SBA 7(a) loan payment calculator
The rate box starts at the legal maximum for your loan size, prime plus the SBA's spread cap. That's the ceiling, not a quote: a good lender comes in under it. Change it to whatever you've actually been offered and see the payment. Prime is 6.75% as of July 15, 2026.
Your estimate
The rate ceiling, by loan size
SBA caps how far over the base rate a 7(a) lender may go, and the cap is wider on smaller loans. At today's 6.75% prime, the maximum variable rate is:
| Loan size | Max spread | Max rate today |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 or less | prime + 6.5% | 13.25% |
| $50,001 to $250,000 | prime + 6.0% | 12.75% |
| $250,001 to $350,000 | prime + 4.5% | 11.25% |
| Over $350,000 | prime + 3.0% | 9.75% |
Spreads: SBA 7(a) terms, verified July 2026. Prime: Federal Reserve H.15, July 15, 2026. Estimate only; your quote depends on your lender, credit, and collateral.
Where the rate actually comes from
A 7(a) rate isn't a lender's whim. It's a base rate, almost always the prime rate, plus a spread the lender chooses up to the SBA's cap. That structure is why the ceiling is knowable in advance, and why a quote well under it is the sign of a competitive lender rather than a favor.
What a 7(a) actually funds
The 7(a) is the flexible workhorse: working capital, an acquisition, a refinance, equipment, or mixed uses, up to $5 million. That breadth is the reason to run this payment against a real business plan rather than a round number.
