Name: Wells Fargo Business Loans Review 2026 - NerdWallet
Item: Wells Fargo BusinessLine® Line of Credit

The bottom line:

The Wells Fargo BusinessLine® Line of Credit is a rare unsecured bank line of credit open to businesses with a minimum of 6 months in operation. It could be a strong option for a startup business owner with good personal credit, especially if you already bank with Wells Fargo.

Loan details

Min. Loan Amount

$10,000

Min. APR

8.5%

Max Loan Amount

$150,000

Max APR

16.5%

Qualifications

Min. credit score

680

Min. Time in Business

6 months

Pros & Cons

Pros

Low time in business requirement.

Competitive interest rates.

Includes a free rewards program.

Can help build business credit.

Can apply online or in person.

Cons

Annual fee applies after the first year.

Limited information available online.

Wells Fargo is one of the four largest bank lenders in the U.S., as of year-end 2025.

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In addition, the bank offers multiple small-business loans, including business lines of credit, SBA loans and commercial real estate financing. Wells Fargo business loans offer competitive rates and terms. But you’ll need strong credit and several years in business to qualify for most of its loan products.

Consider Wells Fargo if you:

Have an established business. Wells Fargo doesn't provide eligibility information for all its loan products online. But you will need a minimum of two years in business to qualify for the Wells Fargo Prime Line of Credit. The Wells Fargo BusinessLine® Line of Credit may be an option for newer businesses.
Want SBA financing. Wells Fargo is one of the most active Small Business Administration 7(a) lenders. In fact, it’s issued over $205 million in 7(a) loans so far in the 2026 fiscal year. The bank is also an SBA preferred lender. This means it has the experience and authority to speed applications through the underwriting process.
Don’t need quick access to funds. You’ll need to visit a branch to apply for a Wells Fargo business loan, in most instances. It may take several business days or weeks to receive financing from Wells Fargo.

» MORE: Compare the best banks for small-business loans

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.

Types of Wells Fargo business loans

Wells Fargo offers the following types of small-business loans:

Below, you’ll find details on the bank’s SBA loans and lines of credit. You can make an appointment with a Wells Fargo small-business lending representative to learn more about commercial real estate loans and health care practice financing.

Wells Fargo business loan details

Wells Fargo business lines of credit

	Wells Fargo BusinessLine® Line of Credit	Wells Fargo Prime Line of Credit
Loan amount	$10,000 to $150,000.	$100,000 to $3,000,000.
Credit score minimum	680.	680.
Estimated APR range	Between Prime plus 1.75% and Prime plus 9.75%, based on business and personal qualifications.	Starting at Prime plus 0.50%, with a minimum rate of 5.00%, based on business and personal qualifications.
Fees	Annual fee is waived for the first year, then $95 for credit lines up to $25,000 and $175 for lines over $25,000.	Origination fee: 0.25% of line amount, due at account opening and annual renewal.
Collateral	None; loan is unsecured.	Secured by business assets such as accounts receivable, inventory and equipment.
Terms	Revolving line of credit, no scheduled annual review required.	Up to three years for credit lines between $100,000 and $500,000; one year for credit lines between $500,001 and $3 million. Can be renewed annually, subject to credit approval.
Repayment schedule	Monthly.	Monthly.

Wells Fargo SBA loans

Wells Fargo also offers SBA 7(a) loans and SBA 504 loans.

The bank has substantial experience processing, servicing and issuing SBA loans. Because it’s a preferred lender, Wells Fargo can make final credit decisions without sending applications to the SBA. This speeds up the loan approval timeline.

	SBA 7(a) loan	SBA 504 loan
Loan amount	Up to $5 million.	Up to $5 million.*
Estimated APR range	Varies based on your business’s qualifications, but subject to SBA maximums.	Varies based on your business’s qualifications, but subject to SBA maximums.
Fees	Guarantee, origination, packaging, processing and other miscellaneous fees may apply.	Guarantee, origination, packaging, processing and other miscellaneous fees may apply.
Terms	Up to 25 years for commercial real estate and up to 10 years for all other purposes.	Up to 25 years for commercial real estate and up to 10 years for machinery or equipment.
Repayment schedule	Monthly.	Monthly.
Funding speed	Varies. Average timeline is 30 to 90 days for standard SBA loans.	Varies. Average timeline is 30 to 90 days for standard SBA loans.

*The standard maximum for an SBA 504 loan is $5 million. However, Wells Fargo lends up to $10 million for its portion of the loan. The maximum portion funded by a Certified Development Company is $5 million.

» MORE: How to qualify for an SBA loan

Where Wells Fargo stands out

Competitive rates and terms

Wells Fargo offers business loans with competitive rates and terms. The BusinessLine line of credit, for example, is a revolving line of credit with no scheduled annual review required. Rates on this unsecured business line of credit can range from the prime rate plus 1.75% to the prime rate plus 9.75%. The interest rate you receive will vary depending on your business’s creditworthiness and other factors.

Top SBA lender

Wells Fargo is an experienced SBA lender that offers two of the most common SBA loans: 7(a) and 504. The bank issued 1,607 SBA 7(a) loans in the 2025 fiscal year alone.

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You’ll likely need multiple years in business to qualify for an SBA 7(a) loan or a 504 loan from Wells Fargo.

Product-specific perks

Some of Wells Fargo’s business loans offer unique perks. For example, if you qualify for an unsecured line of credit, you’re automatically enrolled in a free rewards program. This allows you to earn a point for each dollar spent on eligible purchases. You can redeem your points for travel, gift cards, merchandise and other products.

Where Wells Fargo falls short

Minimal loan options compared with competitors

Compared with competitors like Bank of America and Chase, Wells Fargo has a limited number of business loan options. For example, Wells Fargo doesn’t offer:

If you’re looking for any of these specific types of business financing, you’ll need to consider other banks or online lenders.

» MORE: Compare the best online business loans

Hard to qualify and slow to fund

Like most bank lenders, you’ll likely need multiple years in business, excellent credit and strong financials to qualify for a Wells Fargo business loan.

An online application is available for the unsecured business line of credit only. For all other Wells Fargo business loans, you’ll need to contact a lending representative or visit a branch. Compared with online lenders offering low-doc business loans and fast funding, Wells Fargo is slower.

Limited information available online

Although not uncommon among bank lenders, Wells Fargo doesn't provide access to some of its loan details, such as annual revenue requirements. The bank lists specific details, like interest rate ranges and average time to fund, for certain products. But it doesn’t include all information consistently across the different loan types.

Alternatives to Wells Fargo

OnDeck

OnDeck - Line of credit

NerdWallet Rating

5.0

Min Time In Business

12 months

Read Review

Apply now

with Fundera by NerdWallet

Consider OnDeck over Wells Fargo if you:

Need fast funding.
Want a quicker application process.
Have only fair personal credit.

For a faster and more accessible unsecured business line of credit lender, consider OnDeck. OnDeck offers lines of credit up to $200,000 with terms of 12, 18 or 24 months. Interest rates vary but will likely be much higher than a Wells Fargo business line of credit.

You can apply for an OnDeck business line of credit online or over the phone, with minimal documentation, and receive funds as soon as the same day. To qualify, you need a minimum FICO score of 625, at least 12 months in business and at least $100,000 in annual revenue.

» Learn more: OnDeck business loans review

Bank of America

Bank of America Business Advantage Unsecured Line of Credit

NerdWallet Rating

4.9

Min Time In Business

24 months

Read Review

Consider Bank of America over Wells Fargo if you:

Need a wider variety of business loan options.
Already bank with BofA.

Bank of America provides business term loans, lines of credit, equipment financing, auto loans, commercial real estate loans and SBA loans.

Plus, if you have a Bank of America business checking account, you can apply for many of these loan options online. You can also become a member of the Preferred Rewards for Business program to access discounted interest rates and other perks.

Like Wells Fargo, however, you’ll need solid finances and several years in business to qualify for a business loan from Bank of America.

» Learn more: Bank of America business loans review

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.

Wells Fargo: A Top Small-Business Lender With a 5-Star Line of Credit