Bitty Advance Review: Fast Cash but Serious Red Flags

If your business loan broker has put a Bitty Advance offer in front of you, proceed cautiously. Many customer reviews and complaints cite predatory practices.
Karrin Sehmbi Tina Orem

Written by

Tina Orem , Karrin Sehmbi
Tina Orem ,
Karrin Sehmbi
Sally Lauckner

Edited by

Sally Lauckner
Sally Lauckner

Edited by

Sally Lauckner
Last updated on Nov 25, 2025

Fact checked and reviewed

Why trust NerdWallet

Advertiser disclosure

Karrin Sehmbi Tina Orem

Written by

Tina Orem , Karrin Sehmbi
Tina Orem ,
Karrin Sehmbi
Sally Lauckner

Edited by

Sally Lauckner
Sally Lauckner

Edited by

Sally Lauckner
Last updated on Nov 25, 2025

Fact checked and reviewed

Why trust NerdWallet

Advertiser disclosure

Bitty Advance

Overview

The bottom line:

Bitty considers newer and bad credit businesses for its merchant cash advance. But the company offers next to no information on its website, and a host of customer complaints raise some real concerns

Loan details

Min. Loan Amount

$1,000

Max Loan Amount

$50,000

Qualifications

Min. credit score

Min. credit score

500

Min. Time in Business

Min. Time in Business

6 months

Min. Annual Revenue

Min. Annual Revenue

$60,000

Pros & Cons

Pros

pros icon

Can be approved within 24 hours.

pros icon

Borrowers with low credit scores may qualify.

pros icon

Offers early repayment discount.

Cons

cons icon

No transparency online about interest rates, loan terms or additional fees.

cons icon

Can only contact provider via online form; no email address or phone number listed.

cons icon

Can’t be used to build business credit as Bitty does not report payments to credit bureaus.

Bitty Advance offers merchant cash advances (MCAs), also called revenue-based financing. These should not be confused with small-business loans. An MCA often comes with extremely high interest rates that many companies confusingly disguise as a factor rate. MCAs also involve aggressive repayment schedules (daily or weekly, instead of monthly) that can seriously impact cash flow.
» Learn more about factor rates and how to convert them into interest rates.
You won’t find much information at all, or even an application, on Bitty’s website. This is because the company works exclusively with brokers and does not accept direct applications from business owners. Our team managed to track down a customer service number for Bitty buried within its privacy policy. We got connected quickly with a representative who was friendly and helpful in providing the details we list on this page.

How much do you need?

See Your Loan Options

with Fundera by NerdWallet

We’ll start with a brief questionnaire to better understand the unique needs of your business.

Once we uncover your personalized matches, our team will consult you on the process moving forward.

Consider Bitty Advance cash advances only if you:

⚠️ Are diligent about reading agreements thoroughly before signing. Bitty can likely get cash into your hand a lot faster than a bank or SBA lender can, and with a lot less required on your part to qualify and apply. But proceed with extreme caution.
Details of a merchant cash advance agreement, including fees, can be buried within fine print. Many predatory companies operate in the MCA industry, and they may intentionally design an agreement to be confusing or to bury important information.
We’ve scoured TrustPilot and Yelp reviews, Better Business Bureau complaints and Reddit threads discussing Bitty’s MCA product. These forums are packed with negative customer reviews. And one common factor we noticed among many of these unfortunate circumstances is that borrowers did not carefully read and fully understand the agreement before signing with Bitty.
Not feeling good about Bitty? (Understandable.) Consider these lenders instead.

Find the true cost of an MCA

It’s not easy to understand the full cost of a merchant cash advance. Providers often use factor rates in place of interest rates, and payment amounts may fluctuate with your monthly sales, depending on your agreement. Use our calculator to understand how much an MCA could really cost you.

Bitty merchant cash advance details

Loan amount
$1,000 to $50,000.
Estimated APR range
Bitty charges an undisclosed factor rate.
Fees
  • $99 transfer fee.
  • $49 monthly service fee.
  • Origination fee that varies depending on the advance amount.
Terms
No maximum term length; payment plan provided at signing.
Repayment schedule
Daily or weekly.
Funding speed
Approval within 24 hours.

A summary of customer sentiment:

Beware of Bitty
Across 100 1-star TrustPilot and Yelp reviews as well as 16 complaints to the Better Business Bureau over the past three years, a few themes emerge that point to predatory lending practices:
  • Unprofessional communications. Customers mention that account managers are unresponsive to communications related to financial hardship (for example, requests to pause payments). Other business owners note spammy collections calls that happen repeatedly and sometimes outside of acceptable business hours. A number of customer comments describe aggressive and threatening communications, possibly from third-party debt collectors rather than Bitty’s own representatives.
  • Dishonest payment collection. Many customers believe that Bitty made unauthorized or inaccurate withdrawals from their accounts. In some cases, these customers cite additional fees, then, from their banks due to overdrawn accounts. 
  • Lack of transparency . Bitty’s own website offers very little information about the product or its terms. The site uses a lot of language commonly associated with business loans, such as “working capital,” “funding solutions” and “flexible funding.” Many customers complain of not having understood the true nature of the product and all that it entails (including a monthly service fee) before signing the agreement. At least one business owner states that Bitty mismarketed its product as a microloan rather than a merchant cash advance.
NerdWallet highly recommends searching for financing elsewhere. We’ve given you a list of great places to start below. ⬇️

Alternatives to Bitty Advance

If you don’t have ideal qualifications or you need cash fast, a merchant cash advance from a company like Bitty Advance may seem like your only option. But other lenders may offer funding that meets your needs. Consider these alternatives:

Fundbox

Best for: New businesses in need of fast and flexible funding.
Fundbox - Line of credit

Fundbox

Fundbox - Line of credit

NerdWallet Rating

4.7

Min Credit

600

Read Review
External link icon Apply now

with Fundera by NerdWallet

Fundbox offers a highly accessible business line of credit for up to $250,000. You can qualify with only 3 months of operating history, annual revenue of at least $30,000 and a personal credit score of at least 600. Bonus: You can use this particular loan to build your business credit. Term lengths are short, 3 to 26 months, and interest rates can run high depending on your qualifications.
🤓
Nerdy Tip
A business line of credit can be a valuable financing tool for a small-business owner. Many online lenders can review, approve and fund your business in a few days or less. You can keep a line of credit on hand for when you most need the funds. Draw only the amount you need at the time you need it, and only pay interest on the amount you withdraw. See our complete list of the best business lines of credit .

SBA Microloan

Best for: Women, minority and low-to-mid-income business owners.
SBA microloan

U.S. Small Business Administration

SBA microloan

Min Credit

620

Read Review
External link icon Apply now

with Fundera by NerdWallet

SBA microloans are available in amounts up to $50,000 from nonprofit organizations that receive the funding for these loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration. They come with the benefits of the trustworthy SBA loan yet they’re more accessible to borrowers with lower credit scores and to newer businesses. This loan program is designed to serve women, minority and low-to-mid-income business owners.
Rates are competitive, terms are long and you can use the funds for a variety of purposes. Funding times vary depending on the nonprofit that issues the microloan, but they do typically take longer than online loans. You will also likely need to put up collateral to back the microloan.
» MORE: Explore our loan recommendations for women entrepreneurs and minority business owners.

AltLINE

Best for: Business-to-business companies with money tied up in unpaid invoices.
AltLINE - Invoice factoring

AltLINE

AltLINE - Invoice factoring

NerdWallet Rating

4.4

Min Credit

300

Read Review
External link icon Apply now

with Fundera by NerdWallet

If you’re after fast cash without collateral, then consider invoice factoring. This form of financing works best for B2B businesses that often chase customers for invoice payments.
Sell your unpaid invoices to a factoring company like AltLINE and receive up to 90% of your total invoice amount. Your invoices serve as collateral on the loan. Put the money to use while AltLINE chases your clients for payment. Once they’ve paid up, AltLINE pays you the balance, minus the company’s factoring fees.
No minimum credit score, annual revenue or time in business requirements to meet. AltLINE and other factoring companies focus instead on the creditworthiness of your customers.

Forward Financing

Best for: Merchant cash advance from a vetted and trusted provider.
Forward Financing - Merchant cash advance

Forward Financing

Forward Financing - Merchant cash advance

Min Credit

500

Read Review
External link icon Apply now

with Fundera by NerdWallet

If you’ve exhausted other financing options, or you really feel a merchant cash advance is the right avenue for your business, then consider Forward Financing. Forward is a lot more, well, forward with the details of its MCA, including available amounts, term lengths and repayment schedule.
You can qualify with the same minimum credit score you would for Bitty Advance: 500. You will need at least 12 months in business and at least $10,000 in monthly revenue, both double Bitty’s minimum requirements. But you can easily apply online, and you can reach the provider by phone and email.
Finally, Forward Financing is one of NerdWallet’s 30+ lending partners. That means you can trust this MCA company has been properly vetted.
» Still interested in an MCA? Check out our list of the best merchant advance companies.