Chase Business Line of Credit: Complete Guide (2026)

2. What the line is, per Chase

Chase is one of the five Tier 1 issuers in the Bankable Blueprint™, along with American Express, U.S. Bank, Bank of America and Wells Fargo. Its business line of credit is not a card. It is a bank credit line, closer in spirit to the Wells Fargo BusinessLine than to an Ink card. The terms below come from Chase's own pages, read October 30, 2026.

Three of these rows deserve a second read. First, the line is for existing Chase for Business customers, and Chase's FAQs say you need to have or open a Chase Business Checking or Savings account. The bank wants a relationship before it lends. Second, Chase says interest only builds once you borrow, so an unused line costs the annual fee and nothing else. Third, the last row. Chase can end the revolving period at its discretion. A line you plan to use as your emergency cushion is only a cushion while the bank keeps it open.

Chase also sells a Commercial Line of Credit for amounts over $500,000. It is priced off the one-month SOFR rate, it has a booking fee of 0.15% of the line up to $3,000, and its minimum payment is interest only. It is a different product, so we leave it out of the rest of this guide. Chase also says it offers SBA Express lines up to $500,000. Our SBA products guide covers how those differ.

3. The price, in dollars

There are three costs: the annual fee, the interest, and the monthly paydown. Start with the one Chase prints.

The annual fee

The fee is 0.25% of your approved line, with a $200 minimum and a $750 maximum. That makes the minimum the real price for most owners.

The $200 floor holds until the line reaches $80,000, because 0.25% of $80,000 is $200. The $750 cap starts at $300,000. A small line carries the heaviest load. A $10,000 line costs 2.00% a year before you borrow a dollar. That is why Chase points owners who need less than $10,000 to a card.

The interest

Chase says the rate is variable and indexed to Prime. Prime was 7.00% on the Fed's H.15 table for October 28, 2026. The Federal Open Market Committee held its target range at 3-3/4 to 4 percent that day, in a 10 to 2 vote, with two members preferring a quarter-point hike (Federal Reserve). So Prime did not move. The next meeting is December 8 and 9.

Chase does not publish the spread it adds to Prime. One review site reports Prime plus 2.2% to Prime plus 7.15% (Finder), but we cannot find that range on a Chase page, and the "current" rates that site prints imply a Prime of 6.75%, which does not match the 7.00% on the Fed's table. Treat it as a clue, not a quote. The table below uses made-up rates that sit well inside any plausible range. They are not Chase's.

The gap between the low and high column on a $50,000 balance is $2,000 a year, or $166.67 a month. Your assigned spread matters more than anything the Fed does next. A quarter-point move in Prime is $10.42 a month on $50,000 and $31.25 a month on $150,000. Plan the payment calendar on the higher column and treat the lower one as a bonus.

The monthly paydown

This is the part owners forget. Chase's minimum is the interest plus 1% of the balance, or $100 if that is larger. Here is what it looks like at the hypothetical 11% rate.

Read the $50,000 row as a cash-flow question. If a $50,000 draw lands in your account and you leave it at work for the year, you owe about $958 in the first month. That is $11,500 a year if the balance and rate held still, and the balance would shrink a little as the 1% portion pays it down. Is that payment inside your monthly free cash? If you cannot answer in one line, the line is too big for now.

4. The 40% fee waiver trap

Chase says that after the first year, your annual fee is waived if your 12-month average use is at least 40% of your credit line. That sounds like a reward for using the product. For many owners it is a bad trade.

On the $50,000 line, you would pay $2,200 in interest to avoid a $200 fee. That is eleven times the fee. If you were going to borrow that money anyway for a project that earns more than 11%, the waiver is a nice side effect. If you are borrowing so the fee goes away, you are paying $2,000 for the privilege of a $200 savings.

The better question is whether you want the option. An unused line costs the fee and nothing else, because Chase says interest only builds once you borrow. A $200 fee on a line that sits ready for a slow season or a supplier deadline is the price of that option. If you would not pay $200 a year for the option, do not take the line.

One more detail in the same FAQ. The first fee is charged when you sign the agreement. The waiver is a year-two benefit, based on the prior 12 months. So year one always costs the fee.

5. Secured, and what that means

Chase's page answers the question in four words: "Chase only offers secured lines of credit." Chase's knowledge center repeats the point in softer language, saying Chase Business Banking typically provides secured lines (Chase). What it does not say is what backs the Business Line of Credit.

That leaves owners guessing. Chase's own collateral guide lists the usual choices: real estate, equipment, inventory, accounts receivable, cash or savings, and securities (Chase). That list covers business loans in general, not this line. LendingTree says Chase does not disclose the type of collateral used to secure a line of credit (LendingTree). NerdWallet says that to qualify you will need to provide collateral (NerdWallet).

Forum posters go further. In an October 2025 myFICO thread, one poster said Chase puts a UCC lien on your business for its business products. That is one person's claim. We could not confirm it on a Chase page, so we treat it as a question to ask, not a fact. Our UCC filings guide explains what a lien does and why it matters to the next lender who looks at your file.

What does Chase say about the end of the line? Its FAQs say that once the account is closed, Chase will decide whether the collateral can be released. The review can take around 10 business days from account closure, and it can take longer for state records to show a release if Chase decides to file one (Chase FAQs).

Here is why that matters in dollars. Say you close the line in March to clear the way for a $200,000 equipment loan. If a lien stays on file for a few extra weeks, the new lender may see the old one and ask for a payoff letter or a release before it funds. A closing that slips three weeks can cost a $200,000 purchase its vendor discount or its delivery slot. The fix is to ask three questions before you sign:

• What exactly is the collateral, in writing?
• Is any filing made against the business's assets, and where?
• When I close the line, who files the release, and how long does it take?

Secured does not mean the personal guarantee goes away. Chase says anyone with 20% or more ownership must personally guarantee the debt. On the Bankable Blueprint™ the personal guarantee stays until a business reaches $3 million or more in revenue with reserves and all four Legs of Bankability in place. A secured line is a guarantee plus a pledge. Our personal guarantee guide covers what that means for your own assets.

6. Who qualifies, and which page to believe

Chase's own list of eligibility factors is short.

• Business annual revenue of at least $100,000.
• A FICO score of at least 660. Chase says the score used is the personal FICO. For a multi-owner business, at least one guarantor must have a 660 (Chase).
• Majority ownership and management have not changed in the past two years.
• A consumer and/or business credit report free of bankruptcy or judgments, with a record of consistent on-time payments.
• A primary business address in any U.S. state except Alaska and Hawaii.
• Funds used only for business.
• A Chase Business Checking or Savings account, which you can open.

Chase also says other factors count: recent delinquencies, payment history, and how much of your available credit you already use. And it says meeting the list does not guarantee approval.

The third-party reviews do not match exactly. NerdWallet lists 24 months in business and says Chase does not publish its minimum credit score or revenue, though NerdWallet's own line-of-credit page prints 660 and $100,000. WSJ Buy Side lists two years in business, a 660 score and $100,000 of revenue. Chase's line-of-credit page speaks of ownership and management staying the same for two years, which the reviewers appear to read as a two-year clock. We could not find the words "two years in business" on the Chase line-of-credit page.

When a bank's page and a review disagree, plan around the bank's page and ask the banker on the phone. If you are under two years old, ask before you spend a hard inquiry.

Wells Fargo says a business six months old can apply for its BusinessLine. Chase's ownership clause means a business that changed hands or management in the last two years may not qualify. If you bought a company 18 months ago, the clock matters more than your revenue.

7. The application, step by step

Chase says to start by calling your Business Relationship Manager if you have one, or visiting a branch. NerdWallet adds that there is no online application for this line (NerdWallet). A December 2025 myFICO thread describes a pre-approval banner and an online start for some Chase customers, so the path may vary by account. Do not rely on it.

Here is what you need in hand. Chase lists these items for the application itself:

• Your personal monthly housing payment.
• Your business's annual gross revenue from the last fiscal year, rounded to the nearest dollar.
• How many people work for the business, counting employees and contractors.
• The date you became the business owner.
• How much you want to borrow.

The revenue line is the one that trips people. It is the last fiscal year, not a projection and not profit. Our revenue and income boxes playbook shows how to read that number off your return. If you filed on extension, the 30-day playbook covers which year to use.

And the documents Chase says are often needed, depending on the size of your request and your Chase relationship:

• Taxpayer ID or Social Security number.
• Evidence of good standing with the Secretary of State.
• The most recent year's business financials, such as an income statement and balance sheet.
• The number of workers.
• Articles of Incorporation or Articles of Organization.
• A tax transcript, such as a 4506-C or 8821, as requested.
• Business and personal tax returns.

Multi-owner businesses add a step. Any person or entity that owns 20% or more is a beneficial owner. Each one must give information, consent to a hard credit inquiry, confirm the other owners and provide a personal monthly housing payment. If any owner has a credit freeze, they need to unfreeze with Experian and TransUnion before you apply.

On timing, Chase says it does its best to decide within a couple of days once it has everything it needs. Reviews are looser. WSJ Buy Side says within two weeks for Chase term loans and lines. Plan on a few weeks, since a signed agreement can require more documents.

One more cost to know. Chase's inquiry rule is in plain words: you will see an inquiry on both your personal and business credit reports. If you do not meet the listed requirements, you can still apply, but Chase says it will do a hard inquiry on your personal and business credit during its review, which could affect your score and your ability to get another type of credit. A hard inquiry on a long-shot application is a real price.

8. What a decline looks like

A November 2024 myFICO thread includes a Chase decline letter for this line, posted by an owner who had just been turned down for an Ink card. It is a single case, but it is the most useful look at what Chase reads. The letter listed four reasons:

• High balance compared to credit limit on one or more consumer accounts.
• High number of inquiries on consumer credit report.
• Low business deposit balance with Chase.
• High number of open consumer accounts.

The letter also said Chase relied in part on Dun & Bradstreet. The poster said the personal FICO 8 was 711, the Chase business account held about $4,500, and the inquiry count was about two. Another poster in that thread said the line's underwriting is more rigorous than the card process, with a closer look at financials.

Read that as a map of the file Chase reads. Chase's own page names the same ground: credit reports, payment history and debt-to-credit ratio. Here are the four reasons, translated.

The deposit reason is the one owners can act on soonest. Chase prices this line as a relationship product. A line request sitting on top of a thin account does not look like a relationship.

The letter pointed to an SBA tool on what lenders look for. If you receive a letter like it, the reasons on it are the best free feedback you will get. Keep it, fix the reasons, and apply again only after you have changed the facts. Our reconsideration playbook covers when a call helps and when it does not.

9. Against a 0% card

An owner who needs $50,000 for a year has two paths on the table. One is a 0% business card. The other is this line. They do different jobs, so compare the cash.

The year-one gap is about $5,700 on the line side. That is the price of a facility that does not expire in month 13. It is not an argument that the card is better. A 0% window is a short, cheap loan. It ends, and our 0% exit plan walks through what to do before it does. A line is a longer tool at a real price.

Remember what 0% means. It does not mean zero monthly payment. A card balance still calls for a payment of roughly 1% to 1.5% a month, which is $500 to $750 on $50,000. That is the mechanic, and each card's own terms set the actual minimum.

One more difference. The Tier 1 issuers do not report ongoing business card balances to your personal credit file. Chase does not say on its pages how it reports this line, so we make no claim. Ask.

The cleanest use of the two: let the cards carry the short, dated needs, and keep the line for working capital you will need again and again. A seasonal inventory build that you repay each January is a line job. A $50,000 equipment purchase you want to carry for 12 months at 0% is a card job.

10. Where it fits in the three rounds

The Bankable Blueprint™ runs three same-day rounds. Round 1 is Month 3, with all five Tier 1 issuers on the same day: Chase, American Express, U.S. Bank, Bank of America and Wells Fargo, with American Express first on the soft-pull path. Round 2 is Months 7 and 8, with four issuers, skipping Wells Fargo. Round 3 is Months 11 and 12, with all five again. See why Round 2 skips Wells Fargo and why Round 3 exists.

The Chase line is not part of any round. It is a bank credit line with its own application, its own documents and a hard inquiry on both personal and business credit. Here is how we plan around that. This is our planning default, not a Chase rule.

• Build the Chase relationship first. Chase offers the line to existing Chase for Business customers, and the decline letter above named low deposits at Chase as a reason. Open the business checking account early and run real revenue through it. Our relationship banking playbook covers the opening sequence.
• Keep the line off a round day. A card round already puts several inquiries on the file. The decline letter listed a high number of inquiries and a high number of open consumer accounts as reasons. Adding a line application the same week gives Chase more to count.
• Default to after Round 3, unless the cash need is real and dated. By then the cards are placed, the file has had a year of seasoning, and the deposit history at Chase is deep. If a supplier deadline lands in Month 9, ask your advisor which window suits your file before you spend an inquiry.

Now add the cash. On $150,000 of 0% card balances, the minimum payments are about $1,500 to $2,250 a month, at 1% to 1.5% of the balance. A fully drawn $50,000 Chase line at the hypothetical 11% adds $958.33 a month. Together that is $2,458 to $3,208 a month before the first dollar of extra principal. Many files fail at the payment calendar, not at the application.

Same file. Same banks. Different order. Chase's own published rules do not change because you stack. What changes is the file Chase reads on the day you walk in, and whether the order of your applications left room for it.

11. The four Legs and this line

Leg 1: lender compliance

Chase asks for evidence of good standing with the Secretary of State, your articles, your taxpayer ID, and the date you became the owner. Those papers have to agree with each other and with your return. Our 20 lender compliance items show the checks. Keep ownership and management steady, because Chase's rule counts two years.

Leg 2: business credit scores

The decline letter said Chase relied in part on Dun & Bradstreet. That is one anecdote, but it fits a line that reads the business file as well as the owner. Our Paydex guide explains one widely used business score.

Leg 3: trade lines

You need 10 to 15 trade lines. A bank line is not a substitute for supplier accounts that report. Build both, and pay the line on the due date every month. A line with monthly payments is an honest test of your calendar.

Leg 4: financials

Chase asks for the most recent year's income statement and balance sheet, plus business and personal returns. A bank reads those pages against the revenue you typed. Our Leg 4 guide shows how.

12. Five mistakes owners make

1. Borrowing to waive the fee. On a $50,000 line, you carry about $20,000 to save $200, and at a hypothetical 11% that costs $2,200. See section 4.
2. Asking for the maximum. A bigger line costs no interest until you draw, but it can change the fee and it tempts spending. Size the request to the payment you can carry at a high rate.
3. Applying thin. A line request on top of a small Chase balance, or on the same week as a card round, looks like the file that was declined above. Fix the facts first.
4. Skipping the collateral questions. Ask what backs the line, what is filed, and who files the release. A lien that lingers three weeks can slow the next lender.
5. Treating the line as permanent. Chase can end the revolving period at its discretion. And closing is a process: you request a payoff statement, pay the exact amount, sign an Authorization to Close form, and stop scheduled payments. Chase says paying to $0 does not close the account, and an underpayment leaves it open and accruing interest. Do not plan a closing the week before a deal.

13. Before you walk into the branch

Count back from application day. Most of this is waiting for statements to season.

1. Day -90 Open or confirm a Chase Business Checking account, and run real revenue through it. A decline letter in a forum thread named low business deposits with Chase as a reason.
2. Day -60 Pull your personal credit reports. Pay down personal revolving balances before the statement dates. Stop opening new personal accounts.
3. Day -45 Space your applications. Keep the line off any week with a card round in it.
4. Day -30 Gather the filed return, an income statement, a balance sheet, your articles and a good standing certificate from the Secretary of State.
5. Day -21 Write the Number Sheet from our revenue and income playbook. Check the two-year ownership and management clock.
6. Day -14 Call your Chase Business Relationship Manager or the branch. Ask the collateral, filing, spread and fee questions. Ask for the answers in writing.
7. Day -7 Compute the monthly minimum at the request, fully drawn, at a rate you would not like. Size the request to what that payment allows.
8. Day 0 Apply. Every owner with 20% or more is present, consents to the hard inquiry, and has unfrozen credit.
9. Day +1 to +14 Answer document requests within two business days. Chase says it will reach out if it needs more.
10. Before you sign Read the collateral language, the fee date and the release process. If a point is unclear, ask again.

14. Questions owners ask

15. What we could not verify

• Chase's spread over Prime. Chase does not publish it. The Finder range of Prime plus 2.2% to 7.15% is not on a Chase page, and its "current" rates imply a Prime that does not match the Fed's 7.00%.
• What collateral backs the line, and whether Chase files a UCC lien. A poster on myFICO says it does. Chase's pages say only that the line is secured and that it reviews collateral release after closing.
• Whether a time-in-business minimum of two years is a Chase rule for this line. Chase's page speaks of ownership and management staying the same for two years. NerdWallet and WSJ Buy Side list 24 months.
• How, or whether, Chase reports the line to business or personal bureaus.
• A formula tying line size to revenue or deposits. Chase publishes none. We have seen rules of thumb in forums and older guides, could not verify any, and use none.
• The decline letter is one owner's story from November 2024, with a personal FICO 8 of 711, about $4,500 on deposit and about two inquiries. Another file will be read differently.
• Whether the online start described in a December 2025 myFICO thread is open to you. Chase's page says to start with a relationship manager or branch.
• All rates, balances, owners and payments in the tables are hypothetical. The 1% to 1.5% card payment range is a general mechanic, and each card's terms set the real minimum.
• Chase terms were read October 30, 2026 and can change without notice.

16. What to do next

If you want this line in the next year, start with the banking, not the application. Confirm a Chase Business Checking account, run real revenue through it, and write down the monthly payment you could carry on a fully drawn line at a rate you would not like. Those two steps decide most of the rest.

Same file. Same banks. Different order. The Bankable Blueprint™ puts that order on paper for your file.

Book a Bankable Blueprint Call

Related reading, already on this site:

• Wells Fargo BusinessLine - the other Tier 1 bank line, with a lower age bar.
• American Express Business Line of Credit - a line for Amex relationships.
• Revenue and Income Boxes - what to type and what to prove.
• 0% Exit Plan - before the intro window ends.
• Chase Ink Business Cards - the card side of the Chase relationship.

17. Compliance

This article is educational. It describes published bank terms and general planning methods. It is not credit, legal, tax, or financial advice, not a lending offer and not a promise of approval. Talk to a lawyer before you pledge business assets. Stacking Capital is a 1:1 capital advisory. We are not a bank, a lender, or a broker.

Terms change. Chase terms and rates cited here come from the sources below as read on October 30, 2026, and can change without notice. Dollar examples are illustrations of arithmetic, not quotes or projections.

Approval is not guaranteed. A personal guarantee applies on the Chase line and on the Tier 1 business credit products described in this article.

Sources: Chase, Business Line of Credit; Chase, Business Line of Credit FAQs; Chase, line of credit disclosures; Chase, how a business line of credit works; Chase, collateral guide; Federal Reserve, October 28 FOMC statement; Federal Reserve, H.15 selected interest rates; NerdWallet, Chase business loans review; NerdWallet, working capital lines of credit; WSJ Buy Side, secured business lines of credit; Finder, Chase line of credit review; LendingTree, secured lines of credit; myFICO, Chase LOC underwriting standards; myFICO, Which BLOC; myFICO, Chase business loan offer.