FAQ
Equipment leasing questions, answered.
Twenty of the questions we are asked most, and the actual answers: what we finance, what it takes to qualify, how long the terms run, what you pay up front, and what happens when the lease ends.
GETTING STARTED
Whether we can finance you
The questions that decide it, before you spend time on an application.
What does ACG finance?
Business equipment, for commercial use, new or used, bought from any vendor you choose — medical, construction, restaurant, machine shop, IT, and most things adjacent to them. The minimum transaction is $10,000. We do not finance personal or household purchases.
How much can I finance on the one-page application?
From $10,000 to $150,000 through our Application Only program, with no financial statements at all. Larger transactions are financed too; they need a fuller financial package rather than the short form.
How long do I need to have been in business?
On Application Only, three years under current ownership up to $74,999, and five years from $75,000 to $150,000. If you have been trading for less than that, the startup program has no time-in-business requirement.
What if the business is brand new?
We finance day-one startups with A and B credit. Expect to provide a personal financial statement, two years of personal tax returns on amounts above $15,000, a short summary of the business, and the invoice or details for the equipment.
Do you need my financial statements?
Not on Application Only, which is how most of our transactions are written. What we ask for is the business name and address, a bank reference, the ownership breakdown, and a general list of the equipment and what it costs. See no financials required.
Will asking for a quote affect my credit?
No. A quote is not an application: nothing is pulled and you are not committed to anything. When you do apply, credit is part of the decision, and you will know before that happens.
THE EQUIPMENT
What you can put on a lease
Our directory lists what we finance most often. It is not the boundary.
Can I finance used equipment?
Yes. New or used, and from any vendor you choose — we buy the equipment and pay your vendor directly.
Does the lease cover delivery, installation and training?
It can, and this is the part most buyers forget to budget for. Freight, rigging, installation, staff training and ongoing support can be written into the same agreement instead of arriving later as invoices you did not plan for.
The equipment I need is not listed on your site. Now what?
Ask anyway. The equipment directory is what we finance most often, not a list of what we will consider. If it is business equipment and it costs more than $10,000, start a conversation.
Can one lease cover several pieces of equipment?
Yes. The application asks for a general equipment list and its cost, which can be one machine or a room full of them, from one vendor or from several.
TERMS AND PAYMENTS
What the agreement looks like
Structure, cost, and what happens when the term runs out.
How long are the terms?
From 18 to 60 months. The right term is usually the one that matches the payment to what the equipment earns, rather than the shortest one you can bear.
How much do I have to put down?
There is no down payment. Two advance payments are due when you sign the paperwork, and that is the whole of what you pay up front.
Can payments be built around my season?
Yes. Seasonal schedules for businesses that do not earn evenly across the year, step-up structures for equipment that takes time to ramp, and a 90-day deferred program that lets the equipment run before the first payment is due.
What happens at the end of the lease?
Three options, and they are yours to pick when you get there: return the equipment, buy it, or extend the lease. Nothing is decided for you at signing.
What will my payment actually be?
It depends on the cost of the equipment, the term, and the credit tier the application is approved at. The payment estimator gets you a rough figure in a few seconds; a specialist gets you a real one after the application.
Is a lease payment tax-deductible?
A lease payment is generally an operating expense rather than a capital purchase, and Section 179 applies to financed equipment as well as equipment bought outright. How your lease is treated depends on how it is structured and on your own tax position. We are an equipment finance company, not a tax advisor — confirm it with your accountant before you sign.
THE PROCESS
Applying, and afterwards
How long it takes, and who to call once the equipment is running.
How fast is a decision?
The application is one page. A decision usually comes back the same day, and we contact you within about 24 hours with a structure built around the equipment and the business.
Do I have to talk to someone, or can I do it all online?
Either. You can apply online, ask for a quote using the form below, or call and have the whole thing done over the phone.
I already have a lease with you. Who do I call about an invoice?
(949) 271-5812 is the line for questions on current invoices. For anything else, including a new transaction on an existing account, call (949) 271-5800.
Who is American Capital Group?
An equipment finance company in Laguna Hills, California, arranging lease capital for small business since 1995. We have funded more than 20,000 customers and work with more than 30,000 equipment resellers. Licensed in California under DBO license #60DBO-43815. More about us.
Three steps to your equipment
01
Fill out an application
Complete our simple, one-page application. No mountain of paperwork.
02
Receive a custom plan
We contact you, typically within 24 hours, with a lease structure tailored to your needs.
03
Get your equipment
We purchase your new or used equipment from any vendor you wish.
Newer business, or no financials to hand? We have programs for both — startup financing and no financials required.
FREE QUOTE
Get a custom quote in minutes
Tell us what equipment you need and roughly what it costs. An ACG specialist follows up, typically within 24 hours, with options built around your business.
Business equipment financing. $10,000 minimum. We do not finance personal or household purchases.
- — NO OBLIGATION, NO HARD CREDIT PULL
- — NEW OR USED, ANY VENDOR
- — OR CALL (949) 822-3017
Keep reading
What we finance
Medical, construction, kitchens, machine shops, IT — and the rest.
Why lease at all
Twelve reasons businesses lease their equipment instead of buying it.
Estimate a payment
Enter an equipment cost and see roughly where the monthly payment lands.
Our customers
Businesses we have funded, in their own words.
Want the equipment running before the first payment? Ask about 90 days deferred. The four lease structures have a page of their own, and the blog goes further into financing, tax season and running the business.
Decided? It is one page.
31 years financing equipment for small business. Apply, or call and talk it through first.