might be able to save money by going through a more traditional lender for a personal loan.
2. Figure out the amount you need. Since borrowing money will cost your business money, don’t borrow more than you need. However, each lender has a cap for the total amount they’re willing to lend. So you’ll want to make sure the funder can offer you enough for your business needs.
3. Make sure the terms work for you. Look into any loan’s repayment terms to make sure you can afford it. Some of the easier types of financing require daily or weekly payments that can affect cash flow in the future.
Review the cost (APR or factor rate) and all the fees to ensure you’ll be able to pay back the total cost of the funding. It may be possible to refinance business loans but ideally you'll get the right loan for you the first time around.
4. See if you qualify. See if you can review requirements like minimum credit score and time in business. Nav can help you find lending options based on your business details.
5. Apply. Many loans offer online applications, though some types of financing may require more extensive documentation.
When should you look for other options?
Even if financing is easy to get, don’t rush into business debt simply because the application is convenient. Comparing rates, fees, and terms, can help you understand the total cost before you agree to get financing.
Choose carefully. Easy business financing may require personal guarantees, which puts your personal finances at risk if your business can’t pay back the debt. Even if you didn’t sign a personal guarantee, falling behind on business debt can be stressful.
Pay attention to cost. In the latest Federal Reserve survey, 60% of borrowers who got an online loan reported the cost was higher than they expected.
If you can’t get traditional funding, an alternative lender may be a fit. Some loans are designed for underserved business owners, for example. A business credit card or a business line of credit may be an option for short-term financing and some offer 0% intro APR offers for several months or more.
How Nav makes it easy to find the best business loan options
Nav can help your business find financing. Funding readiness can help you get a clearer picture of what may affect your eligibility and ways to improve, powered by insights from your profile and previously funded businesses.
Nav has $926M+ in small business financing facilitated through Nav’s partners since its founding.
