Wells Fargo publishes real rate bands on its business lines of credit — more than most big banks do — but its unsecured BusinessLine caps at $150,000 and needs a 680+ credit score, while its large Prime Line requires $2 million or more in revenue and a lien on your business assets. That’s a wide ladder, but each rung has a firm bar. Here’s what Wells Fargo offers, and how REIL Capital compares.
What Wells Fargo Offers
Wells Fargo runs three distinct business lines of credit for different stages of business, and to its credit it publishes rate bands rather than hiding pricing entirely.
BusinessLine is the unsecured, revolving line for established businesses: $10,000 to $150,000, with guarantors typically needing a 680+ credit score and at least 6 months in business. The rate runs Prime + 1.75% to Prime + 9.75% depending on qualifications, and the annual fee is waived the first year, then $95 on lines of $10,000–$25,000 or $175 on larger lines. A personal guarantee is required from owners holding 25% or more of the business.
Prime Line of Credit is the large, secured line: $100,000 to $3,000,000 for businesses with $2 million to $25 million in annual revenue. It’s secured by a first-priority lien on your accounts receivable, inventory, equipment, and other business assets, priced as low as Prime + 0.50% with a 5.00% floor, and carries an annual fee of 0.25% of the line amount.
Small Business Advantage is Wells Fargo’s SBA-backed line for businesses that have been operating less than two years — the on-ramp product for newer companies that don’t yet meet BusinessLine’s bar. Its published terms are limited, and SBA eligibility rules apply.
Wells Fargo vs. REIL Capital, Side by Side
| Factor | Wells Fargo | REIL Capital |
|---|---|---|
| Unsecured line (established) | BusinessLine: $10,000–$150,000, 680+ credit score, 6+ months in business | Line of credit $5,000–$1,000,000; published bar 600 credit score, 1 year in business, $300,000 revenue |
| Large line | Prime Line: $100,000–$3,000,000, but requires $2M–$25M revenue and a lien on your business assets | Seven financing products spanning $5,000–$10,000,000 for a range of revenue profiles |
| Newer businesses | Routed to the SBA-backed Small Business Advantage line (under 2 years in business) | Line of credit qualifies at 1 year in business |
| Rate | Published as a band over Prime (BusinessLine Prime + 1.75% to + 9.75%); actual rate set at underwriting | Priced per applicant — ask about the full fee schedule for your product |
| Application | Traditional bank underwriting | About a two-minute online application; one team handles your file end to end |
Wells Fargo is one of the more transparent big banks — publishing a Prime-relative rate band is genuinely useful for comparison shopping. The tradeoffs are the eligibility bars: the unsecured BusinessLine tops out at $150,000 and wants a 680+ score, and the only way to a seven-figure line is the Prime Line, which requires $2 million in revenue and a lien on your business assets.
When Wells Fargo Might Be the Right Fit
If your business clears the 680+ credit / 6-months-in-business bar for BusinessLine, or has $2 million or more in revenue and is comfortable pledging business assets for the Prime Line, Wells Fargo is a well-established option with published rate bands and a product for nearly every stage — including an SBA-backed on-ramp for companies under two years old.
When REIL Capital Makes More Sense
If your credit sits below 680, you want a line larger than $150,000 without the $2 million revenue and asset-lien requirements of a Prime Line, or you’d rather not work through traditional bank underwriting, REIL Capital is built for that. REIL Capital’s line of credit runs $5,000 to $1,000,000 with a published bar — 600 credit score, 1 year in business, $300,000 in annual revenue — and it lends across seven products on deals up to $10,000,000. The application takes about two minutes, one team handles it end to end, and on some products approval comes within 24 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
What credit score do I need for a Wells Fargo business line of credit?
For the unsecured BusinessLine, guarantors typically need a 680+ credit score along with at least 6 months in business. The larger Prime Line is aimed at businesses with $2 million to $25 million in annual revenue and is secured by a lien on business assets.
What is the interest rate on a Wells Fargo business line of credit?
Wells Fargo publishes rate bands rather than a single APR. BusinessLine runs Prime + 1.75% to Prime + 9.75%, and the Prime Line is priced as low as Prime + 0.50% with a 5.00% floor. Your actual rate is set at underwriting based on your qualifications.
What if my business is less than two years old?
Wells Fargo routes newer businesses to its SBA-backed Small Business Advantage line, which follows SBA eligibility rules. REIL Capital’s line of credit qualifies at 1 year in business, with a published bar of a 600 credit score and $300,000 in annual revenue.
How is REIL Capital different from Wells Fargo?
REIL Capital publishes its line-of-credit bar (600 credit score, 1 year in business, $300,000 annual revenue), offers lines from $5,000 to $1,000,000, and lends across seven products up to $10,000,000 — with a two-minute application and one team on your file end to end, rather than separate products gated by credit score, revenue, and asset liens.
Explore Your Options With REIL Capital
See REIL Capital’s business line of credit, compare alternatives to Bank of America business loans, or call our team at 646-440-4100 to talk through a line of credit built for your business.
