Best business lines of credit of March 2026

A business line of credit can be a convenient financial tool for your small business as it provides access to a revolving credit line whenever you need it. Whether you run into unexpected expenseswant to improve your cash flow or grow your businesshaving access to a line of credit can be a solution.

CNBC Select analyzed more than a dozen lenders and compared termsfeescredit limitsqualification requirements and other factors to determine the best business lines of credit. (Read more about our methodology below.)

Who's this for? Bluevine can be a good choice for more established businesses seeking flexibility when it comes to accessing credit.

Approved borrowers can get credit lines of up to $250,000easily request funds through an online dashboard and pay back each draw over six or 12 months. The payments are fixed and the credit line holder can choose a monthly or weekly payment schedule. There are no openingmaintenance or prepayment fees.

Qualification requirementshowevercan be somewhat steep. While you'll only need a FICO score of 625your business needs to be at least two years old and have at least $40,000 in monthly revenue.

Who's this for? Wells Fargo offers a couple of excellent options for those who prefer to receive financing from a brick-and-mortar bank. Namelythe unsecured Wells Fargo BusinessLine^® line of credit has plenty to offer to business owners.

Depending on your credityou can get a revolving credit line of $10,000 to $150,000. The interest rate is highly competitiveset at the prime rate plus 1.75%. The bank will also automatically enroll you in a free rewards program that offers 1X points on all qualifying purchases with the Mastercard access card. The line of credit has an annual fee ($95 if the line amount is $10,000 to $25,000 or $175 if the line amount is more than $25,000) but it's waived the first year.

To qualifyyou need to have been in business for at least two years. AdditionallyBusinessLine accounts require personal guarantees from any owner with 25% or more ownershipwith at least 51% in combined ownership. Wells Fargo doesn't disclose minimum credit score or annual revenue requirements but says that guarantors typically have a FICO score of at least 680.

For businesses that haven't been on the market for quite as longthe Wells Fargo Small Business Advantage® line of credit can be a solid alternative with a limit of $5,000 to $50,000 and no annual fee. Interest rates start at the prime rate plus 4.50%.

Who's this for? Secured lines of credit can be a good choice for smaller businesses. The American Express® Business Line of Credit comes with a credit limit of up to $250,000 and uses your business assets to secure the funds.

For approvalyou need a FICO score of at least 660 and a business checking account. All loans require a personal guaranteemeaning you agree to repay from your personal finances should you default on your business credit. Additionallyyou need to have started your business at least a year ago and have an average monthly revenue of $3,000 or more. This is a relatively low requirementmeaning a business line of credit from Amex can be an option for an established side hustle you want to continue to grow.

Monthly costs rangedepending on the loan term which can be six12 or 18 months. There are no prepayment penalty fees.

Who's this for? The Fundbox Line of Credit is ideal for startups becauseunlike many other lendersit doesn't require at least one or two years in operation for approval. Approvals could take as little as three minutes and funds can be available as soon as the next business day.

Depending on your credit profileyou can get a credit line of up to $150,000 with Fundbox. Your personal credit score must be 600 or moreand your business only needs to be at least six months old. It must bring $100,000 or more in annual revenue (about $8,333 monthly) and you'll need a business checking account to qualify.

When you draw fundsyou'll pay fixed weekly fees. Fundbox doesn't specify its terms and rates but offers examples of a 12-week term at 4.66% and a 24-week term at 8.99%. Based on your creditworthinesshoweveryour rates and terms may be higher.

Otherwisethe line of credit is light on fees. There are no maintenance fees and no charge for repaying early. Howeverif you pay lateyou'll pay the average of the original fees of the repayment plan — plus a $6 NSF fee if you missed a payment due to insufficient funds in your linked account.

When it comes to choosing a lender to get a business line of creditqualification requirements and repayment terms can vary greatly. To find the option that works best for youconsider your company's needs and overall financial situation and compare multiple lenders. And finallydon't disregard our financing toolssuch as small business loans — they may also offer the support your business needs.

At CNBC Selectour mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every business line of credit review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of small business products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and linkswe create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third partiesand we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics. See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best lines of credit for small businesses.

To determine which business lines of credit offer the best financing termsCNBC Select analyzed a dozen of online and brick-and-mortar lenders and their products.

We compared each business line of credit on a range of featuresincluding:

• Minimum and maximum loan amounts
• Length of term
• Credit score needed
• Application requirements
• Streamlined application process
• Fund disbursement

After reviewing the above featureswe organized our recommendations by best for flexible financingfinancing from a big banksecured financing and financing for startups.

The rates and fee structures for lines of credit are subject to change without noticeand they often fluctuate in accordance with the prime rate. Furtheryour fees and credit line will depend on your credit history and creditworthiness.

To provide a business line of creditlenders will conduct a hard credit inquiry and request a full applicationwhich could require both personal and business proof of incomeidentity verificationproof of address and more. You'll likely also need to provide a personal guarantee and demonstrate your business has been in operation for a long enough time.

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