Chase Business Line of Credit Review

So, what can you expect with a Chase business line of credit?

With their line of credit, Chase approves you for a pool of funds—anywhere as small as $10,000 to as large as $500,000.

Like any traditional business line of credit, you can draw on the pool of funds whenever you want or need to for your business and you only pay interest on the amount you draw from the line.

Once you draw from the line, you’ll pay Chase back, plus interest, over a monthly payment schedule. Chase also allows you to choose a monthly payment date that suits your cash flow.

This means that with the business line of credit Chase offers, you’ll have a pretty comfortable repayment period. This is unlike shorter-term, non-bank line of credit lenders that often require daily or weekly repayments to replenish your credit line (which can take a toll on your daily cash flow).

Moreover, a Chase business line of credit is revolving credit, meaning once you pay back what you’ve borrowed, your credit line gets refilled to its original amount. Until you’ve fully repaid what you borrowed, Chase will deduct automatic monthly payments from your Chase business checking account. (This means that to get a Chase business line of credit, you’ll have to have a Chase business checking account.)

It’s important to note that Chase’s line of credit has a maximum revolving term of five years. At the end of the five-year term, you can no longer draw from the credit line, and you’ll need to pay your outstanding balance over five years, unless you request a renewal.

The rates you receive on a Chase business line of credit will vary based on a number of factors—including your banking relationship, credit history, and collateral. However, typically bank loans and lines of credit have rates below 10%.

Chase business lines of credit come with fees, too.

You’ll have to pay an annual fee. If your credit line is $50,000 or less, your annual fee is $150. If it’s more than $50,000, you’ll have to pay $250 as an annual fee. That said, your annual fee is automatically waived when your average credit line utilization is 40% or more of your credit line amount.

Be sure to calculate fees into your total APR to see what the financing will really cost you.

A Chase business line of credit is the ideal option for business owners who need access to cash for a short time frame.

Any business owner who has cash flow fluctuation issues should have a line of credit. When your cash flow fluctuates or you have general working capital needs for your small business, you can tap into your line of credit to use the funds however you’d like.

While generally, you’ll be using your line of credit for business financing and growth purposes, Chase also allows you to use your line of credit as overdraft protection on your Chase business banking account.

This means that when your line of credit is linked to your Chase business checking account, you can draw from your line of credit to make purchases even when you don’t have sufficient funds in your checking account.

Tapping into your Chase line of credit might be a different process for each borrower. And generally, tapping into your line of credit might be a little more complicated with Chase than with other line of credit lenders.

To get to your business line of credit to make a draw, you’ll need to write a check, transfer funds on the telephone, or go through Chase’s website to transfer funds online.

Beyond a traditional business line of credit, Chase also offers a commercial line of credit.

What’s the difference between the two?

Well, the commercial line of credit Chase offers is geared towards bigger businesses with large working capital needs. According to Chase, their commercial line of credit is best for larger working capital needs.

In addition, these Chase lines of credit are larger than $500,000. The terms are initially set at 12 to 24 months, but given that you’re in good standing with the bank, you can renew your commercial line of credit.

The Chase commercial line of credit has variable interest rates indexed by the LIBOR (London Interbank Offered Rate). You won’t have to worry about annual fees with the Chase commercial line of credit.

To repay what you draw from the line of credit, you’ll have monthly payments on only what you owe in interest.

To evaluate eligibility for all Chase business loans, Chase looks at the type of business financial information that you might expect—credit score, time in business, annual revenue, etc.

Before going into the process of applying, it’s important to note that it’s tough to qualify for any bank business line of credit, and qualifying for the Chase business line of credit is no exception.

Here are the credentials Chase will take into account when you submit an application:

If you’re looking for a Chase business line of credit, then you should look at your financials closely and get them in tip-top shape.

And when we say financials, we mean a lot of things. But the three main business line of credit requirements Chase will look at are your credit score, fixed assets, and your debt-to-income ratio.

Just like any traditional bank, Chase considers your personal and business credit score closely before working with you. If you don’t have a strong credit score (think 680+) to prove that you’ll repay your line of credit once you draw from it, Chase probably won’t approve your business line of credit application.

Chase is looking for valuable assets that they can easily liquidate in case you default on your loan payments. This means that Chase will look at your cash reserves, home equity, and vehicles to get a sense of the value of your assets.

They’ll also look at your personal financial information if your business doesn’t have any real history to go by.

Finally, Chase will closely consider your debt-to-income ratio.

This ratio is simple: it evaluates how much debt you have on the books compared to how much income you’re bringing in. Debt includes any mortgage or rent payments, car loan payments, credit card payments, and existing loan payments.

The best borrowers have low debt-to-income ratios. Having a debt-to-income ratio below 20% might mean that you’re eligible for a Chase business line of credit.

To qualify for a Chase business line of credit, make sure you have a solid business plan ready for an application.

This is a must-have on any bank loan application.

Chase wants to see what your finances have been like in the past, and what you’re projecting in the future.

They’ll want to see that the two add up. After all, if you’ve struggled financially in the past, there isn’t much reason to believe you’ll hit your financial goals in the future. On the other hand, success in the past will give Chase confidence that you’ll do well in the future—and have enough cash on hand to meet your line of credit repayment obligations.

A business plan isn’t just about the financials, though. It also outlines your customers, your market, your product line, and so on.

Your business plan is your opportunity to prove to Chase that lending to your business via a line of credit is a good investment, so be sure to put time and thought into planning it out.

If you’re wondering how to apply for a Chase business line of credit, you can do so by visiting one of Chase’s branches and working with a representative to complete and submit an application. It’s important to note that these credit lines may not be available in all states, so you’ll likely want to call your local Chase Bank branch to verify that they offer business lines of credit before visiting to apply.

Or, if you’re a qualified borrower and want to be sure what your options are, you should compare what you qualify for at other banks. Here are some similar options you might check out:

• Capital One business lines of credit
• Bank of America business lines of credit
• Wells Fargo business loans

But if you apply and find that you don’t qualify for a Chase line of credit, you might be wondering what your other line of credit options are.

Well, the next step down from bank lines of credit are lines of credit offered by alternative, non-bank lenders.

These non-bank lenders offer a similar product, but easier access to financing. While you won’t get rates as low as what Chase offers for their line of credit, you’ll benefit from these lenders’ accessibility. Here are three top options to consider:

Fundbox is an extremely accessible, fast line of credit lender.

The maximum line of credit amount with Fundbox is $100,000, with terms of either 12 weeks or 24 weeks. The interest rate on Fundbox’s line of credit starts at 4.66% per week. Fundbox doesn’t charge any origination, maintenance, or draw fees, and they offer funding as fast as one business day.

To qualify for Fundbox’s revolving line of credit, you need to have been in business for at least six months, make at least $100,000 in annual revenue, and have a personal credit score of 600 or higher—making this a much more accessible line of credit than Chase or any other bank line of credit.

Plus, Fundbox offers one of the simplest applications on the market, all you have to do is connect your bank account or accounting software to their platform and fill in a few additional details to apply.

Read our complete Fundbox review.

OnDeck offers both short-term loans and lines of credit for a variety of business financing needs.

Their line of credit product goes up to $100,000 for a maximum repayment term of 12 months.

To qualify, you’ll need a minimum of 625 credit score, one year in business, and at least $100,000 in annual revenue. You’ll certainly find that OnDeck’s product is much easier to qualify for than a Chase business line of credit.

Plus, OnDeck offers financing fast. It takes about 10 minutes to apply, and the underwriting process will take no more than a day or two. The funds will be deposited into you account as soon as the same day you apply.

Read our full OnDeck review.

Bluevine offers a line of credit that goes up to $250,000, with a fixed six-month or fixed 12-month term. (The 12-month term option has a monthly payment plan.) The Bluevine line of credit has rates starting at 6.2%. This is a simple interest rate calculated from total repayments over 26 weeks.

Qualifying for a Bluevine line of credit requires a minimum personal credit score of 625, 24 months or more in business, and at least $40,000 in monthly revenue.

However, Bluevine also has a fast and easy application, and once you’re approved, they can fund your revolving line of credit as fast as the same day.

Read our complete Bluevine review.

Now that you’re familiar with the details of this low-cost financing option, it’s time for you to decide if applying for the Chase business line of credit is right for your small business. When it comes down to it, if you think you can meet the requirements, opting for Chase’s line of credit—or any bank line of credit—will be a great option to access affordable revolving working capital.

On the other hand, however, there are also more accessible business lines of credit out there if you don’t think you can qualify or need funding fast. If you’re looking for a place to start, you can check out Fundbox, Bluevine, or OnDeck, as well as explore our guide to alternative lenders.