Questions
The honest answers.
Straight answers on how business funding works, the products we arrange, what to expect from your advisor, and exactly how we get paid. If your question isn't here, reach out, we typically respond within 24 hours.
Funding Options
What kinds of funding can Commera arrange?
Eight products through our funding partners: business loans (including SBA 7(a), 504, and Express through SBA-approved lenders), business lines of credit, equipment financing and leasing, asset-based lending, business-purpose HELOCs, receivables financing (invoice factoring, AR lines, and purchase-order financing), revenue-based financing, and commercial real estate loans. Your advisor architects the right structure for your cash flow and goal rather than pushing a single product.
Can I get a business line of credit instead of a lump sum?
Yes. A line of credit gives you flexible revolving capital you draw on as needed, repay, and reuse, paying interest only on what you use. It's a good fit for uneven cash flow and recurring short-term needs.
Do you offer equipment financing?
Yes. We arrange equipment financing and leasing, spread the cost of machinery, vehicles, and gear over its useful life, or unlock cash from equipment you already own with a sale-leaseback.
Can you help with invoice factoring or a term business loan?
Yes to both. We arrange invoice factoring (recourse and non-recourse), AR lines, and purchase-order financing to turn unpaid invoices into working capital, and we place term business loans through our lender partners, with SBA 7(a), 504, and Express arranged through SBA-approved lenders where the timeline fits.
Is a merchant cash advance a loan?
No. A merchant cash advance, one of the revenue-based financing options we arrange, is the purchase of a portion of your future business receivables. It is not a loan and is not subject to the same regulations as traditional lending products. Repayment is made through a small percentage of your daily or weekly revenue, so it's the fastest route to capital when speed matters most.
Eligibility
These answers cover the baselines most funders apply. For a read on your own file, check which funding products you may qualify for in about 60 seconds, with no hard credit pull.
What credit score do I need?
It depends on the product. Revenue-based and receivables financing weigh business revenue far more than personal credit, many partners approve scores as low as 500. Term loans and lines of credit consider credit more heavily. Your monthly revenue and time in business are often the most important factors, and your advisor will tell you which products you realistically qualify for.
Does applying affect my credit score?
No. Our initial application and pre-qualification process does not require a hard credit pull. Some funders may perform a soft pull during underwriting, but this does not affect your credit score.
Does a Capital Scan affect my credit?
No. The estimate uses the information you enter and does not require a hard credit pull. Anonymous interaction events may be collected, while answers and contact values stay local until Save.
Is the estimated range an approval decision?
No. It is an educational estimate based on currently verified revenue-based and eligible B2B/B2G receivables criteria. It is not an approval, offer, or guarantee.
Application
How fast can I get funded?
Most applications receive preliminary offers within 24 hours. Once you accept an offer and provide basic documentation (typically a few months of business bank statements), funds can typically be deposited into your business account within 24-48 hours.
What documentation do I need?
The basic requirements are: a few months of business bank statements, a valid government-issued photo ID, and a signed application. Some funders or larger amounts may require additional documentation such as tax returns or financial statements.
What happens when I save?
Commera stores your profile and contact information in Supabase and Close to preserve your result and continue your request. Texting occurs only with separate SMS consent.
Repayment
How does repayment work?
It depends on the product. Term loans repay on a fixed, predictable schedule; lines of credit charge interest only on what you draw and reuse; and revenue-based financing is repaid automatically as a small percentage of your daily or weekly revenue via ACH, so on slower days you pay less. Your advisor walks through the exact repayment structure before you sign.
What fees might I pay to the funder?
Different funders structure fees differently. Common ones include: - Origination fees, typically a percentage of the funded amount, deducted from your proceeds - Underwriting fees, flat fees ($195-$500 typical) for processing - ACH or wire fees, small one-time fees for funds transfer - Documentation or closing fees, varies by product
About Commera
Is Commera a direct lender?
No. Commera is a business capital advisor and commercial financing broker. We connect your business with our network of vetted funding partners to find you competitive terms. We earn a commission from the funder, there are no fees charged to you.
How is Commera different from other brokers?
Three ways: (1) Structure first, we architect the capital structure that fits your business and refuse to place funding that puts it at unsustainable risk, even though we don't get paid for saying no. (2) Dedicated advisor, you work with a real person who understands your industry, not an application form. (3) Matched, not blasted, we submit to 3-5 curated funders based on your profile, not 50. This means fewer competing offers to confuse you, faster decisions, and cleaner terms.
Why should I use Commera instead of going direct to a funder?
Most funders don't work with individual businesses, they work through brokers, so searching Google for a funder usually just redirects you to brokers anyway. The advantage of working with Commera is that we know our partners' underwriting, terms, and speeds. We match your profile to the right fit instead of submitting blind to anyone who'll take it. We're also accountable to you, your success reflects on us.
What's the catch? Why doesn't Commera charge me anything?
We don't charge businesses because we're compensated by our funding partners after a deal closes. That makes our incentive aligned with yours, a clean close with fair terms. A note on funder fees: many financing products include origination, underwriting, or processing fees charged by the funder. These come out of the funded amount, not as a separate bill to you, but they affect your net proceeds. We disclose these alongside the rate and total payback in every offer we present, no surprises at funding.
What do MCA brokers check before submitting a file to funders?
A broker that submits clean files verifies the basics before anything goes to a funder: the business bank statements (usually 3 to 6 months), monthly revenue and deposit consistency, time in business, any existing advances or other positions on the account, and the owner's credit range. Funders run their own underwriting, so a pre-submission review is about catching documentation gaps and stacking problems early, not guaranteeing approval. Ask your advisor what they check and which funders they plan to submit to.
What is the most important question to ask before signing an MCA?
Ask for total cost in dollars at your expected payoff date: the factor rate, the advance amount, the total repayment, the daily or weekly payment, and the APR-equivalent. That single set of numbers tells you what the funding actually costs and whether the payment fits your cash flow. Then confirm there is no prepayment penalty, what happens on slow days, and whether the payment percentage adjusts with revenue. If the broker or funder cannot put those numbers in writing before you sign, that is the answer you need.
Figures on this page are illustrative estimates only and are not an offer of financing. All amounts, rates, factor rates, terms, payment amounts, timelines, and qualification criteria vary by lender, depend on funder underwriting and your business's bank statement history, and are subject to change without notice. Nothing here is guaranteed until a funder issues terms and you sign them. Factor rates do not represent APR. Commera is a broker, not a lender, and does not set rates.
Ready to see your options?
Two minutes to apply, no hard credit pull. Pre-qualified offers in 24 hours.