Business Line of Credit

Flexible and convenient access to working capital. Lines of credit up to $100K.

Revolving
lines of credit from $6K - $100K

Flexible
repayment terms of 12, 18 or 24 months

Customizable
weekly or monthly payments

What is a business line of credit and how does it work?

A business line of credit is a type of funding that allows you to borrow from a set amount of money. You’re given a credit limit, and within it you can draw what you need, when you need it. You only pay interest and fees on what you borrow.

Compared to a term loan, a business line of credit is typically used to cover recurring business expenses or bridge cash flow gaps. With OnDeck, you replenish your available funds as you repay what you borrow. This is known as a revolving business line of credit. To help you build your credit history, we report your payment history to the business credit bureaus.

Benefits of OnDeck’s business line of credit.

Fast funding

Lines of credit can fund instantly.* Term loans can fund the same day.

Only pay for what you borrow

Withdraw what you need, when you need it. You’ll only be charged interest on the funds you draw.

Build business credit history

We report to business credit bureaus, which helps build business credit history with on-time payments.

Business funding that moves at your speed.

  • Step 1

    Complete the application.

    Our streamlined process is designed to be completed in just minutes.

  • Step 2

    Get a decision.

    Work with an expert loan advisor to choose the best option for you.

  • Step 3

    Receive your funds.

    Sign your contract and get funds as soon as the same day.

Are we a match? Check our business line of credit requirements.**

1 Year
in business

625
personal FICO® score

$100K
business annual revenue

Business
checking account

FAQs: OnDeck Business Line of Credit.

How does my line of credit payback work?

With an OnDeck Line of Credit, draws are consolidated into one loan with one easy weekly or monthly payment. As you pay back your principal, you replenish available funds. Our line of credit comes with no draw fees. Adjust the payment amount and term to ensure a comfortable weekly or monthly payment.

Can I get a credit line increase?

There are some times when you could really use access to additional funds. Based on your cash flow, net income and payback history, you may be eligible for a credit line increase. All you need to do is call your dedicated loan advisor to learn more.

How much will it cost?

The total cost of your line of credit will vary based on a number of factors, including your personal and business credit scores, time in business and annual revenue and cash flow.§

What other small business loans can I get in addition to my line of credit?

You may have a project that could benefit from funds beyond the capabilities of your business line of credit. At OnDeck we understand, and our term loans are available in addition to your business line of credit. Reach out to your dedicated loan advisor to explore some of your available options. In addition to OnDeck’s Term Loan and Line of Credit, there are many other types of small business loans to meet your funding needs.

What is OnDeck Instant Funding?*

Instant Funding is a fast and easy way for small business owners to access working capital to run their business. OnDeck is one of the only lenders to offer business lines of credit with instant access to your funds. Draw from your line of credit when you need it and see the funds in your account in seconds, 24/7, even when the banks are closed.*

What is the OnDeck Loan Comparison Tool?

Transparency is key when it comes to choosing a lender. That’s why OnDeck developed the OnDeck Loan Comparison Tool. In plain English and an easy-to-read format, this tool shows you key terms you need to evaluate potential short term loan offers so that you have a comprehensive, standardized breakdown of your cost of capital.

How can I use my line of credit to build business credit history?

We report your payments to business credit bureaus. So every time you pay on time, you’re building business credit history.

Will applying for an OnDeck line of credit affect my credit?

We use soft pulls of personal credit reports that don’t affect your credit score.

See how other small business owners have used their OnDeck Line of Credit.

Equipment Needs

Thanks to an OnDeck Line of Credit, this auto shop could pay for auto parts before receiving customer payment.

“Getting parts for cars is difficult here, since it’s a smaller town. When it takes us three and four days to get a car done, it’s kind of a pain … We used the funds to get all of our parts bills paid up and just to get everything back on track.”

Frank and Lori Cosenza
C and C Automotive
Bullhead City, AZ

Frank and Lori Cosenza
C and C Automotive
Bullhead City, AZ

Cash Flow Gaps

An OnDeck Line of Credit helped this small business owner bridge revenue gaps and cover operating expenses.

“I have used both a term loan and a line of credit from OnDeck to sustain my business when I have vacancies in my homes. Any business owner knows that your revenues can change over a period of time, but expenses do not. You need to borrow a little until you fill that vacancy so you can keep paying your bills, make payroll, etc. It’s smart business.”

Devoughn Owens
Meadowlark Home Care
Oak Park, MI

Devoughn Owens
Meadowlark Home Care
Oak Park, MI

Inventory Purchases

These winery owners used their flexible funding from OnDeck to purchase inventory.

“Without flexible financing, we would not be able to grow the business. We would have had to come up with other sources of cash or wait until the business generated enough cash to be able to grow. About 90% of the money we borrowed went to inventory, and about 10% was for payroll and other operations.”

Charlene and Ross Meriwether
Wild Women Winery
Denver, CO

Charlene and Ross Meriwether
Wild Women Winery
Denver, CO

Learn more about business lines of credit.

Secured business line of credit. This type of line of credit requires businesses to put up specific assets as collateral. Since a line of credit is a short-term liability, lenders typically ask for short-term assets, like accounts receivable or inventory.

Unsecured line of credit. While this type of line of credit doesn’t require specific collateral, your lender will likely place a general lien on your business and require a personal guarantee from you. You’ll likely need a stronger credit profile to qualify and interest rates may be higher. Additionally, keep in mind that unsecured lines of credit typically come with a lower credit limit.

Revolving line of credit. With this type of line of credit, you replenish your available funds as you repay what you borrow. This gives you access to future funding without needing to reapply. OnDeck’s business line of credit is a revolving line of credit.

Non-revolving line of credit. A non-revolving line of credit is just like a revolving line of credit except your available funding doesn’t replenish as you make payments. You’re given a capped credit limit, and when you reach that amount, you exhaust your funding.

A business line of credit and a business credit card are popular, flexible financing and purchasing tools used by business owners when they need quick access to cash. They provide a fixed amount of money that can be accessed as needed. You can borrow up to your limit, repay, then use the funds again.

A business line of credit can be used to make purchases and payments that you can’t use a credit card for. For example, you may not be able to use a credit card for payroll, your property lease or invoices from vendors. Additionally, business lines of credit often come with a higher credit limit.

A secured line of credit requires a business’s assets as collateral to secure the line. In the event the borrower defaults, the lender can take possession of the asset. Assets can include things like real estate, equipment, inventory, accounts receivable or cash accounts.

An unsecured business line of credit does not require a business to pledge assets as collateral to secure the line. Unsecured lines of credit typically require the business owner to have a strong credit profile and credit score, along with a positive business track record to qualify. In general, unsecured lines of credit have slightly higher interest rates and line sizes are relatively smaller.

To provide flexibility, OnDeck’s line of credit is unsecured.

Applying for a line of credit is similar to applying for a loan. Lenders will want to see financial records and other documentation that show your business is able to take on debt.

It’s a good idea to gather all the necessary information before you apply for a line of credit. Some basic information you need could include:

  • Your Business Tax ID number (EIN)
  • Your Social Security number
  • Estimated annual gross revenue
  • Three months of bank statements Average bank balance

Consider speaking with your accountant to make sure you’re familiar with these documents. Your lender may have questions and you’ll want to be prepared to discuss the financial health of your business.

Before you open a line of credit, make sure you understand your lender’s qualification criteria, conditions, interest rates and fees. You may be charged for account set-up, transactions or annual fees. Some lenders may waive certain fees for the first 12 months, but you could still be hit with them the following year.

Some lenders may require you to pay down your outstanding balance to $0 at some point during the year. This helps the lender minimize risk and reassures them that your business is not relying on the line of credit as a substitute for cash flow.

Because of the unpredictable nature of the market, your lender may reserve the right to call in payment immediately. This means the full balance of the line of credit would need to be paid. This can happen without warning so you should always be prepared to either replace the line of credit or scale back to weather the loss of credit.

  • Covering payroll
  • Hiring more employees
  • Purchasing inventory
  • Repairing business-critical equipment
  • Financing a marketing campaign
  • Bridging a seasonal cash flow gap

A line of credit can be helpful if you find yourself needing ongoing access to funding to meet short-term needs and day-to-day expenses. Here are few situations where a line of credit could be helpful:

  • You own an ice cream shop that makes most of its sales during the summer. In the offseason you use a line of credit to help cover the overhead until next summer. The line of credit helps keep your business running smoothly even though your income fluctuates.
  • You want to start a marketing campaign. You use a line of credit to give yourself some financial flexibility and are able to pay off the debt quickly because of the new business your campaign brought in.
  • You are waiting on clients to make payments on their invoices. You use a line of credit to manage your cash flow so you can offer your customers flexibility and keep your business running.

Most lenders prefer to offer a line of credit to more established businesses with a strong track record and revenues to support the more flexible financing provided by a line of credit.