The specs
CrediblyFundamental Business Loans
Product typeMulti-productMulti-product
Amount range$5K – $600K$10K – $500K
Cost (factor / APR)Factor 1.11+ (MCA); APR varies (term)Factor 1.18 – 1.42 (MCA); APR 30 – 70% (short-term term loan)
Speed to fundAs fast as 4 hours24 – 48 hours after approval
Min time in business6 months6 months
Min monthly revenue$15,000$15,000
Min credit score550+550+
Products
- MCA
- Working capital LOC
- Short-term term loan
- MCA
- Short-term business term loan
- Equipment financing
Verdicts by use case
- Clean A-paper merchant ($30K+/mo, 650+ FICO, 12+ months TIB) — Winner: Credibly. Credibly's A-paper factor band (1.11 – 1.25) and 4-hour funding via API V2 + Cloudsquare (March 2026) beats Fundamental Business Loans' 1.18 – 1.42 range. Fundamental's pricing reflects broker-distribution math with commission baked into factor — even clean files priced there pay 5 – 12 points more than direct Credibly pricing. For A-paper, Credibly wins outright.
- B-paper file with FICO 550 – 600 and short trading history — Winner: Fundamental Business Loans. Fundamental Business Loans' broker-channel underwriting accepts B-paper files Credibly may decline at the margins — particularly files with seasonal revenue dips or single-month NSF history that Credibly's tighter A-paper preference filters out. For B-paper at the Credibly-borderline tier, Fundamental is in the cascade where Credibly declines.
- Equipment financing within working-capital package — Winner: Fundamental Business Loans. Fundamental offers equipment financing alongside MCA and term — useful when a merchant needs both rolling working capital and a vehicle/equipment purchase. Credibly doesn't have a true equipment product; equipment-need merchants need a separate funder there.
- Fastest funding on clean files — Winner: Credibly. Credibly funds in as fast as 4 hours via API V2 + Cloudsquare submission (March 2026). Fundamental funds in 24 – 48 hours. For genuine same-day cash needs on clean files, Credibly is meaningfully faster.
- Larger deal size ($300K+) — Winner: Credibly. Credibly underwrites up to $600K with consistent execution at scale on clean files. Fundamental tops at $500K nominally but consistency on $300K+ deals less reliable given the smaller balance sheet.
The honest takeaway
Credibly and Fundamental Business Loans solve overlapping but distinct problems. The right choice depends on three things you already know about your business: how fast you need the money, how long you've been operating, and whether the capital need is one-time or recurring.
Frequently asked questions
- My ISO is quoting Fundamental at 1.32 factor — should I shop Credibly first?
- Yes, always. If your file is A or upper-B paper (600+ FICO, 6+ months TIB, single position, clean bank statements), Credibly will likely quote 1.20 – 1.28 — saving you 4 – 12 points of factor on the deal. ISOs sometimes default to Fundamental because the commission tiers are aggressive in the B-paper band; that's a tell that the same file priced direct or through a more transparent ISO would land cheaper. Push for written Credibly quote before accepting Fundamental.
- Is Fundamental Business Loans the same as Fundamental Capital?
- No, different funders despite similar names. Fundamental Business Loans is the multi-product broker-friendly shop at $10K – $500K with MCA, term, and equipment. Fundamental Capital is a smaller boutique MCA shop focused on B/C-paper with $5K – $300K MCA only. Confusion happens because both pay similar ISO commission tiers; ask which entity is on your contract before signing — the underwriting, reconciliation policy, and balance sheet are different.
- Does Fundamental's equipment financing compete with bank equipment loans?
- On speed yes, on cost no. Fundamental's equipment APR runs 12 – 30% with 24 – 48 hour funding; a bank equipment loan runs 6 – 12% APR but takes 3 – 8 weeks and requires substantial documentation. Use Fundamental's equipment product when speed matters (replacing broken-down equipment costing daily revenue) or when bank denials are likely; use a bank or SBA equipment loan when timing isn't critical. The factor delta on a 5-year equipment loan is meaningful — usually 4 – 12% of the financed amount.