Lender review · Term loan
LendingCrowd
- Reviewed May 2026
- Editor Oliver Mackman
- Companies House SC623674
- Methodology Public
Edinburgh-based UK SME term lender that launched in 2014 as a P2P platform and now funds via a mix of retail and institutional capital. Tickets £75k to £500k over 6 to 60 months. Eligibility floor sits at 2 years trading, £100k turnover, Ltd or LLP, with a property-owning director PG up to £350k.
Director, BestBusinessLoans
Oliver leads BestBusinessLoans's editorial reviews and methodology. With a background in UK commercial finance, he oversees lender research, rate verification and review independence.
Last reviewed: 8 May 2026
At a glance
- Product
- Term loan
- Ticket size
- £75k to £500k
- Typical rate
- Fixed for the term, quoted at offer
- Decision time
- 24 to 48 hours
- Soft search at quote
- Yes
- Limited companies only
- Yes
- FCA regulated
- Yes (check the FCA Register)
- Companies House
- SC623674
- Founded
- 2014
Scores against our methodology
- Rate transparency4/5
- Eligibility clarity3/5
- Decision speed4/5
- Decline handling3/5
How LendingCrowd works
LendingCrowd operates as a term loan provider in the UK SMB market. Edinburgh-based UK SME term lender that launched in 2014 as a P2P platform and now funds via a mix of retail and institutional capital. Tickets £75k to £500k over 6 to 60 months. Eligibility floor sits at 2 years trading, £100k turnover, Ltd or LLP, with a property-owning director PG up to £350k.
The product mechanic is straightforward in shape but the underwriting is sector-specific. Tickets sit in the £75k to £500k band, decisions land within 24 to 48 hours, and the published rate range is Fixed for the term, quoted at offer. Soft search at quote means no impact on your credit file at the eligibility stage. LendingCrowd is FCA regulated.
Where LendingCrowd fits best: established ltd / llp with £100k+ turnover, £75k to £500k tickets, director-led smes comfortable with a property-backed pg. Where it does not fit: sub-2-year trading, sub-£100k turnover, pre-revenue startups.
Pricing examples
Worked examples using LendingCrowd's published rate range (Fixed for the term, quoted at offer). This lender prices by factor rate or bespoke quote, so we show the structure, not a worked APR.
| Ticket | Term | Estimated total cost | Approx monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| £25,000 | 24 months | See lender quote | See lender quote |
| £50,000 | 36 months | See lender quote | See lender quote |
| £100,000 | 48 months | See lender quote | See lender quote |
Indicative only. Confirm on a LendingCrowd quote.
Eligibility
- Trading time: typically 12 to 24 months minimum for the cleanest pricing. Weakness flagged: Sub-2-year trading.
- Turnover floor: not always published. As a working figure, expect a £100k+ turnover requirement for term loans of £50k+. Smaller tickets and MCA structures have lower floors.
- Sector exclusions: Sub-£100k turnover; Pre-revenue startups.
- Credit profile: Clean credit preferred; older satisfied items often acceptable.
- Company structure: Limited companies only.
- Best fit: Established Ltd / LLP with £100k+ turnover; £75k to £500k tickets; Director-led SMEs comfortable with a property-backed PG.
Pros
- + Mid-ticket coverage (£75k to £500k) underserved by smaller fintechs.
- + Fixed-rate-for-term pricing rather than variable.
- + No early repayment fees.
- + Funds typically next working day after approval.
Cons
- − Two years trading and £100k turnover floor rules out newer Ltd companies.
- − Property-owning director PG needed up to £350k; additional security above that.
- − Headline APR not advertised; quoted only at offer.
- − Smaller brand awareness vs Funding Circle / iwoca for equivalent tickets.
Best for
- · Established Ltd / LLP with £100k+ turnover
- · £75k to £500k tickets
- · Director-led SMEs comfortable with a property-backed PG
Weak at
- · Sub-2-year trading
- · Sub-£100k turnover
- · Pre-revenue startups
When to use LendingCrowd
Use LendingCrowd when
Your application matches the best-fit profile: established ltd / llp with £100k+ turnover, £75k to £500k tickets, director-led smes comfortable with a property-backed pg. The published ticket range (£75k to £500k) covers your ask, the decision speed (24 to 48 hours) fits your cash-gap timeline, and the rate range (Fixed for the term, quoted at offer) is acceptable to you given your credit profile. Soft search at quote means there is no downside to running an eligibility check before committing.
Do not use LendingCrowd when
Your profile sits in the weak-at list: sub-2-year trading, sub-£100k turnover, pre-revenue startups. LendingCrowd will likely decline, and the decline itself can sit on broker records for 90 days. If you have any of these flags, route directly to a specialist (post-decline lender, MCA against card flow, asset-backed alternative) rather than using LendingCrowd as a screen.
FAQs
What is the minimum trading time for LendingCrowd?
LendingCrowd is weaker on sub-2-year trading. As a working figure, expect LendingCrowd to ask for at least 12 months of trading for most product lines, and 24 months for the cleanest pricing.
Does LendingCrowd require a personal guarantee?
Most UK SMB lenders require a personal guarantee from at least one director. LendingCrowd is no exception in the standard case. The few exceptions: asset-backed lending where the asset itself stands as security, and a small number of MCA structures where card flow is the underwriting basis. For term loan specifically, expect a PG to be requested.
How fast does LendingCrowd fund?
LendingCrowd quotes 24 to 48 hours for an underwriting decision. Funding to bank account typically follows within one to three working days of acceptance, subject to KYC, signed documents, and (where applicable) registration of any debenture or charge.
What rate should I expect from LendingCrowd?
LendingCrowd's published range is Fixed for the term, quoted at offer. The headline number is rarely the offered number. Rate transparency on this lender scores 4/5 in our methodology. Expect the cleaner end of the band only if you have 2+ years of trading, clean credit, and turnover comfortably above the lender's stated floor.
What happens if LendingCrowd declines me?
If LendingCrowd declines, you have three realistic next steps. First, ask for the decline reason in writing, most reputable UK lenders will tell you. Second, route the application to a specialist post-decline lender (Bizcap, JPM Capital, Bolton Finance) where credit issues are the constraint, or to an asset-backed alternative where security is available. Third, use a broker panel to fan the application across the lenders most likely to accept your specific decline reason. LendingCrowd scores 3/5 on decline handling in our methodology.
Where to apply
Apply directly via www.lendingcrowd.com, or use our free quote form to be matched across the UK broker panel most likely to approve your specific profile, not just LendingCrowd.
Specialty alternatives
- · Funding Circle, Funding Circle is the largest UK SME term-loan platform, founded 2010, FCA regulated, with tickets from £10k to £500k an...
Reviewed by Oliver Mackman, Director. Last reviewed: 8 May 2026. Lender website: www.lendingcrowd.com.