Glossary · The loan itself
Administrative fee
In short
An administrative fee is a charge by the lender to cover various administrative tasks related to setting up and managing your loan. These can sometimes be rolled into overall closing costs.
What it means in a deal
Be aware that specific administrative fees are generally prohibited by SBA rules for 7(a) loans, similar to application fees. Lenders can charge "reasonable" packaging or closing costs, but they must be for services actually rendered and disclosed. Review your commitment letter carefully for all fees.
Official sources
SOP 50 10 — Lender and Development Company Loan Programs
U.S. Small Business Administration · SBA Standard Operating Procedure
Last checked 2026-06-15. Official sources control — verify before relying on any rule for a live deal.
Related terms
Common questions about Administrative fee
- What specific components are included in the lender's administrative fee for an SBA 7(a) loan?
- Are there any other lender-specific fees beyond the SBA guaranty fee and ongoing servicing fee?
- How do shared administrative services, like HR or accounting, automatically trigger affiliation for size determination?
- Does sharing common administrative services, like HR or accounting, automatically trigger affiliation for size determination?
- Can the lender charge application fees or underwriting fees in addition to the SBA guaranty fee?
- Are there annual servicing fees or other recurring charges beyond the SBA servicing fee?
Defined by CapBench SBA Intelligence — plain-English definitions for business buyers, lenders, advisors, and AI agents, grounded in public SBA rules and records. Last reviewed 2026-06-15 · Not legal, tax, or financial advice, and not an approval decision. Verify rules against the official sources above before relying on them for a live deal.
See which SBA lenders would fund your deal
Tell us the business, the price, and where you are — we'll point you to the lenders most likely to approve a 7(a) like yours and flag what trips up approval.
Free · No documents · Usually same-day
Backed by data on 1,000+ SBA lenders and 300,000+ funded deals. Your details go only to lending partners you ask to be matched with — never sold to advertisers.