Financing routes in the US. By speed and basis.

A US company has more than one route to capital. Some open after days, others only after years; some depend on you personally, others on the account, on revenue or on collateral. Here is what each route rests on, so you can plan the sequence.

In brief

A US company has six financing routes: personal cards, supplier accounts with payment terms, business credit cards based on the account balance, revenue-based loans from payment platforms, a bank credit line, and financing against collateral such as a deposit, a parent company surety or a property. Cards and supplier accounts carry day-to-day business; larger amounts need revenue, a track record or collateral. The institution decides on every loan.

The six routes at a glance

Overview based on market observation, as of October 2026. Each institution sets its own conditions, amount and rate.

Route: Personal cards · Basis: your personal credit file (ITIN or SSN) · Speed: days after approval · Order of magnitude: small, grows with your history
Route: Supplier accounts (Net 30) · Basis: company credit file, D-U-N-S number · Speed: weeks · Order of magnitude: small to medium
Route: Balance-based business credit cards · Basis: the company's account balance · Speed: days · Order of magnitude: follows the balance
Route: Revenue-based platform loans · Basis: revenue through a payment platform · Speed: days · Order of magnitude: follows the revenue
Route: Bank credit line · Basis: years in business, revenue or collateral · Speed: weeks · Order of magnitude: medium to large
Route: Financing against collateral · Basis: deposit, parent company surety, property · Speed: weeks · Order of magnitude: large

The sequence that holds

1. Company and account: LLC, EIN, business account. No account, no business credit card and no platform.
2. Master data and D-U-N-S: Name, address and phone identical everywhere; the company receives its identifier at the business credit bureau.
3. Supplier accounts: First accounts with payment terms, paid early. This builds the company's credit history.
4. Business credit cards: First based on the balance, later with a personal guarantee from the owner.
5. Show revenue: Genuine US revenue opens platform loans and is the basis of every bank decision.
6. Bank and collateral: Credit line, parent company surety, property financing: the routes for large amounts.

Where the limits are

Government-backed small business loans from the SBA are generally not open to companies wholly owned by people without US citizenship or a green card. Some online lenders only lend to owners resident in the US. Building large amounts through stacked cards alone is not a proven route. In 2025 the US Federal Trade Commission ruled against a provider that promised business owners financing and applied for credit cards instead.

What the capital can be used for

The capital is not tied to the US: your company can transfer funds to Europe or invest them in Europe — within the terms of the institution concerned. Our partner tax adviser clarifies with you in advance how transfers and investments are treated for tax purposes. Expensive short-term money only pays off if the return demonstrably exceeds it. Clean company figures open cheaper routes than any haste.

What FIAON Global does

We build the foundation institutions decide on: company, account, consistent master data, identifier, supplier accounts, complete documents. We plan the sequence of applications and prepare each one. FIAON is not a bank, neither grants nor brokers loans and receives no fee based on any limit. The institution decides on every loan.

The whole route in the package

Company, account, card ladder and the documents for bank and lenders — Global Capital.

What you need to know

US business credit cards generally require a personal guarantee from the owner. The institution alone decides on the account, the card and the limit.
Nobody can promise a particular limit or rate.
Annual filing duties apply in the United States even without revenue (Form 5472 with Form 1120), along with state fees and the cost of the registered agent.

Frequently asked questions

Which financing does a new US company get fastest?

Business credit cards whose limit follows the balance, and supplier accounts with payment terms. Bank credit lines usually require years in business, revenue or collateral.

Can an LLC from Europe get an SBA loan?

Generally not, if it is wholly owned by people without US citizenship or a green card.

Can a parent company in Europe stand surety for the US company?

Yes, this is a common route to a credit line. The bank then mainly assesses the parent company's balance sheet.

Does FIAON arrange the loan for my US company?

No. FIAON is not a bank and neither grants nor brokers loans. We prepare the company, documents and sequence; the institution decides.

Read on

Business credit. Your company’s creditworthiness. – Building US business credit: D-U-N-S Number, PAYDEX, Experian, Equifax, supplier accounts — and what issuers check when a company is young.
The US business credit card. How issuers decide. – US business credit card for an LLC: what issuers check, what a personal guarantee means, when the introductory period ends and how to spot rip-offs.
Financing a US property. The rent carries the loan. – How foreigners finance a US property: rent coverage instead of income, equity, reserves, source of funds, closing from abroad, FIRPTA.
Business credit cards and capital. Built up step by step. – The card ladder: first US business credit card, planned applications, key figures for a bank loan. The capital range is your goal; the institution decides.