How we picked
Filtered to lenders that fund the cafe/coffee shop vertical. POS-embedded options (Toast, Square, Clover) ranked first because most independent coffee shops already run one of these — pre-qualified offers in the dashboard skip the application entirely. SBA prioritized for build-out and acquisition. Generalist MCA included for fast working capital when POS-embedded isn't available.
Top picks at a glance
| Lender | Best for | Amount | Speed | Min credit | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toast Capital | Best for Toast-using coffee shops | $5,000 – $300,000 | Funds in 1 – 3 business days after approval | No published floor — Toast underwrites against POS history, not FICO | Apply → |
| Square Capital | Best for Square-using coffee shops | $300 – $250,000 | Funds as soon as next business day | No FICO pull — Square underwrites entirely against your Square sales history | Apply → |
| Clover Capital (Fiserv) | Best for Clover-using coffee shops | $500 – $1,000,000 | Funding in 1 – 3 business days | No FICO check — uses Clover sales history | Apply → |
| Credibly | Best fast non-POS-embedded working capital | $5K – $600K | As fast as 4 hours | 550+ | Apply → |
| Greenbox Capital | Best for credit-recovering cafe operators (500+) | $5K – $250K (MCA); other products vary | 24 – 48 hours | Flexible — accepts down to 500 on some programs | Apply → |
| Live Oak Bank | Best SBA 7(a) for coffee shop build-out / acquisition / 2nd location | $25,000 – $25,000,000+ | 30 – 90 days underwriting (SBA standard) | 680+ typical | Apply → |
Advertiser disclosure: Fundnode may earn referral fees from funders listed on this page when you apply through us. This does not affect editorial rankings — see our methodology.
Detailed reviews — our 6 picks
#1 · Best for Toast-using coffee shops
Toast Capital
Max amount
$300,000
Cost
Factor 1.13 – 1.36 (single fee, no compounding)
Speed
Funds in 1 – 3 business days after approval
Min credit
No published floor — Toast underwrites against POS history, not FICO
Why we picked it
Toast is the dominant POS in coffee shops with food service. Toast Capital offers pre-qualified loans inside the Toast dashboard. No external application. Single fee, no FICO check, repayment as a percentage of daily sales. The cleanest first option if you're already on Toast.
The strength
Embedded in the Toast POS dashboard — eligible restaurants see a pre-qualified offer with no application. Repayment is auto-deducted as a fixed percentage of daily Toast deposits, so cash flow stays proportional to revenue. Single fee disclosed up front; no daily compounding factor games.
The watch-out
Only available to Toast POS customers — you have to be running their hardware/processing already. Loan amounts cap at roughly 70% of trailing 12-month Toast volume. If you switch processors, the agreement requires you to pay off the remaining balance immediately.
Qualifications
6 months
Toast POS volume drives offers — typically $10,000+/mo processed
No published floor — Toast underwrites against POS history, not FICO
#2 · Best for Square-using coffee shops
Square Capital
Max amount
$250,000
Cost
Single fixed fee (typically 10 – 16% of loan amount)
Speed
Funds as soon as next business day
Min credit
No FICO pull — Square underwrites entirely against your Square sales history
Why we picked it
Square is common in smaller cafes and pour-over-focused shops. Pre-qualified offers in the Square dashboard. No FICO check. Single fee 5-14% priced off your Square processing volume. Fast deposit.
The strength
Most merchant-friendly headline structure in the industry: one fixed fee, no APR equivalents, no daily/weekly debits — repayment is a flat percentage of daily Square card sales until paid off. Eligibility check appears in your Square dashboard with no application. Approval typically arrives in minutes.
The watch-out
Square chooses who they offer to — you can't apply if Square doesn't surface an offer. Loan amount usually caps at ~1.4× monthly Square sales. The single fixed fee on a 9-month payback typically works out to 30–60% APR-equivalent, similar to mid-tier MCA. Only available to active Square sellers — if you stop processing, repayment converts to fixed daily debits.
Qualifications
12 months
$10,000+ in Square card sales typical floor for meaningful offers
No FICO pull — Square underwrites entirely against your Square sales history
#3 · Best for Clover-using coffee shops
Clover Capital (Fiserv)
Max amount
$1,000,000
Cost
Single fixed fee disclosed at offer (10 – 16%)
Speed
Funding in 1 – 3 business days
Min credit
No FICO check — uses Clover sales history
Why we picked it
Clover is common in cafes that need integrated retail (beans, mugs, equipment sales) alongside drink/food. Pre-qualified offers in the Clover dashboard. Single fee structure, fast deposit, no FICO check.
The strength
Embedded in Clover dashboard (Fiserv-owned POS platform). Single fee structure like Square Capital. Repayment as percentage of daily Clover card sales. Strong fit for Clover-equipped restaurants, retail, salons.
The watch-out
Only available to Clover POS merchants. Eligibility controlled by Clover/Fiserv — can't apply. Less brand recognition than Toast Capital or Square Capital.
Qualifications
6 months
Clover processing volume drives offers
No FICO check — uses Clover sales history
#4 · Best fast non-POS-embedded working capital
Credibly
Max amount
$600K
Cost
Factor 1.11+ (MCA)
Speed
As fast as 4 hours
Min credit
550+
Why we picked it
When your POS doesn't have an embedded lender (or you've already maxed out Toast/Square offers), Credibly is the cleanest fallback. 550+ credit, 6+ months TIB, $15K+/mo revenue. Multi-product (MCA + LOC + term) covers equipment repair, payroll bridges, or seasonal slow-period coverage.
The strength
March 2026 API V2 + Cloudsquare integration — most modern submission UX in MCA. $3B+ deployed, 60K+ SMBs. Publishes factor rates honestly (starting 1.11 for A-paper).
The watch-out
The 1.11 headline is the A-paper floor; average factor is closer to 1.32. ISO commission terms aren't public.
Qualifications
6 months
$15,000
550+
#5 · Best for credit-recovering cafe operators (500+)
Greenbox Capital
Max amount
$250K (MCA); other products vary
Cost
Factor varies
Speed
24 – 48 hours
Min credit
Flexible — accepts down to 500 on some programs
Why we picked it
Lowest credit floor for hospitality/food service. Industry-flexible — will fund single-location coffee shops at lower revenue thresholds than most generalist MCAs. Published ISO commission caps bound broker markup.
The strength
Five products under one roof: MCA, invoice factoring, equipment financing, collateral loans, LOC. White-label contracts let brokers run the deal under their own brand. Priority 1 status for new ISOs.
The watch-out
$250K MCA cap is below competitors. Marketing tilts broker-friendly more than merchant-transparent.
Qualifications
6 months
$15,000
Flexible — accepts down to 500 on some programs
#6 · Best SBA 7(a) for coffee shop build-out / acquisition / 2nd location
Live Oak Bank
Max amount
$25,000,000+
Cost
SBA 7(a) APR prime + 2.75% to 4.75%
Speed
30 – 90 days underwriting (SBA standard)
Min credit
680+ typical
Why we picked it
SBA 7(a) for full cafe build-out, buying an existing coffee shop, or opening additional locations. $150K-$2M typical. Espresso machines, build-out, and working capital can all be wrapped into one SBA package. Prime + 2.75-4.75% APR dramatically beats MCA on any deal over $150K. 60-90 day timeline.
The strength
Largest SBA 7(a) lender in the US by dollar volume for 7+ consecutive years. Industry-specialty teams (veterinary, dental, funeral homes, self-storage, agriculture, hotels). Deep understanding of niche-vertical underwriting. Dramatically cheaper than MCA for qualifying merchants.
The watch-out
Long underwriting timeline (45-90 days typical). Requires strong credit (680+), 2+ years operating, clean financials. Industries outside their specialty get less attention.
Qualifications
24 months
$20,000+
680+ typical
Frequently asked questions
- Should I take Toast Capital or a standalone MCA?
- Toast Capital almost always wins on convenience (no application, deposited inside Toast) and frequently wins on price for established cafes. Standalone MCA wins when you've maxed out Toast's offer or need larger capital than Toast pre-qualifies you for. Compare both — Toast publishes the fee directly in your dashboard so the math is transparent.
- How do I finance a $30K espresso machine?
- Beacon Funding or Currency Capital for equipment-secured financing (APR 8-22%, machine serves as collateral). Materially cheaper than MCA equivalent. Section 179 deduction usually applies. If the machine is part of a full cafe build-out, wrap it into an SBA 7(a) loan via Live Oak instead — even cheaper.
- Can I get a loan to open a new coffee shop?
- SBA 7(a) via Live Oak is the cleanest path — designed exactly for this. $150K-$500K typical for new-build cafe. Need a real business plan, 10-15% down, and personal credit 680+. Pre-revenue: SBA microloan via CDFI (Accion) or Kiva for $5K-$50K. Avoid MCAs pre-revenue.
- How much can I borrow as a 2-year-old coffee shop doing $40K/mo?
- Toast Capital: $15K-$100K based on Toast sales history (if on Toast). Square Capital: similar based on Square volume. Credibly: $25K-$125K MCA. Live Oak SBA: $100K-$500K if you can wait 60-90 days. Match yourself at /match to compare pre-qualified offers side by side.
Related reading
Methodology
How we chose
Ranking criteria
- Use-case fit — funder must qualify the merchant profile this page targets (credit, time-in-business, revenue, industry).
- Pricing transparency — published factor-rate or APR-equivalent disclosure outweighs marketing-only quotes.
- Speed-to-fund — verified time from signed contract to ACH deposit, not 'as fast as' marketing claims.
- Contract terms — daily/weekly debit structure, prepayment treatment, COJ / personal guarantee posture.
- Customer-experience signals — BBB profile, Trustpilot, ISO chatter, and direct merchant feedback collected via Fundnode applications.
Sources consulted
- Funder-published rate cards, contract templates, and disclosure pages (refreshed quarterly).
- Public regulatory filings — California DFPI commercial-financing disclosures, New York commercial-financing disclosure law filings.
- Direct merchant feedback collected through Fundnode's /qualify funnel (n > 200 since 2026-01).
- ISO desk operator interviews — anonymized commentary on approval patterns and stipulations.
Update cadence
Reviewed quarterly. Last updated 2026-06-24.
Conflict of interest
Fundnode may earn referral fees from funders listed on this page when merchants apply through us. Rankings are editorial and independent of fee economics — funders cannot pay for placement.