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Become business loan marketplace review
Last updated:
See if you qualify with this connection service's partner lenders — with options for startups and bad credit.
Bottom line: Formerly known as Lending Express, Become is a transparent, startup-friendly connection service with options for all credit types.
$5,000
Min. Amount
$500,000
Max. Amount
Details
| Product Name | Become business loans |
|---|---|
| Min. Amount | $5,000 |
| Max. Amount | $500,000 |
| Loan Term | 6 to 120 months |
| Min. Credit Score | 350 |
| APR | Starting from 7.5% |
| Requirements | At least 3 months in business with $10,000 in monthly revenue or at least 6 months in business with $3,000 in monthly revenue. |
Pros
- Low starting APR of 7.5%
- Accepts credits cores as low as 350
- Options for startups
- Highly transparent compared to other connection services
Cons
- Doesn’t disclose maximum rates and terms
- Offers typically expensive products like factoring
- Potential origination fees or prepayment penalties
Expert review
Review by
Anna Serio
anna.serio@finder.comAnna Serio is a trusted lending expert and certified Commercial Loan Officer who's published more than 1,000 articles on Finder to help Americans strengthen their financial literacy. A former editor of a newspaper in Beirut, Anna writes about personal, student, business and car loans. Today, digital publications like Business Insider, CNBC and the Simple Dollar feature her professional commentary, and she earned an Expert Contributor in Finance badge from review site Best Company in 2020.
Expert review
Become is a connection service that partners with over 25 lenders offering unsecured business loans and more. It’s a fast way to compare offers from multiple providers — and you could be funded in as little as a few hours.
But it’s not a direct lender, and it’s difficult to know how your information will be used and shared before you apply. In many cases, this can mean you’ll get lots of unsolicited calls and emails. If you’d prefer to avoid this, consider applying with a direct lender instead.
Become rates, fees and terms
Become’s partners offer unsecured business loans starting at 7.5% APR. This might include an origination fee, depending on the lender.
You can borrow between $5,000 and $500,000 with terms from 6 to 120 months. Use the calculator below to see how much a loan might cost you at different rates, terms and amounts.
Business loan calculator
See how much you'll pay
| Your loan |
|---|
| Loan amount |
$ |
| Loan terms (in years) |
| Interest rate |
$% |
Fill out the form and click on “Calculate” to see your
estimated monthly payment.
or
Based on your loan terms…
You can expect to pay back
$
per month
This breaks down to…
$
in
principaland
$
in
interest
charged, with a total cost of $Compare business loans now
How Become compares to similar services
See how Become holds up to other online connection services for small businesses.
Not yet rated
| Check eligibility |
|---|
Loan amount $5,000 to $500,000 |
APR Starting at 7.5% |
Loan term 6 to 120 months |
Requirements At least 3 months in business with $10,000 in monthly revenue or at least 6 months in business with $3,000 in monthly revenue. |
★★★★★
| Check eligibility |
|---|
Loan amount $500 to $5,000,000 |
APR Starting at 6% |
Loan term 12 to 300 months |
Requirements Operate business in US or Canada, have a business bank account, 560+ personal credit score |
Not yet rated
| Check eligibility |
|---|
Loan amount $10,000 to $5,000,000 |
APR Starting at 6% |
Loan term 6 to 120 months |
Requirements Eligibility criteria 3+ months in business, $15,000+ in monthly gross sales or $180,000+ in annual sales |
Compare more business loans lenders
Become reviews and complaints
| BBB accredited | No |
|---|---|
| BBB rating | A+ |
| Trustpilot Score | 4.8 out of 5 stars, based on 545 customer reviews |
| Customer reviews verified as of | 13 October 2020 |
The main drawing point was how fast and straightforward it is to get connected. Several reviews mention they had a hard time getting funds in the past.
Many also state they’re pleased with the quality of customer service, with one customer writing they couldn’t “get enough of the staff.” Another good sign of solid support: Become personally responds to all of its Trustpilot reviews.
How to qualify
Your business must meet one of the following criteria:
- Three months old with $10,000 in monthly revenue
- Six months old with $3,000 in monthly revenue
You may need to meet additional requirements, depending on the lender you work with. Become works with credit scores as low as 350.
How it works
You can get started by filling out a quick form on Become's website. After you submit it, Become provides potential offers from lenders in its network — including rates and terms. Choose an offer you’re interested in to get contacted by the lender and complete the full application. If approved, review the terms of the contract and sign the loan documents if you wish to accept the offer.
What sets it apart
Become is one of the few connection service that spells out how it works on its website. And it's also one of the few that will help you improve your odds of approval if you didn't get connected the first time around.
If you don't seem like a match, you can use LendingScore dashboard to get insight into the lending criteria. It also provides step-by-step instructions to improve specific areas of your application to help you qualify for funding in the future. Once you do become eligible and there’s a match with a lender, Become will get in touch with you.
Which lenders does Become partner with?
Become works with a network of providers that include the following lenders:
- Kabbage
- OnDeck
- SmartBiz
- Fundbox
- BlueVine
- LoanBuilder
- Bitty Advance
- Idea Financial
- Everlasting Capital
Ask an expert
Eden Amirav
CEO and co-founder of Become
What advice would you give a business owner to strengthen their loan application?
What other types of financing can I find through Become?
In addition to unsecured business loans, Become’s partners also offer the following types of financing:
- Commercial vehicle loans. Funding to buy a vehicle for your business with terms up to 10 years.
- Asset-based loans. A loan backed with business assets to help you qualify for more competitive rates and terms.
- SBA loans. Government-backed loans with low rates for established businesses with good credit.
- Lines of credit. Secured and unsecured credit lines with rates starting at 4.66% APR.
- Equipment loans. Financing backed by your equipment with terms up to 10 years.
- Merchant cash advances. An advance on your business’s future sales that you repay plus a flat fee with a percentage of daily sales. Terms start at four months.
- Invoice factoring. Become partners with FundBox, BlueVine and LoanMe to offer advances on invoices from other businesses.
Is Become legit?
Yes, Become is a legitimate connection service — but it doesn’t offer loans itself. It uses SSL encryption to protect the information you submit online through its website. And you can find out how it uses your personal information by reading its privacy policy.
But you won’t know where it’s sending your information — or what those companies are doing to protect it — until after you get connected.
Read our guide to business loans to find out how Become compares to other providers.
Frequently asked questions
Get answers to questions business owners often have about Become.
Does completing the form affect my credit score?
No. Become conducts a soft pull of your credit to provide an estimate of your rates, terms and loan amounts. Only by continuing your application will a lender conduct a hard credit check that temporarily lowers your score. And it asks for your permission first.
Do I repay my loan through Become?
No. Your business repays its loan through whichever lender it chooses to apply with. Your direct lender also handles questions about your loan.
Are there any restrictions on how my business can use loan funds?
No — as long as it’s for business use. Your lenders may not allow you to use a term loan to buy commercial real estate, however.
Compare more business loan providers
Use this table to see more business loans you might qualify for.
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