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Secured Business Line of Credit: Best Options for 2024

By Randa Kriss
Last updated on April 30, 2024
Edited byChristine Aebischer
✅Fact checked and reviewed
Secured business lines of credit allow you to leverage your assets to access affordable working capital.

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A secured business line of credit is backed by specific collateral, such as inventory or equipment. If you can’t repay your credit line, your lender can seize your pledged assets to recover its losses.
Providing collateral reduces risk for the lender — allowing you to access the most competitive interest rates and repayment terms. This security can also help strengthen your small-business loan application, especially if you’re a newer business or have a rocky credit history.

How much do you need?

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We’ll start with a brief questionnaire to better understand the unique needs of your business.

Once we uncover your personalized matches, our team will consult you on the process moving forward.

Here are 5 best secured business lines of credit

LenderNerdWallet Rating▼Max loan amount▼Min. credit score▼Next steps

Bank of America Cash Secured Line of credit

Read Review
4.6/5

Best for Cash secured business lines of credit

Undisclosed670
Read Review

SBA 7(a) loan

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Best for SBA secured business lines of credit

$5,000,000650

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Wells Fargo Prime line of credit

Read Review
4.4/5

Best for Large secured business lines of credit

$1,000,000680
Read Review

American Express® Business Line of Credit

Read Review
4.6/5

Best for Secured business line of credit for low-revenue businesses

$250,000660
Read Review

Bank of America Secured Business Line of Credit

Read Review
4.1/5

Best for Bank secured line of credit

UndisclosedUndisclosed
Read Review

Here are 5 best secured business lines of credit

Best for Cash secured business lines of credit

Bank of America

Max Amount

Undisclosed

Min. Credit Score

670

Read Review

Best for SBA secured business lines of credit

U.S. Small Business Administration

Max Amount

$5,000,000

Min. Credit Score

650

Best for Large secured business lines of credit

Wells Fargo

Max Amount

$1,000,000

Min. Credit Score

680

Read Review

Best for Secured business line of credit for low-revenue businesses

American Express Business Blueprint™

Max Amount

$250,000

Min. Credit Score

660

Read Review

Best for Bank secured line of credit

Bank of America

Max Amount

Undisclosed

Min. Credit Score

Undisclosed

Read Review

I'M INTERESTED IN:

Our pick for

Cash secured business lines of credit

Companies with at least six months in operation can use Bank of America’s secured credit line to establish business credit. Timely payments can help borrowers graduate to an unsecured line of credit option.

Bank of America Cash Secured Line of credit

4.6
NerdWallet rating 
Read Review
Max Loan Amount
Undisclosed
Min. credit score
670
Bank of America’s Cash Secured line of credit can help startups cover working capital needs and establish business credit.
4.6
NerdWallet rating 

Max loan

Undisclosed

Min. Credit score

670

Bank of America’s Cash Secured line of credit can help startups cover working capital needs and establish business credit.
Read Review

Our pick for

SBA secured business lines of credit

Through the SBA’s CAPLines program, you can choose from four credit line options. Each line of credit is designed for a specific purpose, including working capital, seasonal slows, construction and contract orders.

SBA 7(a) loan

Read Review

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Max Loan Amount
$5,000,000
Min. credit score
650
Est. APR
11.50-15.00%
7(a) loans are issued by private lenders and backed by the SBA. They offer long repayment terms and low interest rates.
Lowest interest rate

Max loan

$5,000,000

Min. Credit score

650

Apr range

11.50-15.00%

7(a) loans are issued by private lenders and backed by the SBA. They offer long repayment terms and low interest rates.
Read Review

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Our pick for

Large secured business lines of credit

Wells Fargo’s secured business line of credit is available in amounts up to $1 million. This credit line is designed for established companies that need to finance larger working capital needs.

Wells Fargo Prime line of credit

4.4
NerdWallet rating 
Read Review
Max Loan Amount
$1,000,000
Min. credit score
680
Est. APR
9.00%
Wells Fargo’s secured line of credit is a good option for well-established businesses that want access to large amounts of working capital.
4.4
NerdWallet rating 

Max loan

$1,000,000

Min. Credit score

680

Apr range

9.00%

Wells Fargo’s secured line of credit is a good option for well-established businesses that want access to large amounts of working capital.
Read Review

Our pick for

Secured business line of credit for low-revenue businesses

The American Express Business Blueprint line of credit is secured by business assets, and amounts range between $2,000 and $250,000. The minimum annual revenue requirement is only $36,000, or $3,000 per month.

American Express® Business Line of Credit

4.6
NerdWallet rating 
Read Review
Max Loan Amount
$250,000
Min. credit score
660
The American Express® Business Line of Credit is a good option for business owners with fair credit who want access to working capital.
4.6
NerdWallet rating 

Max loan

$250,000

Min. Credit score

660

The American Express® Business Line of Credit is a good option for business owners with fair credit who want access to working capital.
Read Review

Our pick for

Bank secured line of credit

Bank of America’s secured line of credit can be secured by a blanket lien on business assets or a certificate of deposit (CD). Interest rates are competitive, but you’ll need at least two years in business and a minimum annual revenue of $250,000 to qualify.

Bank of America Secured Business Line of Credit

4.1
NerdWallet rating 
Read Review
Max Loan Amount
Undisclosed
Min. credit score
Undisclosed
Bank of America’s secured line of credit offers competitive rates for experienced business owners with good revenue.
4.1
NerdWallet rating 

Max loan

Undisclosed

Min. Credit score

Undisclosed

Bank of America’s secured line of credit offers competitive rates for experienced business owners with good revenue.
Read Review

How Much Do You Need?

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What is a secured business line of credit?

Secured business lines of credit are backed by some type of collateral, typically tangible business assets like property or equipment. The collateral you provide serves as a form of security for your lender — if you fail to repay, the lender can claim and sell your pledged assets to cover its losses.
Some lenders may also require a personal guarantee and/or a Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) filing — in addition to specific collateral.
A personal guarantee holds you personally responsible for the debt if your business can’t pay, and a UCC filing allows your lender to seize your business assets if you default. These documents provide further protection for your lender to ensure that your credit line is repaid.

How does a secured business line of credit work?

Like any other business line of credit, a secured credit line allows you to borrow from a set limit of funds and only pay interest on the money you borrow.
Then, you repay what you’ve borrowed over time — usually on a weekly or monthly schedule. You can continue to draw on your credit line, as needed, provided that you make timely payments and don’t exceed your credit limit.

Unsecured vs. secured business line of credit

Unlike secured lines of credit, unsecured business lines of credit are not backed by physical collateral. These credit lines may, however, require a personal guarantee and/or UCC lien. Despite the terminology, it’s unlikely that you’ll find an unsecured line of credit that doesn’t include any protection for the lender.
When you don’t provide collateral, lenders may see your business as more of a risk. As a result, unsecured lines of credit tend to have lower funding amounts, shorter repayment terms and higher interest rates compared with secured credit lines.
» MORE: Is a small-business loan secured or unsecured?

Pros and cons of a secured business line of credit

Pros

Providing collateral offsets some of a lender’s risk, which may help you qualify for more competitive interest rates and terms.

Offering collateral can help strengthen your application, especially if you’re a startup or have poor credit history.

Cons

A lender will typically require documentation about the asset you’re pledging as collateral, and possibly conduct an appraisal, which can slow the application process.

You may be at risk of losing your assets if you fail to repay your line of credit.

Why you might choose a secured business line of credit

  • You have collateral. If you have business assets like vehicles, large equipment, commercial real estate or even cash, you may consider using it to make your credit application more attractive to lenders.  
  • You want more competitive rates and terms. Securing your line of credit with valuable collateral reduces a lender’s risk, which can lead to lower interest rates and more favorable repayment terms for your business. 
  • You’re looking to build business credit. If your lender reports to business credit bureaus, secured business lines of credit can be a great way to build business credit, though you’ll need to make sure you use the line responsibly and make on-time payments. Established business credit can help your business access more capital, with more affordable rates and terms in the future. 
  • You want flexible financing. Securing a business line of credit can allow you to access a flexible form of financing. Having a line of credit means you can access capital fairly quickly as needed, but you only pay interest on the amount you draw. 

Where to get a secured business line of credit

Secured business lines of credit are available from traditional and online lenders. The right option for you will depend on factors such as funding needs, speed, interest rates and qualifications, among others.

Banks and credit unions

Banks and credit unions will typically provide credit lines with the most competitive interest rates and terms. These lenders may offer different ways to secure your line of credit — like a certificate of deposit or non-real estate business assets.
To qualify, however, you’ll generally need multiple years in business, good credit and strong finances. Business bank loans are also slow to fund. Wells Fargo’s secured credit line, for example, takes up to two weeks just for processing after you’ve submitted your documentation.

SBA lenders

SBA lenders offer secured lines of credit through the 7(a) loan program. Some SBA lenders, usually banks and credit unions, provide credit lines through the CAPLines program, which falls under the larger 7(a) umbrella.
There are four types of these SBA lines of credit, designed for specific use cases, such as working capital, seasonal slows and contract orders. To qualify, you’ll need to meet standard requirements for the SBA 7(a) loan program as well as criteria for the individual credit line you need. Collateral requirements also vary based on the specific credit line.
If you don’t qualify for one of these credit lines through a bank or credit union, you may be able to get financing through a Community Advantage Small Business Lending Company (previously a Community Advantage lender).
Through the new CA SBLC license, these nonprofit and community lenders can issue 7(a) loans, while continuing to focus on helping borrowers in traditionally underserved markets, including startups and those in low-income communities.
» MORE: How to qualify for an SBA loan

Online lenders

Online lenders tend to provide fast, flexible funding. Compared with bank and SBA lenders, these companies typically have more lenient qualification requirements but higher interest rates.
Although some online lenders may issue secured credit lines, many offer unsecured lines of credit instead. If you need faster access to working capital but don’t want to pay a premium on speed and flexibility, you might try talking to an online lender about its collateral policies.
Though the lender may not require collateral, it may allow you to secure your line of credit to access more competitive terms.
» MORE: How to apply for a business line of credit
Last updated on April 30, 2024

Methodology

NerdWallet’s review process evaluates and rates small-business loan products from traditional banks and online lenders. We collect over 30 data points on each lender using company websites and public documents. We may also go through a lender’s initial application flow and reach out to company representatives. NerdWallet writers and editors conduct a full fact check and update annually, but also make updates throughout the year as necessary.
Our star ratings award points to lenders that offer small-business friendly features, including: transparency of rates and terms, flexible payment options, fast funding times, accessible customer service, reporting of payments to business credit bureaus and responsible lending practices. We weigh these factors based on our assessment of which are the most important to small-business owners and how meaningfully they impact borrowers’ experiences.
NerdWallet does not receive compensation for our star ratings. Read more about our ratings methodology for small-business loans and our editorial guidelines.

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