Kiva Business Loans Review

Kiva is a business financing offering by Kiva, based in San Francisco, CA. Founded in 2005, Kiva offers access to small business loans in 50 states (and Washington, DC).

What are Kiva’s rates?

Kiva offers a fixed APR business financing product that ranges from 0% APR.

Does Kiva charge an origination fee?

No, Kiva does not charge a loan origination fee. A loan origination fee is what some lenders charge for processing, underwriting, and funding a business loan. Typically fees range from 0.5% to 5% of the loan amount. Whenever possible, go with lenders that don’t charge origination fees.

What limitations does Kiva set on the purpose of the business loan?

Kiva considers business loan applications for business purposes, such as:

• Equipment Purchase
• Inventory
• Lease Improvement
• New Location
• Product or Service Expansion
• Working capital

What types of small business loans does Kiva offer?

Not all small business loans are made equal. The type of business loan you choose will determine the range of interest rates and terms you receive. Kiva provides access to the following business loan types:

• Unsecured Term Business Loans
• Lines of Credit

Does Kiva charge prepayment fees?

No, Kiva does not charge prepayment fees. This means you will not have to pay additional fees if you decide to pay the business loan off early.

How much can you borrow from Kiva?

Business loan amounts start at $25 and go up to $20,000.

What is the maximum business loan term you can get with Kiva?

Kiva offers small business loans with terms ranging from 1 to 60 months. Having the option of longer terms allows borrowers to take on larger loan amounts while keeping monthly payments more affordable. However, the longer the term of your loan, the more interest you will pay.

What do you need to qualify for Kiva Business Loans?

Kiva Business Loans does not require borrowers to have been in business for a minimum number of years. Businesses don't have to meet a minimum annual revenue to be considered.

When it comes to credit scores, Kiva doesn't have a set minimum or maximum. People with all types of credit scores can apply.

The Military Lending Act (32 C.F.R. § 232) prohibits lenders from charging service members more than 36% APR on credit extended to covered borrowers. APRs for the Kiva Business Loans product fall outside of the MLA limits, and as a result, the product cannot be issued to these applicants. Active duty service members and their covered dependents are considered “covered borrowers" under the Military Lending Act.

Permanent resident / green card holders are also eligible to apply. An uncommon feature is for lenders to offer their services to non-residents. Kiva is one of the few that does.

To qualify, applicants may need to provide the following documentation:

• Proof of identity

What is the estimated funding time for a business loan via Kiva?

Kiva can approve (or deny) a business loan application within 360 hours and fund small business loans within 1 business day of approval.

Does Kiva Business Loans report your account activity to credit bureaus?

Yes, Kiva Business Loans reports your account activity to the following credit reporting agencies:

• Equifax
• Experian

Making regular on-time payments to a creditor that reports to one or more credit bureaus will demonstrate your financial responsibility and may help improve your credit.