Credibly vs OnDeck — who wins for what.

Frequently asked questions

How does Credibly's judgment underwriting compare to OnDeck's in practice?

Credibly's judgment underwriting is structurally more flexible than OnDeck's as of 2026-06-28. The realistic comparison: Credibly accepts open small-claims judgments under $10K plus civil judgments under $25K with documented payment arrangement or active settlement negotiation at surcharge pricing factor 1.28 – 1.42. OnDeck declines open judgment files for both term loan and LOC products because both products' multi-year commitment structure conflicts with active judgment exposure during the loan or line lifetime. The structural reasoning: Credibly's MCA structure has 4 – 9 month exposure window with daily ACH visibility, making judgment underwriting tractable on case-by-case basis. OnDeck's term loan amortizes over 12 – 36 months and LOC commitment extends 12 – 24 months, creating multi-year exposure to potential judgment enforcement actions that OnDeck's underwriting position declines structurally. The merchant-prep implication: (1) Credibly is structurally primary in this 2-way for immediate capital access during active judgment period; (2) OnDeck becomes structurally primary once judgment is fully resolved + 12 – 18 months post-satisfaction seasoning; (3) The 18 – 36 month capital strategy: take sized Credibly MCA during judgment resolution period, refinance to OnDeck term loan once satisfied and seasoned, then evaluate Bluevine LOC if FICO migrates above 660+ for cheapest long-term pricing. For broker books with multiple judgment-flagged files, Credibly is the structural primary funder option in this 2-way; OnDeck wins on long-term value for files completing the judgment resolution path.

What's the typical timeline for migrating from Credibly to OnDeck after judgment resolution?

The typical migration timeline from Credibly MCA to OnDeck term loan after judgment resolution is 18 – 36 months total as of 2026-06-28. The realistic timeline breakdown: (1) Judgment resolution period (months 0 – 12) — merchant uses Credibly MCA capital plus normal cash flow to fund the judgment settlement (typically 50 – 70% of judgment amount). Obtain satisfaction filing in court records. (2) Post-satisfaction seasoning (months 6 – 18 after satisfaction) — OnDeck and other multi-year-commitment funders typically require 12 – 18 months of post-satisfaction credit history before considering the file at standard pricing. Some borderline acceptance at 6 – 12 months post-satisfaction at surcharge pricing. (3) OnDeck application (month 18 – 24) — submit OnDeck term loan application with full documentation including bank statements, tax returns, entity docs. Expected approval at standard term loan pricing APR 27 – 38% if otherwise clean B-paper or A-paper file. (4) Refinance Credibly MCA (month 24+) — use OnDeck term loan proceeds to pay off remaining Credibly MCA balance if any, plus access additional capital at OnDeck's amortizing term structure. Net capital cost reduction typically 30 – 50% vs continued MCA cycling. (5) Long-term graduation to Bluevine LOC (month 36 – 60) — if merchant's FICO continues migrating toward 700+ during clean OnDeck term payment history, Bluevine LOC at 6.2 – 18% APR becomes available, providing further cost reduction. The structural rule for judgment-flagged merchants: the migration path requires patience and meticulous payment performance during each stage; cutting corners on judgment resolution documentation or seasoning periods can delay or derail the migration to cheaper capital. For broker books supporting merchants through this migration, the realistic value-add is providing structured guidance on each stage's documentation requirements and timing rather than just transaction-by-transaction MCA cycling at Credibly.

Which is right for a contractor with $12K open civil judgment in settlement and $25K/mo revenue?

Credibly is structurally the only option in this 2-way for this file as of 2026-06-28. The open civil judgment structurally rules out OnDeck term loan and LOC products. Credibly's underwriting box accepts the file at borderline civil judgment threshold ($12K is within the under-$25K civil judgment acceptance with active settlement documentation). Expected Credibly pricing: factor 1.32 – 1.40 for $25K – $50K MCA over 6 – 9 month payback term, reflecting the judgment surcharge plus contractor industry vertical pricing. Effective APR roughly 55 – 80%. The realistic contractor playbook: (1) Route to Credibly as structural primary in this 2-way; provide attorney letter documenting settlement negotiation status, expected settlement amount, and resolution timeline. (2) Evaluate Accord Business Funding in parallel as B/C-paper alternative with broader judgment tolerance — Accord may produce competitive pricing for the file. (3) Evaluate Forward Financing as B-paper alternative with reconciliation policy — useful given contractor revenue volatility (project-based revenue can have material month-to-month swings). (4) Plan the judgment-resolution path: $12K civil judgment at typical settlement discount (60 – 80% of judgment amount, so $7K – $10K payoff) is structurally manageable from the MCA capital plus normal cash flow. Obtain satisfaction filing and confirm credit report reflects satisfaction. (5) Plan the 18 – 24 month migration to OnDeck term loan once judgment satisfied and seasoned; expected OnDeck pricing APR 27 – 38% on $50K – $100K term loan for the file profile, materially cheaper than continued Credibly MCA cycling. (6) Long-term graduation to Bluevine LOC if FICO migrates above 660+ during clean OnDeck term payment history (likely 12 – 24 months after OnDeck term funding). The structural rule for judgment-flagged contractor files: short-term Credibly MCA is the realistic primary option in this 2-way; long-term value migrates to OnDeck term loan and eventually Bluevine LOC as judgment seasoning periods complete.