Crest Capital

Best for: Established businesses (two or more years under current ownership, roughly 650+ personal credit) financing $10,000 to $250,000 of new or used equipment, vehicles or software with only an application and a soft credit pull.

Not for: Startups, borrowers with credit well under 650, transportation companies and owner-operators financing trucks, or anyone who wants a published rate before applying.

Lender List verdict: Crest Capital is one of the simplest equipment lenders to deal with: application-only approval to $250,000, same-day decisions, fixed payments and no hard credit pull. The catch is that it does not publish rates; Merchant Maverick reports a 5% starting rate, which is the best-case price, not the typical one.

Crest Capital at a glance

Crest Capital finances equipment from $10,000 to $500,000 with terms of 24 to 84 months.

What is Crest Capital?

Crest Capital is an Alpharetta, Georgia equipment finance company, founded in Atlanta in 1989, that lends $10,000 to $500,000 per application to small and midsize businesses in all 50 states. It is a non-bank lender, a member of the National Equipment Finance Association, and still run by its founder, with Mark French as president.

Its typical borrower has 5 to 75 employees. Crest also finances work vehicles and software, and offers a separate working capital loan of $10,000 to $400,000 for up to 24 months.

How Crest Capital equipment financing works

Crest Capital equipment financing starts with a two-minute eligibility check that does not touch your credit; deals up to $250,000 need no tax returns or financials.

• Structures: Equipment finance agreements (you own the asset from day one), $1 purchase-option leases, operating leases, TRAC leases on titled vehicles, and titled leases with a guaranteed purchase option.
• Terms: 24 to 84 months; 84-month terms are typically for larger deals (Money: over $250,000), and software tops out at 60 months.
• Down payment: None in most cases. Soft costs such as shipping, installation and training can be rolled in, up to 25% of the loan amount.
• Payment plans: Standard fixed payments, plus seasonal, step-up and custom schedules.
• Speed: A credit decision usually within hours, typically the same business day; funding 24 to 48 hours after documents are signed.
• Used equipment: New, used and refurbished equipment qualifies, including private-party purchases.
• Section 179: Crest markets its financing as Section 179 eligible; check the deduction with your tax advisor.

Crest Capital rates and fees: what it really costs

Crest Capital does not publish rates; Merchant Maverick reports equipment rates starting at 5%, fixed for the whole term.

Your rate depends on credit, time in business, the equipment, the amount and the term. Crest takes no blanket lien, requires no deposit balance and skips yearly re-qualification.

• Charged: interest at a fixed rate; a $275 administrative fee per Merchant Maverick (Business News Daily reported $250 in 2023). Leases may also carry documentation, interim rent, late or early-termination charges (amounts not published).
• Not charged: Crest describes prepayment penalties as minimal or none.
• Not published: the rate range, the maximum rate and the fee schedule.

Worked example: finance a $75,000 machine over 60 months at 5% (the reported starting rate) and you pay $1,415.34 a month, or $84,920.55 in total. Interest comes to $9,920.55; with the $275 fee, total cost is $10,195.55, about 5.15% APR. Treat this as the best case.

Crest Capital requirements

Crest Capital looks for a personal credit score of about 650 or better and at least two years in business under current ownership.

Crest weighs credit, payment history, time in business and the equipment together; it does not lend to startups.

Pros and cons

Crest Capital's best feature is application-only approval to $250,000 with no hard pull; its worst is hidden pricing.

Pros

• Soft credit pull only, even on a full application
• No financial statements or tax returns up to $250,000
• Decisions usually the same business day
• Little or no down payment, with soft costs up to 25% of the loan included
• Finances used equipment, private-party sales, software and work vehicles

Cons

• No published rate range or fee schedule
• Two years in business required; no startup or bad-credit financing
• Excludes owner-operators and transportation companies financing trucks

Crest Capital vs. Balboa Capital vs. National Funding

Crest Capital matches Balboa Capital's $500,000 ceiling, more than triple National Funding's $150,000 equipment maximum.

Balboa Capital and National Funding figures are from their own sites (third-party where noted), checked 2026-10-26.

Choose Crest Capital if you have two years of history and want a soft-pull, application-only deal. Choose Balboa Capital if you need $50,000 or less with only six months in business. Choose National Funding if you need up to $150,000 with six months of history.

Crest Capital alternatives on Lender List

Crest Capital's closest alternatives are the equipment lenders and lessors in this category.

• Browse all equipment financing and leasing lenders on Lender List
• Need cash, not a machine? See online term loans

Frequently asked questions about Crest Capital

Crest Capital is a 37-year-old Georgia equipment lender that finances $10,000 to $500,000 with a soft credit pull.

Is Crest Capital Legit? Yes. Crest Capital has financed business equipment since 1989 from its Alpharetta, Georgia headquarters, belongs to the National Equipment Finance Association, and holds a BBB A+ rating (4.64/5 per Merchant Maverick; review count not verified). Merchant Maverick scores it 3.8 out of 5, and Crest reports Investopedia's 2024 best-overall award.

Does Crest Capital Finance Used Equipment? Yes. Crest Capital finances new, used, pre-owned and refurbished equipment, and it accepts private-party purchases as well as dealer sales. Eligibility depends on the type of equipment, so confirm your specific machine before you commit to a seller, especially on a private-party purchase.

What Credit Score Do You Need for Crest Capital? About 650. Crest Capital treats a personal score of 650 or better as its benchmark, but weighs it alongside payment history, time in business and the equipment itself. Business News Daily and Money list 650 as the minimum; there is no bad-credit program.

Does Crest Capital Offer Business Auto Loans? Yes, for work vehicles. Crest Capital finances new and used commercial vehicles and trailers, and 18-wheelers for companies outside trucking. Ordinary passenger cars qualify only through its Company Cars and SUVs program, and transportation companies or owner-operators financing trucks are excluded.

Does Crest Capital Do Equipment Leasing? Yes. Besides equipment finance agreements, Crest Capital writes $1 purchase-option leases, operating leases, TRAC leases on titled vehicles and titled leases with a guaranteed purchase option. Merchant Maverick also lists 10% option and fair market value leases; pick the end-of-term option that matches how long you will keep the asset.

Does Crest Capital Do a Hard Credit Pull? No. Crest Capital's two-minute eligibility check makes no personal-credit inquiry, and its full application uses a soft pull that does not show up as an inquiry on your credit report. Checking eligibility, or applying in full, costs your score nothing.

Where Is Crest Capital Located? Crest Capital is headquartered at 3460 Preston Ridge Road in Alpharetta, Georgia, outside Atlanta, where the company started in 1989. It lends in all 50 states, takes applications online, and answers by phone at (800) 245-1213 for questions before you apply.

Last verified 2026-10-26. Pricing and terms are provider-stated or third-party-reported and vary by offer; confirm with the lender before applying.