1st Merchant Funding has been around since 2007 to provide funding opportunities for small- and medium-sized businesses. Unfortunately, because of the economic environment in the country, not all small businesses are eligible for low-interest business loans. Many companies are forced to take out loans with skyrocketing interest fees, hoping their companies will make it through.
However, when they cannot pay the loan, they end up closing their businesses and working for a more stable income to pay off those loans. This is a cycle that 1st Merchant Funding hopes to end by providing funding opportunities for those that like to grow their businesses.
The company has delivered more than $200 million in immediate working capital to thousands of small- and medium-sized businesses. Since then, it has also empowered enterprises in 800+ industries. It is an industry leader, ranking on the Inc. 500 list and being mentioned in The Miami Herald, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, The New York Times, Business Week, and South Florida Business Journal.
1st Merchant Funding loaned $250,000 cash for working capital, inventory, new equipment, construction and renovation, and expanding operations. The funds have also allowed companies to hire more people, reach new markets, meet seasonal demands, and advertise and promote better.
Though the company did not specifically say that it provides funding for high-risk businesses, some of the companies it has worked with in the past are considered high-risk. Among many others, these are the following:
1st Merchant Funding understands that credit scores should not be the be-all and end-all of a company’s capacity to repay its loans. The business also looks at the company’s revenue and cash flow to determine if it is eligible for a small business loan. It will also try to match most low-interest loans offered elsewhere.
1st Merchant Funding does not publicly disclose its processing fees, rates, and pricing.
There is no information if 1st Merchant Funding has additional fees.
There is also no information about any hidden charges that 1st Merchant Funding might have.
There is no formal complaint against 1st Merchant Funding’s products and services. There is, however, a lawsuit against its contract.
There are no rip-off reports about 1st Merchant Funding.
The other complaint about 1st Merchant Funding is the staff’s unprofessionalism. According to some merchants, the company did not help them resolve issues with their products and services.
1st Merchant Funding has a listing on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website despite not being accredited. It has an A+ rating. The lowest rating that BBB gives is F.
There are no reviews on the BBB website about 1st Merchant Funding.
1st Merchant Funding is a legit payment processor, especially for cannabis-related businesses. It has a Facebook page with nearly 800 followers. Although the last update on Facebook was in 2020, this is not an indication that the business isn’t a legitimate company.
ScamAdviser gave the website an average to good trust rating of 100/100. This means that the site is safe for consumers to access. It highlighted two positive elements of the website: the site was set up years ago and the presence of a valid SSL certificate.
However, there are also negative comments. The first one is the hidden identity of the site’s owner and the second one is the “rather low” Alexa rank.
There are no scam reports about 1st Merchant Funding. ScamAdviser gave the company’s website a high trust rating, which means consumers can safely browse through it.
1st Merchant Funding was involved in some lawsuits that mainly dealt with debt collection. In 2015, it faced a complaint about allegedly disguising a loan transaction agreement. The company allegedly violated the Telephone Consumer Act. 1st Merchant Funding filed a motion to dismiss the case.
1st Merchant Funding has a 5/5-star rating based on 11 reviews on Facebook. Many merchants said they could not believe that they encountered a business that could deliver its promises. They called 1st Merchant Funding a reliable partner in their business needs, particularly in trading.
They are also impressed with the expertise of 1st Merchant Funding’s staff and the professionalism of their account managers. The merchants talked about how their small investments grew exponentially because of the company.
However, some of these reviews sound similar, so consumers must be careful when trusting these recommendations. On another review site, the company got a 2/5-star rating. A “validated review” said that 1st Merchant Funding lied to him about a payoff letter it supposedly sent. Another called the staff “bad people” because they don’t help their customers.
BBB gave it an A+ rating, but this does not mean you shouldn’t be careful when considering 1st Merchant Funding for the job. There are still negative reviews about the company that should be considered. The best thing to do is reach out to the company’s representatives and ask about your concerns.
