The payment rhythm depends on the channel.
Bank and marketplace term loans amortize monthly. Each payment is part principal and part interest, the amount is fixed, and there is a clear payoff date on the calendar. Many short-term online lenders collect differently, pulling a fixed amount by ACH every day or every week rather than once a month. Neither pattern is wrong, but a daily or weekly draw is felt very differently in a slow week than a monthly bill is, so match the rhythm to how your revenue actually arrives before you weigh the headline cost.
Which channel fitsWho each channel is built for.
The figures below are minimum door thresholds, the point at which a channel will look at you at all. Approved paper skews well above these doors, so clearing a minimum is not the same as pricing at the floor. Read them as the entry point, not the expected outcome.
Bank and SBA
Roughly a 670 or higher personal credit score (some banks ask 680 to 700), about two years minimum in business, and near $100,000 minimum annual revenue at the named banks. Deals here are large, averaging about $478,000, and priced the lowest. Market data, not a Trident quote.
Marketplace and prime-online
Credit around 625 to 660, one to two years in business, and $100,000 or more in revenue. This channel sits between the bank floor and the online ceiling on both price and paperwork. Market data, not a Trident quote.
Short-term online
Credit as low as 500 to 570, about six months in business, and revenue thresholds that vary by lender. Deals are smaller, roughly $42,000 to $51,000, reviewed on a shorter timeline than a bank, and priced the highest. Market data, not a Trident quote.
What early payoff really costs.
Prepayment terms vary more than any other line in the offer. On an amortizing bank or marketplace loan, paying early stops future interest from accruing, and many online and marketplace lenders charge no prepayment penalty, though you should confirm it rather than assume it. A factor-quoted short-term loan is the opposite: the total payback is usually fixed, so paying it off early may save you nothing at all unless the lender offers a specific early-payoff option or discount. SBA-regime loans carry a set penalty on long terms, where a 7(a) loan of 15 years or more can charge 5 percent, then 3 percent, then 1 percent of the prepaid amount across the first three years, and only when you prepay more than 25 percent of the balance in a 12-month window. Ask which of these applies before you sign, because you cannot tell from the headline number which world you are in.
The cash-flow riskWhat a fast, short loan can do to a slow week.
The channel that funds quickest also carries the most cash-flow risk. A daily or weekly ACH pull is fixed, so a slow week still owes the same draw, and a short high-cost loan taken to cover a gap can leave less room the following month, not more. Taking a second advance on top of the first, often called stacking, compounds that pressure fast. Before you sign a short-term loan, test the payment against your worst recent week, not your average one, and read the risks of stacking if you already carry a balance.
The questionsSeven questions to ask before you sign.
The all-in APR, in writing
Inclusive of every fee, not a nominal rate. This is the one number that lets you compare two offers on the same footing.
Total payback in dollars
The full amount you repay if the loan runs as written. A percentage can hide the dollar figure; ask for both.
Payment frequency and amount
Monthly, weekly, or daily, and the exact dollar payment. This is what actually hits your account, so test it against a slow week.
The origination fee
The percentage, and whether it is deducted from your proceeds. If it is, you receive less than the face amount while repaying the whole of it.
Prepayment treatment
Whether paying early saves you money, costs a penalty, or does neither. Get the answer in writing before you sign.
Factor or APR
Ask plainly whether the quote is a factor or an APR. If it is a factor, ask for the converted all-in APR so you can compare it to everything else.
Personal guarantee and collateral
Ask whether a personal guarantee or specific collateral is required, and what happens on a missed payment or default, including any late fees. This is the highest-stakes fine print an owner signs, and it belongs in writing before you commit.
Some answers only arrive with an offer.
A few of these questions cannot be answered until a partner underwrites your file. Your exact APR, your amount, and your term are priced from your real revenue, your time in business, and your credit profile, so no honest number exists before that review. That is not a dodge; it is how the pricing is built. When a question is only answerable with an offer in hand, the next step is to apply and get one. Any offer we bring back is put on a single page with the amount, the schedule, and the full cost in dollars before you sign, and walking away costs nothing.
Every figure on this page is general US market data as of Jul 2026, not Trident pricing and not an offer. It is here so you can read a quote with clear eyes. Any real offer, and the partner paperwork behind it, governs. This page is education, not legal or financial advice.