New Square Loan in 2024

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I’m at a bit of a loss for what else I need to do to be offered a new Square Loan at this point. I’ve been with Square for over 10 years, had 7 loans now that I’ve have paid back early every single time. Metrics are all in green, record sales year. In 2023, record numbers across the board, no refunds, no complaints or issues of any kind in our entire history. Current loan is 80% paid off, but no new offer in site. This is the kind of stuff that causes businesses to find someone else to process through! Please help! I’m sure I’ll get the same old excuses that you guys send to everyone about looking at every aspect of the business. But there isn’t a single aspect that isn’t way up. I’m not sure if there is a new process they are using now, or if there is some kind of issue with my banking or something else I’m not thinking about or aware of. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks, because I could really use some new capital to start the year off with and reinvest into my business!

[Stacelyn24 · Accepted solution]

I'm really sorry to hear about your frustration with the loan offers. I understand how important it is to feel valued, especially as a loyal customer. Let me try to address your concerns and provide some clarity.

Loan Offers and Qualification Parameters

Square’s loan offers are based on a variety of factors, and while past trends have shown offers at certain thresholds, the exact parameters can change over time and are not always disclosed in detail. Here are a few points to consider:

• Dynamic Criteria: Square uses a complex set of algorithms that take into account not just the repayment percentage but also your recent sales history, account health, and overall business performance.
• Market Conditions: External market conditions and internal policy changes can also impact when and how loan offers are extended.

Value Beyond Transaction Fees

I understand that a 3% card transaction fee can seem high compared to other providers, but Square offers several features and benefits that help justify this cost:

• Integrated Ecosystem: Square provides a comprehensive suite of tools that work seamlessly together, from point-of-sale systems to online stores, invoicing, and inventory management.
• Ease of Use: The user-friendly interface and intuitive design make managing your business simpler and more efficient, saving you time and reducing the need for extensive training.
• Reliable Support: Square offers robust customer support and resources to help you resolve issues quickly and keep your business running smoothly.
• Secure Transactions: Advanced security measures protect your business and customers from fraud and data breaches.
• Analytics and Reporting: Detailed analytics and reporting tools help you understand your business performance and make informed decisions.

I understand the disappointment regarding the loan offer, please know that Square regularly reviews its criteria and your status. I recommend reaching out to Square’s customer support for a more personalized review of your account and to express your concerns directly.

[MayaP · Accepted solution]

Thank you for reaching out and sharing your concerns. We understand your frustration, especially given your long-standing relationship with Square and your excellent track record with previous loans.

There are several factors that can affect loan offers, and while it sounds like you have met all the typical criteria, there may be new processes or other considerations at play. I would reach out to our Square Financial Services Team if you have any further questions. They are available at 1-855-700-6000 Monday - Friday, 8 AM to 8 PM CST. 

[VanKalkerFarms · Accepted solution]

August 1st Square shareholder letter came out with another outstanding quarter for Square Loans.  More loans than ever were started in the last 3 months, an outstanding show of commitment to the service.
"Square Loans facilitated approximately 142,000 loans totaling $1.45 billion in originations, up 32% year over year."

That breaks down to almost 1,600 loans a day (66 an hour, or more than 1 per minute). averaging $10,200+ per loan.

So yes, there are THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of Square Loans happening all the time.  It is unbelievable that they can get this number of loans even facilitated, that is a staggering number of loans to Square customers.  It wouldn't be possible without the Square Loans Algorithm going thru and promoting offers to be given.  For every one post on here saying they haven't gotten a loan or 5th offer, 10s of thousands have gotten loans.  The service keeps growing though it may not seem like it to a user that is waiting for their 3rd loan.

@Twpchair 

[TheRealChipA · Accepted solution]

Good news, bad news, eh @cmeshine.  There are a number of reasons that COULD be part of why your new offer was lower.

1. Square might be slowing down on how much loan exposure they want to have on their balance sheet.  They are, after all, a publicly traded company that has to answer to their shareholders and investors.
2. If our sales are flat or at least not growing at a good rate to cover inflation and higher interest, then Square’s algorithm understands that inflation is eating into our available cash to pay bills, etc.  Flat sales (or very slowly growing sales) are always red flags to lenders, Square or not.
3. Sometimes how long it takes us to pay off our current loans can be a factor.  Let’s say that previous loans were paid off with automatic payments in 8-10 months in the past.  But for this current loan it took us 12-15 months.  That tells Square that our card processing volume can’t keep you with higher loan amounts.  Yes, they give us 18 months to fully pay a loan, but they obviously prefer that we pay them off closer to the 12 month mark.
4. If our cash/card ratio drastically changes, and cash spikes or is consistently higher than historical for our business, that is another red flag.  Since Square must only consider card volume when calculating repayment rates this can become a problem.

Of course, I’m not saying that any of these contributed to your lower offer.  I’m just throwing out a few reasons why this CAN happen.

[Mmccrain]

What percentage was everyone at on their very first loan when they got their second loan offer. I’m seeing 6th+ loan offers but I’m talking about the very first loan percentage when the second offer came in. I’ll be at 60% on my very first loan of ($1600) by the end of today after 35 days of repayment. I’ve had 800% growth and hoping for a new loan offer today.  

[Minion]

Hi @Mmccrain 

From every loan based thread I have seen, and being the first one, looking a when a second offer could come in it honestly seems to trend even higher than people with their 3,4,5 etc loans with offers coming in around the 80%+ offers.  Being only at 60% I wouldn't expect an offer to be in sight for until you reach maybe the 85%+ mark in all honesty. 

Every business is different so its hard to exactly say.  But you could also be one of the few unicorns that an offers gets sent over earlier than the "norm".

.

[Mmccrain]

So it appears that a new loan offer can only incorporate 10% of it to cover a previous loan. So a $50,000 loan would allow you to roll only $5,000 into it from a previous loan. 
so these large loans for $50K and up would mean a higher percentage needs to be paid off in order to meet that threshold. If you owe $7000 still on a loan a new offer would have to be over $70,000 to be able to incorporate the $7,000 which is 10% of the new loan. Meaning 90% of the new loan goes to grow your business. A smaller amount owed like $800 means the next loan needs to be over $8,000. This seems to be the metric after studying all the numbers everyone’s posting.

[Minion]

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@Mmccrain wrote:

So it appears that a new loan offer can only incorporate 10% of it to cover a previous loan. So a $50,000 loan would allow you to roll only $5,000 into it from a previous loan. 
so these large loans for $50K and up would mean a higher percentage needs to be paid off in order to meet that threshold. If you owe $7000 still on a loan a new offer would have to be over $70,000 to be able to incorporate the $7,000 which is 10% of the new loan. Meaning 90% of the new loan goes to grow your business. A smaller amount owed like $800 means the next loan needs to be over $8,000. This seems to be the metric after studying all the numbers everyone’s posting.

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I think you could be pretty close to that.  It seems logical, but there are other variations and instances where it seems to be also toward the 85 %.  But this seems to be a a solid piece of information you have come up with from your digging @Mmccrain . Kudos for that. 

In the end though, getting as close to paying off that loan, before accepting another loan is only going to be more beneficial.  

These loans ideally work great for a business also who accept just as much cash and checks as they do CC, extending the loan life to the full 18 month, aligning the fees to a "typical" loan APR of 12% +/-

[TrendzbyM]

I got an offer! 79% today and came in at or before 3pm! It was little more than before so I'm happy!

[Healthyketo]

Congratulations 🎉 I was updated at 1:05pm today and no offer yet 😞 still sitting at 97% hopefully soon! 🙏 happy you finally received one! Pray for the rest of us!

[TrendzbyM]

Thank you! I just realized I edited my address incorrectly so I hope that doesn't delay being approved 

[Mmccrain]

So the “update” time on the website is usually when they process your days payments but the AI analyses the accounts through the day. Mine is checked for loan offer status each night about 9:30pm but the “update” occurs each day about 2:30pm

[Healthyketo]

Thank you that is good to know! 🙂

[TrendzbyM]

I submitted the statement an hour ago and haven't heard back. I'm panicking cause I'm used to an approval right away! It has never taken this long 

[Mmccrain]

Did they offer you a loan or simply need bank verification? 

[TrendzbyM]

Offered me a loan. Then another email asking for bank statement . 

[Mmccrain]

Congratulations! They’re probably just making sure the loan is needed? Not sure

[TrendzbyM]

I don't see how they can look into our accounts and determine that; I just thought it's to verify it's my business bank account 

[TrendzbyM]

They just emailed asking for bank verification and a statement . Has that happened to anyone ?

[Mmccrain]

If you connected your bank account then it makes sense. Or they are analyzing if you need the funds.

[TrendzbyM]

I'm not sure if I connected this one at the time or a different one. Not sure how to even find where the connected accounts to the loan are?

[TrendzbyM]

I just read the fine print and it says it needs to verify ownership of the bank  account with my name and my account number . So it's probably just to verify it's legit . 

[Mmccrain]

The makes sense. 

[TrendzbyM]

Been on hold over 30 minutes . Not sure if I'll get through to anyone 

[Mmccrain]

Usually 60-90 mins before someone answers