BlueVine business line of credit review

Our take on BlueVine business loans

BlueVine is a direct online lender that offers business lines of credit and invoice factoring. It's simple to use and you can access your funds within one business day — or less, in some cases.

With low minimum withdrawal amounts and flexible requirements, it's well-suited for new companies and small business owners with less-than-perfect credit. It's also one of the few factoring companies I've reviewed that has no minimum invoice volume requirements.

But if you can qualify for a bank loan, you'll likely find lower rates and more flexible payments. There are also restrictions on the types of businesses that can qualify for each product. Read the fine print to make sure your business is eligible before you apply.

BlueVine line of credit

BlueVine offers a revolving line of credit from $5,000 to $250,000 to small businesses looking for easy-access working capital. These are secured with a lien on your business's assets and a personal guarantee from all business owners.

Unlike some providers, it has a minimum amount you can withdraw — $5,000 the first time around and $500 for all other withdrawals.

BlueVine line of credit rates, fees and terms

BlueVine charges a starting interest rate of 4.8% on its line of credit. There are no origination, monthly maintenance, draw or termination fees if you close your account. Each withdrawal turns into a short-term loan with a term of 6 to 12 months, which your business pays in weekly installments.

Use our calculator to find out how much you’d pay on a monthly basis and in total for a specific withdrawal. Divide the result by 4.35 — the average number of weeks in a month — to get an estimate of each weekly repayment.

BlueVine invoice factoring

BlueVine's invoice factoring service is in the form of a line of credit with limits high as $5 million. To use its factoring line of credit, select or upload the invoices you'd like to fund to your BlueVine dashboard and send a request. You can have the funds deposited into your account in as little as a few hours.

You can cancel your factoring line of credit at any time at no cost. And like most factoring companies, it only offers recourse factoring. This means you're responsible for any invoices that your clients don't fill on time.

BlueVine advance rates, factoring fees and terms

BlueVine offers advance rates of around 85% to 90% of your invoice's value. This is the amount your business receives upfront.

Each week your clients take to fill their invoices, BlueVine charges a factoring fee of at least 0.25%. After your clients fill your invoices, you'll receive the remaining value, with the factoring fee subtracted.

BlueVine PPP loans

BlueVine was a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) lender while the COVID-19 assistance program was still open to applications. Currently you can't apply for new funds. But it's accepting applications for forgiveness from 2020 borrowers.

How PPP loan forgiveness works with BlueVine

BlueVine is reaching out to all businesses eligible to apply for forgiveness by email. This email should contain information about how to apply. After you apply BlueVine will pause all payments while the Small Business Administration (SBA) process your application.

Businesses that haven't received an invitation to apply for forgiveness aren't expected to take any action. But if you haven't received an email 30 days before your first payment is due, reach out to customer service.

How BlueVine compares to other lenders

OnDeck and FundThrough are two similar online lenders that offer working capital loans.

OnDeck offers short-term loans and lines of credit with similar credit limits and repayment schedules. Unlike BlueVine, it offers free same-day funding on credit line withdrawals. But it's a little harder to qualify for and interest rates start higher.

FundThrough specializes in invoice factoring and financing. Like BlueVine, you can also receive your funds within 24 hours — though it can factor up to $10,000,000 in unpaid invoices. Its factoring and invoice financing fees start slightly higher than BlueVine's — but it's more transparent about the total cost.

★★★★★

Finder Rating: 4.5 / 5

Find out more
Loan amount $5,000 to $250,000
APR Starting at 4.8%
Loan term 6 to 12 months
Requirements 6+ months in business, $10,000+ in monthly revenue, 600+ credit score

★★★★★

Finder Rating: 4.6 / 5

Find out more
Loan amount $5,000 to $250,000
APR Starting at 35%
Loan term 3 to 18 months
Requirements 600+ personal credit score, 1 year in business, $100,000+ annual revenue

★★★★★

Finder Rating: 4.5 / 5

Find out more
Loan amount $500 to $10,000,000
APR Not applicable
Loan term Up to 3 months
Requirements Considers your business’s invoicing and banking history

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BlueVine reviews and complaints

BlueVine gets mixed customer reviews on sites like the Better Business Bureau and Trustpilot. Customers are generally happy with the simple application and fast turnaround. And the majority of complaints are about its business checking account product — not the loans.

It's seen an increase in complaints since 2020, while it was only offering PPP loans. Like many lenders, BlueVine's live customer support team was faced with a higher volume of calls than it typically handles. Because of the unique circumstances, I don't think this reflects what you'll find with BlueVine today. Older customer reviews likely give a better idea of what you can expect.

How to qualify

BlueVine has a different set of requirements for lines of credit and invoice factoring.

BlueVine line of credit requirements

To qualify for a line of credit, your small business must meet the following criteria:

• At least six months in business
• Personal credit score of 600 or higher
• At least $10,000 in monthly revenue
• Registered as a corporation or LLC
• Not located in North Dakota, South Dakota, Puerto Rico or US territories
• Eligible industry

BlueVine invoice factoring requirements

To qualify for invoice factoring, your small business must meet these minimum requirements:

• At least three months in business
• Personal credit score of 530 or higher
• At least $10,000 in monthly revenue
• Business-to-business or business-to-government business
• Eligible industry

Unlike the line of credit, invoice factoring is available in all states. Sole proprietors and partnerships can also qualify — though they will be subject to a hard credit check after approval.

How the application works

You can apply for a BlueVine line of credit online through its website or mobile app. Typically you need to submit your three months of bank statements along with your application — or connect with your business checking account. It takes as little as five minutes to get a response. If you're approved, review your offer and follow the directions to sign your loan documents after reading BlueVine’s terms.

Once you've finalized your loan, you can begin drawing from your line of credit when your business needs. For every draw, you’ll be on the hook for weekly repayments, which are automatically deducted from your business bank account.

How long does it take to receive my funds?

If you pay for a $15 wire transfer, you can receive your funds within a few hours after you're approved. Otherwise, you'll typically receive your funds the day after approval — though it can take as long as three days for the bank transfer to go through.

This applies to both types of business financing.

What sets it apart

BlueVine's easy-to-use website, low credit score and monthly revenue requirements set it apart from other providers. Its lack of a minimum invoice volume and the fact that it doesn't charge termination fees also set it apart from factoring companies. This makes it a good option for businesses operating on the smaller end.

Where it falls short

Compared to other online lenders, BlueVine falls short when it comes to requirements. It might accept new businesses and bad credit. But its restrictions on industries, states and even business structures can be limiting for some small businesses.

And while it doesn't disclose rates, several of its customers have complained of the high cost. If you can qualify for a line of credit from your bank, you will likely find lower rates and fees.

More products available through BlueVine

BlueVine isn't just a financing company — it also offers other banking services to small businesses.

• BlueVine's business checking account comes with a 1% interest rate on balances up to $100,000 and doesn't charge monthly service or nonsufficient funds fees. There's also no minimum checking account balance and it accepts cash deposits.
• BlueVine Payments offers a simplified platform to manage one-time and recurring payments. It allows you to make more payments by credit card to maximize points.

These two products come together — when you sign up for one, you have access to the other. Read our review of BlueVine's business checking account to learn more about how it works.

Is it legit?

BlueVine is a legitimate online lender that has funded over $14 billion in business loans since its founding in 2013. It's also passed the muster for a few federal standards. It's a member of the Federal Depository Institution Corporation (FDIC). And the SBA approved BlueVine to be a direct lender for the PPP.

However, because it's a financial technology company, it doesn't have to meet the same regulatory standards as a bank.

See how BlueVine compares to other lenders by checking out our guide to BlueVine alternatives.