Allica Bank vs Time Finance: Which UK Business Finance Provider in 2026?
Allica Bank edges this matchup in our 2026 UK panel review, scoring 4.4 of 5 against Time Finance on 4.0. Allica Bank runs sme term loan + commercial mortgage at £150k to £5m on from 7.99% apr; Time Finance runs asset finance, invoice finance, vehicle finance at £10k to £2m on bespoke. That said, the right answer depends on ticket size, trading history and sector. Time Finance beats Allica Bank for mid-ticket ltds combining asset finance, invoice finance and vehicle under one lender. Read the side-by-side, then jump to the "when X wins" sections for the buyer-fit logic.
Side-by-side
| Allica Bank | Time Finance | |
|---|---|---|
| Product type | SME term loan + commercial mortgage | Asset finance, invoice finance, vehicle finance |
| Ticket range | £150k to £5m | £10k to £2m |
| Typical rate | From 7.99% APR | Bespoke |
| Decision time | 5 to 10 business days | 2 to 5 business days |
| Soft search at quote | No (hard search) | Yes |
| Ltd-only? | Yes | No |
| FCA regulated | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Established Ltd companies with £250k to £5m tickets; Asset-backed and commercial-mortgage applicants wanting real bank underwriting; Applicants who can wait 5 to 10 business days for a decision | Mid-ticket Ltds combining asset finance, invoice finance and vehicle under one lender; Transport, manufacturing and hospitality SIC codes; £25k to £500k asset-backed Ltds wanting a faster route than Aldermore |
| Overall rating | 4.4 / 5 | 4.0 / 5 |
| Last reviewed | 2026-05-10 | 2026-05-10 |
When Allica Bank wins
- Genuine PRA-regulated bank with FSCS protection on linked deposit accounts, which we lean on for risk-averse applicants.
- Rate transparency is among the cleanest on our panel, which makes the matcher quote credible.
- First-choice lender on our panel for £250k+ tickets where Funding Circle and OakNorth are the alternative routes.
- Real underwriter on the case, so files with complexity that need a human get one.
Best for
Established Ltd companies with £250k to £5m tickets, Asset-backed and commercial-mortgage applicants wanting real bank underwriting, Applicants who can wait 5 to 10 business days for a decision.
Watch outs
- Slower than fintech alternatives, so we send time-critical applicants elsewhere.
- Hard credit search at full application stage, so we confirm applicant intent before pushing the file across.
- Below £150k they will not engage, so we route sub-£150k Ltd applicants to Allica alternatives like Funding Circle, Aldermore or iwoca.
When Time Finance wins
- Multiple complementary product lines under one roof, so we can route a single file across asset, invoice and vehicle without re-introducing.
- Sector specialism in transport, manufacturing and hospitality, which the matcher uses on SIC-led routing.
- AIM-listed transparency on filings, useful for applicants who want a public-market institutional view.
- Faster than Aldermore or Shawbrook on bespoke asset deals, often inside 5 business days.
Best for
Mid-ticket Ltds combining asset finance, invoice finance and vehicle under one lender, Transport, manufacturing and hospitality SIC codes, £25k to £500k asset-backed Ltds wanting a faster route than Aldermore.
Watch outs
- Broker-distributed for most product flow, so the FundBiz introduction is the route rather than self-serve.
- Pricing varies materially by deal, so the matcher cannot quote a tight rate before the conversation.
- Smaller brand presence than Aldermore or Shawbrook, applicants who want the bigger name route there.
FAQ
Allica Bank or Time Finance: which is the better UK business finance provider in 2026?
Allica Bank scores higher overall in our 2026 UK panel review at 4.4 of 5 versus 4.0 for Time Finance. That said, the right answer depends on what your file looks like. Allica Bank is the stronger pick for established ltd companies with £250k to £5m tickets, while Time Finance is the stronger pick for mid-ticket ltds combining asset finance, invoice finance and vehicle under one lender. If your file sits in one of those buckets, ignore the headline rating and pick the right fit.
What does each product look like, Allica Bank vs Time Finance?
Allica Bank offers sme term loan + commercial mortgage between £150k to £5m at from 7.99% apr, with a 5 to 10 business days decision window. Time Finance offers asset finance, invoice finance, vehicle finance between £10k to £2m at bespoke, with a 2 to 5 business days decision window. Allica Bank runs a hard credit search at full application. Time Finance uses a soft search at quote. Verify live commercials before signing because lender pricing moves and bespoke rates are common above £100k tickets.
Which is weakest for what?
Allica Bank is the wrong answer for sub-£150k tickets, route to funding circle, iwoca or aldermore. Time Finance is the wrong answer for sub-£10k self-serve tickets, route to iwoca or capify. If either of those describes your file, look at the side-by-side table for the alternative route, or run the eligibility checker and the matcher will surface the right shortlist from the FundBiz specialty panel.
Can FundBiz help me choose between Allica Bank and Time Finance?
Yes. We are independent of either lender. The FundBiz specialty panel covers MCA, asset finance, commercial mortgage, bridging, VAT loan, R&D advance and post-decline routes. Tell us ticket size, trading history, sector and any prior declines. We match you against the panel lenders most likely to approve, and if your file needs a post-decline route we surface that explicitly rather than burning credit-file footprint with repeated mainstream applications.
Am I eligible to apply via FundBiz?
FundBiz works with limited companies, LLPs and partnerships of 4 or more partners. Sole traders and partnerships under 4 partners are out of scope and routed elsewhere. Both Allica Bank and Time Finance sit on our panel for the entity types we serve. Trading history requirements vary by lender, so the matcher pre-screens before sending the file across.
Related comparisons
Other UK specialty finance head-to-heads involving Allica Bank or Time Finance:
Check eligibility in two minutes
Tell us ticket size, trading history and sector. We match you against the FundBiz specialty panel: MCA, asset finance, commercial mortgage, bridging, VAT loan, R&D advance and post-decline routes. Limited companies, LLPs and partnerships of 4+.
Check eligibility →Reviewed by Oliver Mackman, Director. Last reviewed: 2026-05-10. Editorial by Best Business Loans Ltd (16833937).