Glossary · The loan itself
Origination Fee
In short
An origination fee is a charge from the lender for processing and underwriting your loan application. It covers the administrative costs of setting up your SBA loan.
What it means in a deal
This fee is typically a percentage of the loan amount, and it's one of the lender closing costs you'll pay at closing. While it adds to your total project costs, it's a standard part of obtaining an SBA loan. Ensure you understand all fees upfront.
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 Origination Fee
- Can I negotiate the lender's origination or packaging fee for my SBA 7(a) business acquisition loan?
- Can the lender charge their own separate processing or origination fees for an SBA 7(a) loan?
- Are there any other lender-specific fees beyond the SBA guaranty fee and ongoing servicing fee?
- 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?
- Can the lender charge an additional "packaging fee" on top of the SBA fees?
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.