Unsecured and short term business loans for UK companies.
Explore unsecured short-term business funding for stock, supplier payments, contracts, tax and other defined working-capital needs. Repay over an agreed 1 to 18 month term.
Quick estimate
See an indicative repayment
Indicative monthly repayment
£4,500 to £5,625
Illustration only, based on a range of typical total costs. Actual pricing depends on trading history, sector, term, amount and credit profile, and differs between providers.
Unsecured short term loans are designed for time-sensitive opportunities, a stock buy at a discount, an unexpected tax bill, a bridging period before a contract pays out, an emergency repair that can’t wait.
Because the term is short, the total cost stays low and predictable. You repay in fixed weekly or monthly instalments and the facility settles itself well before it gets in the way of your next move.
Best suited for
- Stock or inventory opportunities
- VAT, PAYE or corporation tax bills
- Bridging a delayed payment or contract
- Emergency repairs or replacements
How it works
Tell us the amount and timeline
We’ll match the term length to the use case so the loan settles itself when it should.
Review affordability
Trading, existing commitments, the use of funds and repayment capacity are considered together.
Read the terms
Review the cost, repayment schedule and any guarantee carefully before deciding whether to proceed.
Eligibility at a glance
A short list of the information commonly considered. Eligibility and available terms depend on the individual business and facility.
- UK-registered limited company, LLP or sole trader
- Trading for at least 6 months
- Minimum £5,000 monthly turnover
- UK business bank account
- Recent bank statements (3–6 months)
- No active formal insolvency
Careful with your data, clear about your terms.
Commercial lending sits outside the FCA perimeter, so the protections of a regulated agreement do not apply. We set out how we work so you can judge it for yourself.
Your data is used to assess your enquiry, never sold or passed on for third party marketing.
Every page and every submission is served over TLS.
Where used, access is read only through FCA authorised providers and can be revoked at any time.
Finance for UK registered businesses and business purposes, not consumer credit.
The initial form is an enquiry. If a credit search is needed later, its type and impact will be explained first.
Total repayable, term, fees and any security stated in writing before you sign.
The right instrument for a short window
An unsecured short-term business loan is the sharpest tool for capital that will earn back inside a year, an inventory buy at a supplier discount, a bridge before a large invoice pays, a one-off tax bill, a repair that cannot wait.
Because the term is short, the absolute cost of credit stays small even when the APR looks headline-heavy. £30,000 at 22% APR over 4 months costs roughly £1,350 in interest, often materially less than the discount, penalty or lost margin the loan is being taken out to avoid.
Why unsecured is fast
There is no valuation, no legal work and no charge to register at Companies House. Underwriting reads three to six months of bank statements via Open Banking, checks the credit bureau, and returns a decision, often inside two hours on a working day.
A director's personal guarantee may be requested depending on the amount, product and business profile. Any guarantee should be set out clearly in the written offer before acceptance.
When a short-term loan is the wrong shape
Multi-year projects, property purchases, or capital that will only pay back over 24 months+ are usually better served by a term loan or a secured facility. Trying to stretch a short-term instrument over that horizon compounds the cost.
For card-heavy businesses with revenue seasonality, a merchant cash advance often absorbs the shape of the year better than a fixed weekly repayment.
Short-term loan vs alternative UK working capital
| Feature | Short-term loan | MCA | Overdraft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Repayment shape | Fixed weekly / monthly | % of card sales | Interest on balance |
| Term | 1–18 months | 4–12 months | Ongoing |
| Amount | £5k – £250k | £5k – £300k | Bank-set limit |
| Review timing | File dependent | File dependent | Bank dependent |
| Best for | One-off, planned | Card-heavy trading | Very short bridging |
A representative example
- Amount borrowed
- £30,000
- Term
- 6 months
- Representative APR
- 19.9%
- Weekly repayment
- £1,326
- Total repayable
- £31,830
- Total cost of credit
- £1,830
Illustrative only. Rate depends on trading, sector, term and file strength.
Explore by need
What do you need funding for?
Bridge a cash flow gap
Cover a quiet month or a slow paying customer.
See options →Pay a VAT or tax bill
Spread a large HMRC bill over a set term.
See options →Buy stock or equipment
Spread the cost of a known purchase.
See options →Card takings business
Repayments that follow your card sales.
See options →Grow online revenue
Funding linked to monthly revenue.
See options →Expand or hire
Fixed monthly repayments over a set term.
See options →Frequently asked
Do I need to put up any security?
No. The loan is unsecured against business assets. A director’s personal guarantee is standard on most short-term facilities and we’ll always be clear up front.
What does ‘short term’ mean?
Anywhere from 1 to 18 months. Shorter terms suit bridging-style uses; longer terms suit stock cycles and tax-bill spreads.
How quickly will I be funded?
Timing depends on the information supplied, verification, underwriting and acceptance of written terms.
Are there penalties for paying off early?
Early settlement terms vary by facility. Any fee or reduction is shown clearly in the written offer.
Related guides
Authoritative UK references
Independent sources cited on this page.
- FCA, Register of authorised firms Financial Conduct Authority
- British Business Bank, Finance Hub British Business Bank
- GOV.UK, Business finance and support GOV.UK
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