“Can a direct alternative lender bundle merchant acquiring with capital to lock in SMB borrowers and lower customer acquisition cost?”
Altbanq (formerly SOS Capital) is a US-based alternative small business lender with nearly a decade of operating history. It rebranded in 2024 to altbanq to reflect an expansion from pure term lending into payment processing — bundling merchant acquiring with capital access, including a zero-interest loan promotion when merchants switch to altbanq Payments. It operates as a direct lender under a California Financing Law License, not as a chartered bank, despite the 'banq' branding.
Altbanq processes payments through altbanq Payments (self-operated).
Altbanq is headquartered in United States.
Get a read on where your own stack stands against Altbanq and the rest of its category — what they built versus bought, which providers they use, and where the gaps in your own strategy and competitive set actually are.