Lendistry Business Loans Review
Lendistry business loans isn't available on Finder right now.
- Min. Amount
- $250,000
- Max. Amount
- $10,000,000
- APR
- Starting at 9.5%
Our verdict
Discover small business funding targeting underserved communities across the country.
Lendistry is a minority-led small business lender, Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and SBA preferred lender. Its goal is to provide support to urban and rural business owners in underserved communities, and it offers loans from $25,000 to $10 million. Unlike most CDFIs, Lendistry’s application process is fully online, and it offers more competitive rates than many online lenders, with current term loans and SBA 7(a) rates capped at 13.5%. But it doesn’t reveal rates and fees for all loan programs, and it has relatively strict requirements to qualify compared to some competitors.
Best for: Established small businesses with good credit.
Pros
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Certified CDFI and SBA preferred lender
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Rates from 9.5% to 13.5%
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Fully online application process
Cons
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Doesn’t disclose all rates and fees
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Must be in business at least 2 years
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Requires 620 to 700 credit score, depending on loan type
Is Lendistry legit?
Yes, Lendistry is a legit online lender, registered CDFI and SBA preferred lender. Founded in 2015, to date it’s helped to support 640,000 small businesses with loans and grants totaling more than $10 billion. Its website is encrypted to help protect your data, and its privacy policy covers all the basics — what personal and business information is collected and how that information is used.
What makes Lendistry shine?
Lendistry stands out by specializing in funding for minority-led and other small businesses across the country in rural and urban underserved communities. It combines the resources of a traditional lender with the speed of an online business loan provider, giving small businesses owned by women, minorities and veterans more straightforward access to capital for a wide range of loan purposes.
Lendistry is also one of the top Small Business Administration (SBA) Community Advantage loan providers, a government-backed loan program for businesses that don’t normally qualify for SBA funding.
Where Lendistry falls short
Lendistry provides substantial information on its site, but interest rates and fees are hard to come by and you may not know the exact costs until you apply. It also has a relatively high minimum loan amount of $250,000, so businesses with smaller financing needs will need to look elsewhere.
Lendistry’s requirements are more flexible than traditional banks and credit unions, which often only work with larger and more profitable businesses. But unlike other CDFIs and online lenders, the minimum credit score for its regular lending program is on the high side, at 640. Plus, it requires a 700+ credit score for businesses with less than two years experience trying for an SBA loan.
Lendistry business loans details
| Minimum credit score/credit range | 620 |
| APR | Term loans: WSJ prime rate + 2% to 6% SBA 7(a) loans: WSJ prime rate +2.25% to 6% |
| Loan amounts | $250,000 to $10,000,000 |
| Terms | Up to 25 years |
| Approval turnaround | Varies by loan type |
| Availability | May not be available in all states |
| Fees | Undisclosed |
| Other fees | Undisclosed |
Lendistry contact info
| Phone number | Business lending: 855-476-5870 General Lendistry support: 888-594-7270 |
| Customer service hours | Weekdays: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. PT |
| info@lendistry.com | |
| X, formerly Twitter | @Lendistry |
| Lendistry |
How to qualify for Lendistry
Lendistry doesn’t state its revenue requirements, but it requires the following:
- More than two years in business, except for SBA approved startups
- 620 to 670 credit score, depending on loan type and years in business
- Most recently filed three years of business tax returns
- Most recently filed personal tax returns for the past year
How to apply
Apply online by following these steps:
- Visit Lendistry’s website and select Start your loan application.
- Enter information about your business and yourself.
- Submit the required documentation.
- Wait for a member of the Lendistry team to contact you by phone or email.
Lendistry doesn’t say how long it will take to receive a loan decision or funding, but you can log in to your Lendistry account at any time to check on the status of your loan application. Or you can call them between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. PT on weekdays.
For Lendistry grants or special loan programs, you can also find application links on Lendistry’s website.
Compare Lendistry to other lenders
What is the Finder Score?
The Finder Score crunches 12+ types of business loans across 35+ lenders. It takes into account the product's interest rate, fees and features, as well as the type of loan eg investor, variable, fixed rate - this gives you a simple score out of 10.
To provide a Score, we compare like-for-like loans. So if you're comparing the best business loans for startups loans, you can see how each business loan stacks up against other business loans with the same borrower type, rate type and repayment type.
Lendistry reviews and complaints
| BBB accredited | Yes |
|---|---|
| BBB rating | A+ |
| BBB customer reviews | 4.54 out of 5 stars, based on 81 customer reviews |
| BBB customer complaints | 101 customer complaints |
| Trustpilot Score | 4.7 out of 5 stars, based on 220 customer reviews |
| Customer reviews verified as of | 24 March 2025 |
Lendistry has high marks on both the BBB and Trustpilot, with customers praising the easy application process and knowledgeable and professional support from customer service representatives. But other reviewers said the loan process can be lengthy and the follow-up communication could use some improvement.
What do people on Reddit say?
Frequently asked questions
What credit score do you need for Lendistry?
Lendistry requires a credit score of 640 for most of its loan products. However, it has some special programs that may be willing to consider slightly lower credit scores.
What is the interest rate for Lendistry?
Lendistry doesn’t list the interest rates for all its loan programs, but for term loans, it says it typically charges the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) prime rate + 2% to 6%. For SBA 7(a) loans, rates range from WSJ prime + 2.25% to 6%. Rates are subject to change and can vary widely based on different loan programs.
Your reviews
Lacey Finder
Writer
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