Introduction
Did you know that with Funding Circle, you could borrow up to £1,000,000 from six months to five years?
Or that loans could be paid off early, without any penalties?
This review will tell you everything you need to know about Funding Circle, including who they are, what they could offer you and what their customers are saying.
What’s in this review?
Let’s get started!
Who is Funding Circle?
Funding Circle is one of the largest lending platforms that work from peer-to-peer in the world.
Which was launched in 2010 when the founder started a gym franchise, then found out how expensive other sources of funding are.
For investors, you could have your money given to 100 different businesses, assuming you have £2,000 to invest that will give each business £20 using the auto-bid feature.
Borrowers, on the other hand, could borrow up to £1 million for up to five years from a company that is not only government-backed, but they have also lent £1 billion to UK businesses nationwide.
Now in the USA as well, after having merged with Endurance Lending Network. This review will focus on the UK-side of the business.
Costs & Fees
When it comes to fees and expenses, here’s a breakdown of what you can expect being a lender vs being a borrower.
| Lending terms | Borrowing terms (businesses only) | |||
| Minimum end: £20 to anyone in the company | The minimum amount you can borrow: £5,000 | Lending term: The terms range from six months typically to around five years | The maximum amount you can borrow: £1,000,000 | Can I withdraw funds early? |
An average rate of return for lenders: 6.5% (A+ grade loans;
Borrowing term.
Typically around six months to approximately five years after fees
Can the loan be paid off early? Yes, without fees.
Core Services & Offerings
Loan Features
Providing loans across many different industries, Funding Circle has been given five-stars when it comes to the amount they can lend, four-stars for their interest rates and lending terms.
Every one of their loans is unique to the business. So, it’s hard to make any broad statements about them and their loans.
However, each business can expect transparent pricing, no early payment fees and five-star service.
So, what is the process?
- Investors can lend money to hundreds of businesses that are looking to borrow. Either for the short term or long term.
- Funding Circle then reviews any of your business applications, and approve credit-worthy businesses. Then, they pay out those loans and process repayments for investors.
- Businesses then pay monthly repayments with interest, which is then distributed to all those people who supported your loan.
Customer Service
Like many lenders, Funding Circle provides a full faq help centre which can answer most of the questions you might have regarding funding and finances, so it’s a go-to if you have any questions that aren’t too pressing or are more simplistic.
Should you need to contact Funding Circle about anything else, they provide the number 0207 401 9111 which you can call between the hours of 9 am to 6 pm, Monday to Friday but excluding public holidays.
You can also send them a customised message through their web form which you can find here.
Mike O’Connor on Trustpilot: From the start, to finish, we have had the support and advice needed and have had our loans funded quickly.
Steve Price on Trustpilot: Customer service for investors was slow and not enormously helpful, appearing to prioritise blind reassurance over logic.
Funding Circle Reviews
When it comes to reviews from trusted websites such as Trustpilot, Funding Circle have an overwhelmingly positive customer reputation.
From the 4,500+ different reviews they currently have, 87% of these are five-stars. And, only 4% of them fall within the one-star category.
Some of the few negative reviews that they have are regarding things like unwanted marketing or telesales, which makes up a lot of these reviews.
Positive Funding Circle Review
Mark Stanhope on Trustpilot: Wow, very fast, extremely helpful and more competitive than my bank that I have been with for 20 years!
Negative Funding Circle Review
Will Harrison on Trustpilot: Far too expensive, takes weeks to get simple answers once loan agreed. Despite the weekly letters in the post and emails offering £500,000 loans when applied for we already have the maximum available (50k).
Company Comparison
| Company | Trustpilot Score | Loan Amount | Loan Term | Typical APR |
| Funding Circle | ★★★★★ | £5,000 – £500,000 | 6 months to 5 years | 4.50% |
| Boost Capital | ★★★★★ | £3,000 – £500,000 | 4 to 18 months | 1.5% – 2.5% |
| Capify | ★★★★★ | £3,500 – £500,000 | 6 to 10 months | 67.89% |
| Shawbrook Bank | ★★★★★ | £250,000 to £25 million | Bespoke | 0% to 19.9% |
Conclusion
Are you ready to compare your loan options?
Did you know that you can see all of your available loans in minutes with the ExpertSure comparison tool?
Take a look at the guides to find out more about your finances, or fill out the form at the top of the page.
Funding Circle Review
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Customer Support
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Loan Flexibility
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Cost
Final Verdict
Funding Circle could be a great fit for businesses of all sizes, who can benefit from being able to borrow a large amount of money over five years. To pay for all the essentials to grow your business
Pros
✔ Excellent Trustpilot ratings
✔ Lower typical APR than some other lenders
✔ Loan amounts that range from £5,000 to £500,000
Cons
✗ The loan terms aren’t as flexible as other providers
✗ Some customers have complained that the staff can be unhelpful
✗ Businesses need to have at least two years of history to be eligible
