Wall Street Journal, CNBC, Forbes, and More Operate Small Business Funding Referral Marketplaces

Walmart‘s not the only household brand name that’s running a small business funding marketplace. A cursory Google search shows that the Wall Street Journal, CNBC, and Forbes, among others, are also capturing traffic and earning commissions by referring merchants for business loans, revenue-based financing, and other products.

The WSJ says it earns commissions when merchants click links to apply for revenue-based financing, lines of credit, and other small business loans. “Revenue-based financing might be a good option if you don’t qualify for a business term loan,” the WSJ states on its review page.

Forbes operates with paid placements and links that generate affiliate commissions. The CNBC Select site says that the company earns commissions. WSJ, Forbes, and CNBC compete with other platforms like Nerdwallet, LendingTree, and Bankrate for business loan traffic online.

Meanwhile, Walmart’s business loan marketplace consists of Payoneer, Parafin, Slope, and Uncapped. Three of those partners offer merchant cash advances.