Fundbox is one of several lending companies online. They offer Invoice Financing.  Surprisingly, this is not the same as Invoice Factoring. Our Fundbox review can help you decide if their financing options are a good fit for your business.

Fundbox Works for Some, Not So Much for Others

Here’s the thing.  They make it easier to get approval for financing.  There is a credit check. However, for the application it is only a soft pull.  The key is, the minimum credit score is 500. Comparatively, this is much lower than with other lenders.  There is a one-time hard credit pull on the first draw, so keep that in mind.

What They Offer: Invoice Financing and Lines of Credit

They do not offer invoice factoring.  In contrast, instead of purchasing your accounts receivables for a percentage of the money owed to you, they will finance up to the full amount in the form of a loan.  Then, you pay it back as your customers pay their invoices. Also, they do not communicate directly with your customers. 

In addition, they offer Business Lines of Credit. In fact, you can get a line of credit up to $60,000 within about 3 minutes on average.  Furthermore, this amount goes up to $100,000 with financials. The 500 personal credit score minimum holds for lines of credit the same as invoice financing.  Basically, they just want to connect to your business bank account. They can provide up to $100,000 in credit.

Check out how our reliable process will help your business get the best business credit cards. 

Fundbox: Fees

Fees start at 4.66% of the amount drawn.  If you pay early, then the remaining draw amount plus one weekly fee is debited from your account on the upcoming payment date. However, if you miss a payment, they will continue to debit your account as scheduled.  In addition, there will be an ACH for an additional average fee plus a $6 NSF charge. 

Fundbox: Funding Requirements

Honestly, they look for healthy businesses. This means with accounting software, they want to see a lot of receivables, invoices going out, and healthy revenue. If you’re showing your bank account, they want to see strong transactions. Generally, they are looking for around $50,000 or more in a bank account. Typically, they want to see a minimum of three years in business. They also want to see a variety of customers. 

For companies with a minimum of one year in business, they want at least three months’ worth of transactions.  

Remember: 

• They consider business merit as opposed to personal credit.  For application purposes, they will do a soft pull on your personal credit. This will not affect your credit score.  They want to see a minimum personal score of 500. When you make your first draw, they will do a one time hard pull that could affect your score, so keep that in mind. 
• Timing matters. Take into consideration when you will need the funds. How much time are you willing to spend filling out an application?
• Do your own research on fees.  Educate yourself on how much they are and what they cover.
• Consider how much credit you really need? You don’t want to be paying for money that you do not need.
• You control your information.   

Fundbox: Reputation and Reviews

The first place I go to check up on a company’s reputation is the Better Business Bureau.  Things look pretty good. They have an A+ rating, and they have been accredited since 2014.  There are 5 reviews, and 4 of them are negative. However, considering how long they have been around, you have to figure there are a ton of happy customers out there, too.  Also, it seems that most of the reviews are centered around recent growing pains that will likely work themselves out given their success thus far.

There are also 7 complaints.  The details of the complaints are not public, but it seems that each one was at least answered by Fundbox.  This shows the company pays attention to what customers are saying. 

The Benefits

The benefits of Fundbox funding include flexibility in connecting to your business bank account, and fast approval. Another advantage is that they stay out of your relationship with your clients. Your clients need never know that you are working with them.

The Cost

Oddly enough, one of the benefits is also a drawback.  Many people are uncomfortable with giving them bank account access, even if it does streamline processes. Of course, this is the very thing that makes it possible for them to not run a credit check.  As a result, business owners with bad credit can turn here. This is important for some. Another disadvantage is the high fee if you miss a payment.

What’s the Final Word?

Fundbox works best for those businesses that can pay back their debts on time. Of course, that’s the case for any lender.   You’ll have to decide if the benefits of using Fundbox outweigh the costs for your business. Certainly, they are a legit business.  Just do your research and know what you are getting into on the front end.