Editorial ranking
Fastest UK business loans: what lenders say about speed
Editorial UK lender rankings from desk research, post-decline options included. FundBiz does not run a credit check. Where a lender publishes a decision or funding time, it is shown in the ranking below.
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The fastest UK business loans on our list are iwoca (flexi-loan), Capify (short-term loans) and 365 Business Finance (MCA). iwoca gives many decisions instantly or within 24 hours, Capify says same-day funding is available (typically 24 to 48 hours from application to funding), and 365 says funding can arrive in as little as 24 hours. Few lenders promise money on the same day, so check what each one actually says. Faster products can cost more: iwoca's own representative example is 49% APR, while Funding Circle term loans start from 6.9% a year, though these are different products. This FundBiz ranking assesses 5 UK lenders for "fastest uk business loans: what lenders say about speed", weighting primarily on decision speed (40%), funding speed (25%), eligibility breadth (15%) (see the full weighted criteria below).
Scores are our own desk-research assessment built from the FCA Register, Companies House filings and each lender's published product criteria, not customer reviews and not paid placement. Lenders don't pay for inclusion or rankings. If you send an enquiry, we pass it to one of the finance partners we work with, and we may be paid by the finance partners we introduce you to, by a fixed fee or commission depending on the partner and the finance arranged. It does not change what you pay.
Source: FundBiz methodology. Editorial by Best Business Loans Ltd (16833937).
Founder & Managing Director, Muswell Rose, FundBiz
Adam is the founder and managing director of Muswell Rose and a founder of Best Business Loans Ltd, the company behind FundBiz. His background runs through commercial finance, mortgages and fintech, including as managing director of an invoice finance business. He oversees FundBiz's guides and lender reviews.
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- 1. iwoca
Flexi-loan / line of credit · £1k to £1m (its own figure) · Many customers get an instant decision; larger loans within 24 hours (its own figures)
Instant decision on many loans, or within 24 hours, by iwoca's own account.
Our assessment: Decision speed: many customers get an instant decision; larger loans within 24 hours, its own figures · Eligibility breadth: strong.
Read full iwoca review → - 2. Capify
Short-term business loans and supplier invoice payment · £10k to £3m · Decision in minutes; same-day funding on unsecured loans, 24 to 48 hours on secured (its own figures)
Same-day funding available; typically 24 to 48 hours from application to funding, by Capify's own account.
Our assessment: Decision speed: decision in minutes; same-day funding on unsecured loans, 24 to 48 hours on secured, its own figures · Eligibility breadth: strong.
Read full Capify review → -
Merchant cash advance (revenue-based finance) · £10k to £500k (its own figure) · Funds in as little as 24 hours (its own figure)
Funding in as little as 24 hours, by 365's own account.
Our assessment: Decision speed: funds in as little as 24 hours, its own figure · Eligibility breadth: strong.
Read full 365 Business Finance review → -
Term loan · £10k to £750k (its own figure) · Decision in as little as 5 minutes, funds typically within 48 hours (its own figures)
Decision in as little as 5 minutes and funds typically within 48 hours, on Funding Circle's own figures.
Our assessment: Decision speed: decision in as little as 5 minutes, funds typically within 48 hours, its own figures · Eligibility breadth: top tier.
Read full Funding Circle review → - 5. Allica Bank
SME term loan, asset finance + commercial mortgage · £25,001 to £150,000 (business loans); £25k to £2.5m (asset finance); £150k to £15m (commercial mortgages) (its own figures) · Decision by the next working day (its own aim)
Business loans come with an online decision in principle and money in days, by Allica's account; larger facilities take longer.
Our assessment: Decision speed: decision by the next working day, its own aim · Eligibility breadth: strong.
Read full Allica Bank review →
Side-by-side comparison
| Lender | Typical rate | Ticket | Decision | Best for | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iwoca | From 1.5% per 30 days | £1k to £1m (its own figure) | Many customers get an instant decision; larger loans within 24 hours (its own figures) | Working capital you can draw down as you need it | Lender's site | |
| Capify | Factor rate set by risk (not published) | £10k to £3m | Decision in minutes; same-day funding on unsecured loans, 24 to 48 hours on secured (its own figures) | UK businesses trading 12+ months with £10,000+ monthly turnover that need short-term funds quickly | Lender's site | |
| 365 Business Finance | One fixed cost, repaid as a percentage of card sales (quoted per offer) | £10k to £500k (its own figure) | Funds in as little as 24 hours (its own figure) | Hospitality, retail and ecommerce Ltds trading 6+ months with £10k+ monthly card sales (365's published minimum) | Lender's site | |
| Funding Circle | From 6.9% per year | £10k to £750k (its own figure) | Decision in as little as 5 minutes, funds typically within 48 hours (its own figures) | Established Ltds with a trading record and clean credit | Lender's site | |
| Allica Bank | Business loans 9.90% to 13.75% interest; other products quoted per deal | £25,001 to £150,000 (business loans); £25k to £2.5m (asset finance); £150k to £15m (commercial mortgages) (its own figures) | Decision by the next working day (its own aim) | Established Ltd companies with three or more years of filed accounts | Lender's site |
Source links go to the lender's own site, or to the page the figures on that row come from. Checked is the date we last checked them. Figures change, so confirm with the lender before you rely on one.
What is the fastest UK business loan?
iwoca, Capify and 365 Business Finance are the quickest on this list. iwoca gives many decisions instantly or within 24 hours; Capify says same-day funding is available, typically 24 to 48 hours from application to funding; 365 says funding can arrive in as little as 24 hours.
How quickly can a UK business loan be funded?
It depends on the product and the lender. Decision or funding times, as recorded in our lender reviews: iwoca: many customers get an instant decision; larger loans within 24 hours (its own figures). Capify: decision in minutes; same-day funding on unsecured loans, 24 to 48 hours on secured (its own figures).
365 Business Finance: funds in as little as 24 hours (its own figure). Funding Circle: decision in as little as 5 minutes, funds typically within 48 hours (its own figures). Allica Bank: decision by the next working day (its own aim). Timings are the lenders' own or typical figures and depend on how complete your application is.
What documents speed up a UK business loan decision?
Three to six months of business bank statements, latest filed accounts, a director ID document and a current management P&L. Having these ready avoids the most common delays.
Does fast UK business funding cost more?
It can. iwoca's own representative example is 49% APR on a flexi-loan, while Funding Circle term loans start from 6.9% a year for the strongest applicants. These are different products, and a merchant cash advance is priced with a fixed cost rather than an APR, so compare the total amount you repay, not only the speed.
Which UK lender funds fastest for £100k+ tickets?
iwoca lends up to £1m (typically up to 20% of annual turnover) and gives many decisions instantly or within 24 hours. Funding Circle lends up to £750k with decisions in as little as 5 minutes and funds typically within 48 hours. For £1m+ bespoke deals, OakNorth is a specialist route; it says it typically funds within weeks.
How we ranked these
We weight decision speed (40%), funding speed (25%), eligibility breadth (15%), post-decline acceptance (10%), decline handling (10%). Rankings reflect our published editorial methodology, not any commercial arrangement. The full basis is in our methodology, linked below.
Methodology weights
Weights specific to "Fastest UK business loans: what lenders say about speed":
- Decision speed40%
- Funding speed25%
- Eligibility breadth15%
- Post-decline acceptance10%
- Decline handling10%
Read the full methodology for how we score and rank the lenders we review.
Also considered
- Liberis
- YouLend
- Tide loans
Not for
Borrowers prioritising rate over speed; £500k+ tickets.
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