Is Apex Capital or RTS Financial cheaper?

On a per-invoice basis, Apex is generally cheaper. Apex's recourse rates run 1.5-3.5% with most carriers paying around 2% flat. RTS does not publish rates, but carrier reports place recourse factoring in the 2-4% range, with non-recourse running higher. However, RTS bundles a free load board and TMS at no extra cost, so if you would otherwise pay for those tools, the total spend can land closer than the headline rates suggest.

Which factor has better customer reviews?

Apex Capital is rated higher across the board. Apex carries a Net Promoter Score of 90, an A+ BBB rating with the Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics, and a 4.4 out of 5 on Trustpilot. RTS shows a split picture: 4.2 out of 5 on Trustpilot across 1,189 reviews and strong Google ratings, but a 1.51 out of 5 BBB customer rating with 63 formal complaints in three years and no BBB accreditation. The pattern in RTS reviews suggests carriers who stay tend to like the service while carriers who try to leave file complaints.

Does either company offer same-day or 24/7 funding?

Both offer fast money but in different windows. Apex runs true 24/7/365 funding, including nights, weekends, and holidays. RTS offers same-day funding on invoices submitted before a daily cutoff on standard business days. If you run irregular hours or need money on a Saturday night, Apex's around-the-clock window is the bigger advantage. If your schedule fits a standard weekday rhythm, RTS's same-day funding on early submissions covers most needs.

Do Apex and RTS both offer fuel cards?

Yes. Apex's fuel card saves carriers $300-$500 per truck per month with zero transaction fees. RTS's Pro Fuel Card averages around 25 cents per gallon at 3,000-plus locations and includes a Pilot Flying J partnership covering 850-plus stops, with up to $3,200 per truck per week in fuel credit for factoring customers. If your routes already run through Pilot and Flying J, the RTS card lands more value. If you fuel across mixed networks, the Apex card is the more flexible pick.

What about UCC liens during onboarding?

Both factors file UCC-1 liens during onboarding — that is standard across the industry. The difference is timing. Several BBB complaints describe RTS filing liens before the carrier finalized the factoring relationship, which can complicate equipment financing or insurance binding if the carrier decides not to proceed. Ask either factor when the lien gets filed and what it takes to release it before signing any application paperwork.

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Apex Capital vs RTS Financial: Rates and Contract Terms Compared

A head-to-head comparison of Apex Capital and RTS Financial Factoring covering rates, advance percentages, contract terms, bundled services, customer satisfaction, and exit terms. Real data, no fluff.

Small Fleet HQPublished April 24, 20268 min read

factoringapex-capitalrts-financialrecoursenon-recoursecash-flowowner-operator

Quick Verdict

Apex Capital and RTS Financial both belong on a small fleet's freight factoring shortlist. Both have been in trucking for 30-plus years. Both offer recourse and non-recourse programs. The two operate on different philosophies, and the right call depends on how you want the relationship to work.

Quick Verdict: Apex Capital wins for most owner-operators and single-truck operations on customer service, contract flexibility, and a clean BBB record. RTS Financial wins for small fleets that want one vendor for factoring, fuel, load board, and TMS and plan to stay put for at least a year.

	Apex Capital	RTS Financial
Our Score	4.6 / 5	3.9 / 5
Badge	Best Customer Service	Best Bundled Services
Recourse Rate	1.5-3.5% (most pay ~2% flat)	Custom quote (reported 2-4%)
Non-Recourse Rate	Custom quote	Custom quote (higher than recourse)
Advance Rate	Not published	Up to 95% on approved invoices ⁶
Funding Speed	24/7/365 including holidays	Same-day on early submissions
Contract Length	No contract (60 days notice to leave)	Reported 1-year terms with auto-renewal ⁴
Termination Fee	None	Reported early termination fees ⁴
Fuel Card Savings	$300-$500/truck/month	~25¢/gal at 3,000+ locations
Free Load Board	Not included	Included with factoring ²
TMS Software	Not included	Included with factoring ²
NPS / Trustpilot	NPS 90 / 4.4 ³	Not published / 4.2 ⁸
BBB Status	A+ accredited, Torch Award 2018 ⁵	Not accredited, 1.51/5 customer rating ⁴
In Business Since	1995 (30+ years)	Mid-1980s (40+ years) ²
Best For	Service-first operators wanting no-contract flexibility	Pilot Flying J regulars wanting one-vendor consolidation

Both companies will get you funded. The differences show up in how the relationship runs and what happens if you decide to leave.

Factoring Rates and Fee Structure

Apex publishes a rate range. RTS does not.

Apex Capital charges 1.5-3.5% per invoice on recourse factoring, with most owner-operators and small fleets paying around 2% flat ¹. Non-recourse is a custom quote. Apex offers three pricing structures (flat, tiered by broker payment speed, and volume-based) so you can pick what fits your operation. No ACH fees, no processing fees, no monthly fees, no termination fees.

RTS Financial does not post a rate card. Every quote is custom and comes during the application conversation. Carrier reports place recourse factoring with RTS in the 2-4% range, with non-recourse running higher ⁶. Volume discounts apply for fleets pushing serious monthly totals.

The practical problem with custom-quote-only pricing is that you cannot price-shop without sitting through a sales call. Apex's transparency on the rate range gives you a starting point you can verify against quotes from competitors. Use the factoring cost calculator once you have a quote in hand from either company.

Advance Rates and Funding Speed

RTS Financial publishes a higher advance number: up to 95% on approved invoices ⁶. On a $3,000 invoice, that is $2,850 upfront, with the reserve (minus the factoring fee) released after the broker pays. Same-day funding via ACH applies when you submit before the daily cutoff.

Apex Capital does not publish a standard advance rate, so you will need to ask for your specific percentage during the quote. Apex's advance sits within industry-standard range. Where Apex pulls ahead is the funding window: true 24/7/365 funding ¹. Submit at 11 PM on a Sunday, get paid. Submit Christmas morning, get paid. RTS funding runs standard business hours with same-day turnaround on early submissions; weekend and holiday funding is not what it is at Apex.

For an owner-operator who runs irregular schedules, Apex's continuous window matters more than the headline advance rate. For a small fleet operating Monday through Friday, RTS's same-day-on-early-submissions covers most situations and the higher published advance puts more cash up front per load.

Contract Terms: Where the Two Diverge Most

This is the single biggest difference between Apex and RTS, and the one that matters most to your downside risk.

Apex Capital does not lock you into a long-term contract ¹. You give 60 days notice before leaving, which exists for transition planning. No termination fee.

RTS Financial's structure is different. Carrier reports and BBB complaints describe one-year contracts with auto-renewal and early termination fees if you leave mid-term ⁴. The BBB record also documents trouble canceling, escrow balances held past termination dates, and charges continuing after carriers asked to close accounts. RTS responds to about 96% of BBB complaints, but the volume itself tells you how the exit process tends to play out.

If your business situation never changes, an annual contract is a non-issue. Friction only shows up if your volume drops, a broker relationship goes south, or you want to switch providers. RTS trades that flexibility for the bundled-services package.

UCC-1 lien timing is worth asking about with either company. Both factors file liens during onboarding. Several BBB complaints describe RTS filing liens before the factoring relationship was finalized ⁴, which can complicate equipment financing and insurance for a carrier who decided not to proceed.

Bundled Services: Where RTS Closes the Gap

This is the category where RTS earns its Best Bundled Services badge.

RTS ships every factoring account with a free integrated load board that includes broker payment history scoring ². The RTS TMS handles dispatch, settlements, and IFTA tracking. The RTS Pro Fuel Card settles automatically against your factoring account, comes with up to $3,200 per truck per week in fuel credit without a separate credit check, and connects to the Pilot Flying J network of 850-plus stops through the partnership launched in January 2021 ⁷. Equipment financing and commercial insurance are available through the Shamrock family.

Apex sticks closer to factoring as its core product. The Apex fuel card saves carriers $300-$500 per truck per month with zero transaction fees ¹. Free unlimited broker credit checks come standard. No integrated load board and no TMS.

The bundle math: if you already pay for a DAT or Truckstop subscription ($45-$150 per month) and a TMS ($50-$200 per month per truck), the RTS bundle removes those line items. For a one-truck operation that is $1,200-$4,200 per year in tool costs that go away. The bundle is real money if you use all the pieces and stay put for a year. If you would only use two of the five tools, you are paying for software you do not need with a contract you cannot easily exit.

Customer Service and Reputation

The review picture for these two companies is one of the cleaner contrasts in the factoring industry.

Apex Capital carries a Net Promoter Score of 90, published in June 2025 ³. Anything above 70 is considered exceptional in financial services. Apex's BBB rating is A+ with accreditation since 2009, plus the BBB Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics in 2018 ⁵. Trustpilot averages 4.4 out of 5. The pattern across Google, Trustpilot, BBB, and forum reviews points the same direction.

RTS Financial shows a split picture. Trustpilot rates RTS at 4.2 out of 5 across 1,189 reviews ⁸. Google reviews sit higher. The BBB shows 1.51 out of 5 from 67 reviews with 63 formal complaints in three years, and RTS is not BBB accredited ⁴. A pattern emerges in the negative reviews: carriers who stay and use the services as intended report good experiences. Friction surfaces when someone tries to leave. Escrow funds held, calls unreturned, charges continuing past cancellation requests.

Both things can be true. Most RTS customers have functional experiences. A meaningful minority hits problems serious enough to file formal complaints. The Apex record does not show that gap.

Verdict by Scenario

Choose Apex Capital if:

You are an owner-operator or single-truck operation valuing personal service
You want no long-term contract and the ability to leave with 60 days notice
You run irregular schedules where 24/7/365 funding matters
A clean BBB record and 30-year track record carry weight

Choose RTS Financial if:

You are a small fleet (3-10 trucks) wanting one vendor for factoring, fuel, load board, and TMS
Your routes run through Pilot Flying J stops
You are willing to commit to a one-year contract in exchange for bundled tools
You want the higher published advance rate (up to 95%)

For new authority carriers in their first two years, Apex is the safer pick. The no-contract terms protect you if your situation changes during the volatile first 18-24 months.

For established 5-plus-year operators with stable routes through Pilot Flying J, RTS deserves a serious look. The bundle math works in your favor at scale, and the contract structure is less of a risk when your operation is steady.

Cross-References

Read the full Apex Capital review and RTS Financial review for deeper analysis of each company, or compare all factoring companies on our main ranking page. If you are still figuring out how factoring works, the factoring guide walks through the basics.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Apex Capital or RTS Financial cheaper?: On a per-invoice basis, Apex is generally cheaper. Apex's recourse rates run 1.5-3.5% with most carriers paying around 2% flat. RTS does not publish rates, but carrier reports place recourse factoring in the 2-4% range, with non-recourse running higher. However, RTS bundles a free load board and TMS at no extra cost, so if you would otherwise pay for those tools, the total spend can land closer than the headline rates suggest.
Do both companies require a long-term contract?: No. Apex Capital does not lock you into a long-term contract and asks only for 60 days notice before you leave — no termination fee. RTS Financial's structure is different. Carrier reports and BBB complaints describe annual contracts with auto-renewal and early termination fees if you exit mid-term. This is the single biggest contractual difference between the two factors.
Which factor has better customer reviews?: Apex Capital is rated higher across the board. Apex carries a Net Promoter Score of 90, an A+ BBB rating with the Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics, and a 4.4 out of 5 on Trustpilot. RTS shows a split picture: 4.2 out of 5 on Trustpilot across 1,189 reviews and strong Google ratings, but a 1.51 out of 5 BBB customer rating with 63 formal complaints in three years and no BBB accreditation. The pattern in RTS reviews suggests carriers who stay tend to like the service while carriers who try to leave file complaints.
Does either company offer same-day or 24/7 funding?: Both offer fast money but in different windows. Apex runs true 24/7/365 funding, including nights, weekends, and holidays. RTS offers same-day funding on invoices submitted before a daily cutoff on standard business days. If you run irregular hours or need money on a Saturday night, Apex's around-the-clock window is the bigger advantage. If your schedule fits a standard weekday rhythm, RTS's same-day funding on early submissions covers most needs.
Do Apex and RTS both offer fuel cards?: Yes. Apex's fuel card saves carriers $300-$500 per truck per month with zero transaction fees. RTS's Pro Fuel Card averages around 25 cents per gallon at 3,000-plus locations and includes a Pilot Flying J partnership covering 850-plus stops, with up to $3,200 per truck per week in fuel credit for factoring customers. If your routes already run through Pilot and Flying J, the RTS card lands more value. If you fuel across mixed networks, the Apex card is the more flexible pick.
What about UCC liens during onboarding?: Both factors file UCC-1 liens during onboarding — that is standard across the industry. The difference is timing. Several BBB complaints describe RTS filing liens before the carrier finalized the factoring relationship, which can complicate equipment financing or insurance binding if the carrier decides not to proceed. Ask either factor when the lien gets filed and what it takes to release it before signing any application paperwork.