Frequently Asked Questions

Have a question about Lendistry, our loans, or our grants? Take a look at our most frequently asked questions.

What is Lendistry?

Lendistry is a small business lender and SBA Preferred Lender with a fully online application process offering a wide array of loan products. Lendistry also partners with various state and federal agencies to administer their grant programs using our online platform and team of professionals.

Is Lendistry a bank?

No. Lendistry is a lender, but not a bank. By definition, banks take deposits and keep them in accounts for customers.

Where is Lendistry headquartered?

Lendistry is headquartered in Southern California but has offices in multiple states and works with customers and small businesses nationwide.

What is it like to work at Lendistry?

Lendistry is a “work hard and be nice” environment with a progressive and energetic company culture. Most of our team is based in Southern California, but we also have offices across the country. We were named a “Best Place to Work in Fintech” by American Banker in 2025. Learn more about careers at Lendistry here.

How can I be sure that I’m working with the real Lendistry?

The world of small business financing can attract scammers, especially online. On both the lending and grant sides, we have seen reports of other entities who create websites and social media accounts pretending to be Lendistry to try to take advantage of the public. Here is how to verify you are working with the real Lendistry.

All Lendistry applications are submitted through our portal, which you can access via our official website at lendistry.com. There is no fee to apply. If you are unsure about a link, go directly to lendistry.com and apply from there. If you are speaking to someone and you are not sure if they are an authorized Lendistry representative, call our Customer Experience Center at the phone number listed on the Contact Us page to verify or with any questions.

Lendistry will never:

• Provide personal customer service or request information via social media. Our official handle is @Lendistry on all platforms.
• Ask you for fees to apply for any Lendistry program. Applying is free of charge, always. Certain loan products may include prepaid finance charges after approval, which will be clearly disclosed to you. If you are ever unsure about a charge, please contact us to verify.
• Request payment through an informal payment app such as Cash App, Venmo, Zelle, or similar services. All Lendistry fees and payments are collected through verified third-party service providers.
• Ask for your password on the phone or online. Any adjustments to your password are done directly on our portal, by you.
• Contact you to offer login or technical assistance unless you initiated the request.
• Ask you to submit sensitive documents or information outside of our secure systems. When we contact you, it will be from an @lendistry.com email address, through your secure portal account, or by phone from a member of our team. If you are ever unsure whether a call is legitimate, hang up and call our Customer Experience Center directly at the number listed on our Contact Us page. We will never ask you to verify your identity through a channel you did not initiate.

How can I confirm that a text or email I received is legitimate?

We are easy to reach by phone during business hours, so call us any time to make sure any message you received is from us. Do not click any links or download attachments in a message you are not sure about. Instead, go directly to your account at mylendistry.com to check for updates. Lendistry emails are sent from addresses ending in @lendistry.com.

Lendistry may send text messages related to your account. These messages will never ask you to share personal information, login credentials, or payment details. If you receive a text claiming to be from Lendistry that asks for any of this information, do not respond or click any links. Log into your account directly at mylendistry.com to check for any updates or required actions.

How can I protect myself from online scams?

Fraudsters create fake websites, social media profiles, phone numbers, and messages designed to impersonate legitimate financial institutions, like Lendistry. These scams are growing more sophisticated, often using artificial intelligence to generate convincing emails, voices, and websites that can be difficult to distinguish from the real thing. These scams often pressure individuals into sharing sensitive and personal information or clicking unsafe links, using tactics such as caller-ID spoofing, phishing emails, and fake support representatives.

Your security is our priority. We take steps to identify and address fraudulent activity, and your assistance in reporting suspected fraud strengthens that effort.

If something feels off, slow down. Fraudsters rely on urgency. Lendistry will never pressure you to act immediately or threaten to close your application if you do not respond right away. If you encounter a suspicious website, social media page, or message claiming to be from Lendistry:

• Do not click on any links or call any number in the suspicious material.
• Do not provide any personal or business information.
• Do not provide any documentation or allow access to any financial accounts.
• Contact us immediately to report it.
• You may also report suspected fraud to the Federal Trade Commission.

What should I do if I think I’ve been scammed?

If you believe you shared personal or financial information with a fraudulent source claiming to be Lendistry, take the following steps:

• Contact us immediately so we can help secure your account, or alert us if you do not have one.
• If you shared login credentials with Lendistry or any other institution, change those passwords immediately.
• Place a fraud alert with one of the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion), which will notify the other two. This is free and takes only a few minutes.
• File a report with the Federal Trade Commission.
• Monitor your financial accounts and credit reports for unauthorized activity.

How does Lendistry protect its customers?

• We use encryption and secure systems to protect your personal and financial information.
• We verify the identity of applicants and borrowers using industry-standard know-your-customer (KYC) tools and identity verification services.
• We report and pursue the removal of fraudulent websites, social media accounts, and other content that impersonates Lendistry.
• We train our team to recognize and respond to emerging fraud tactics.
• We encourage customers to report suspicious activity so we can act on it quickly.

What can I expect when I apply for a loan?

Our online application requests information about you, your business, and your business’s finances. It then asks you to upload official documents that support the information you provided. In order for us to follow laws and regulations required for lenders, we have to see these documents and perform verification on your identity and finances.

How quickly your application proceeds depends on the type of loan, how quickly you provide additional information, and other factors, so we can’t give a one-timeline-fits-all answer.

We have guides, videos and resources to help you through every step of the way. Please visit Lendistry.com/application-guide.

How do I get an update on my loan application?

Visit MyLendistry to learn about the status of your loan application and more. If you prefer to talk to a person, you are also welcome to call us! Our phone number is located on our Contact Us page.

Does Lendistry do SBA loans?

Yes, Lendistry is a Small Business Administration (SBA) Preferred Lender and offers SBA 7(a) financing. Learn more and apply here.

What is your minimum credit score?

For most loans, our minimum credit score is 650. However, we participate in several programs that may allow us to be more flexible if you’re not quite there.

What are Lendistry’s interest rates?

Our rates can vary widely because we offer so many different programs.

Although our rates are subject to change, our traditional small business term loans typically range from WSJ prime +2% to WSJ prime + 10.99%. Our traditional SBA 7(a) loans typically range from WSJ prime + 2.25% to WSJ prime + 6.5%. These rates don’t apply to our more specialized programs. All rates depend on the type of loan, the repayment term, and the borrower’s credit and finances.

Can my organization work with Lendistry as an ISO or referral partner?

We’re open to referral partnerships. If you are looking to work with Lendistry, please visit lendistrypartners.com for more information and to start your partnership.

What can I expect when I apply for a grant?

Every grant program is different. Because we administer the programs and don’t design them ourselves, the process is determined by the agency offering the grants. But basically, you can expect to provide information about your business and a variety of documents to support that information, like identification, tax returns, and more. These are used to prevent fraud, verify your identity and information, and to help determine if you’re eligible for the grant.

You can expect to hear from us throughout the process depending on the communication strategy set in place by the federal or state agency offering the grants.

How do I get an update on my grant application?

You can view your status on the portal where you applied for your grant. Please be sure to save your login credentials and portal URL, and do not visit MyLendistry.com to view your grant application, as that system is for our loans and won’t recognize your username. If you prefer to speak to a customer service representative, you are welcome to call us! Our phone number is located on our Contact Us page.