Chase Business Loans: 2023 Review

Last reviewed by:
Brynne Conroy
December 19, 2022

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Chase Bank is a large financial institution serving nearly half of all American households through both personal and business banking products.

Chase, which was known as The Chase Manhattan Corporation until it merged with J.P. Morgan and Co. in 2000, has more than 4,700 branches across the United States. Its wide range of conventional and SBA business lending products are available in the 48 contiguous states.

Overview: Amounts, rates and fees

Chase offers a wide range of business lending products, but it doesn’t share many specifics on its website when it comes to fees, rates and credit score requirements.

Chase financing at a glance

Minimum credit scores and estimated APR ranges for each loan product were not publicly disclosed. A Chase representative shared that this varies based upon applicant and loan size and type.

Term loans

Chase offers small business term loans of $5,000 or more with terms ranging from 12 to 84 months. Monthly payments are fixed, though Chase does not provide specific interest rates or APRs. Specific fees on these loans are also not publicly available. With such little information, it’s difficult to discern whether Chase’s term loans are competitive.

Lines of credit

Chase offers business owners two different lines of credit, with the biggest difference being how much you can borrow.

Business lines of credit are available for amounts of $10,000 to $500,000. They come with a renewable 60-months term. If you have a remaining balance on your line of credit at that point and Chase does not renew it, you will have five more years to pay off your debt. You will pay interest plus at least 1% of the balance due or $100 —whichever is more — on a monthly basis. These lines of credit do come with an annual fee, though the specific amount is not disclosed. If your average utilization rate over the past year is at least 40%, this fee will be waived.

If you need more funding, you may look at Chase’s commercial lines of credit, which start at $500,000. Terms on these larger lines of credit start at 12 to 24 months, and may be renewed at their expiration. Interest-only payments are due monthly.

SBA 7(a) loans

SBA loans are loans backed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) and made through a partner lender. Chase offers SBA 7(a) loans, a form of term loans that allow you to borrow up to $5,000,000. SBA Express loans are a type of SBA 7(a) loan that allow you to borrow smaller amounts — up to $500,000 at Chase. Terms are available up to 300 months, and specific interest rates offered through Chase are not publicly disclosed.

The SBA charges Chase a guarantee fee of 2% to 3.5%. You may see Chase pass that fee along to you in the form of origination or other fees. You could also end up paying a prepayment penalty if you have a loan term of 15 years or more, and you pay off at least 25% of the principal balance in the first three years of loan disbursement.

With its status as a Preferred Lender with the SBA, Chase is able to make final approval decisions, which may help to expedite the process to receiving your funds.

SBA 504/CDC loans

Chase allows you to use SBA 504/CDC loans for commercial real estate, construction or equipment acquisition purposes. You can also use these loans to refinance debt.

Chase SBA 504 loans max out at $12,500,000, which is notable because these loans are typically only available for amounts of $5 million or $5.5 million. You can borrow up to 90% of your collateral’s value — or the cost of the project. Terms extend up to 20 years. Interest is about 3.00%.

Chase does not publicly share fee amounts on these loans, but the SBA will charge Chase a guarantee fee of 0.50%, and an annual fee of 0.2475%. Chase may repackage these fees before passing on the expense to you as the consumer.

Commercial real estate

There are also conventional commercial real estate loans available at Chase. These loans start at $50,000. Most businesses with owner-occupied commercial real estate qualify for up to 90% financing. Chase says terms are available between 84 and 120 months, but also says that terms can be flexible.

If you’re borrowing for construction purposes, you can make interest-only payments during the construction period. Interest rates and fees are not disclosed.

Requirements: Are you eligible?

Chase did not provide specific minimum credit requirements, annual revenue and time in business requirements. Its business lending products are available in the 48 contiguous states. You must apply through a banker at your local in-person branch.

Required documents

Chase does not list specific document requirements for each lending product. However, it does generally suggest that you come prepared with:

• Profit and loss statement or earnings report updated within the past 120 days
• A written, detailed plan about how you plan to use the funding
• Documentation showing sales, sales projections, expenses, financial commitments and cash flow
• List of any other businesses you own or are affiliated with
• Business certificate or license
• Business tax returns for the previous three years
• Personal federal income tax returns for the previous three years
• Any previous loan applications you’ve submitted to any lender
• Your personal resume(s)
• Current lease agreement

Your personal and business credit reports will be pulled, and for certain SBA loans you will be required to file Form 1919 and submit a personal financial statement.

Pros and cons of Chase business loans

Review: Should you apply?

It is difficult to discern if Chase business lending products are right for your business with minimal information publicly available. However, Chase does offer a wide range of products, so whether you need to borrow a lot or a little, you’re likely to find a product that meets your borrowing needs. You won’t know if it’s a competitive product until you apply, and you also won’t know if you’ll qualify unless you specifically ask your banking representative for more detailed guidelines before applying.

Alternatives to Chase small business loans

While it may be tricky to compare Chase to other lenders without all the information available, comparison shopping is always a good idea before you take out a loan. Here are some alternatives to consider.

Chase vs. TD Bank

TD Bank is another traditional bank that offers a wide range of business financing options. Like Chase, it also doesn’t disclose a lot of detail about its business lending products. TD Bank starts its term loans at $10,000 where Chase starts at $5,000, and TD Bank terms end at 60 months compared to Chase’s max of 84 months. If you’re going to compare products, you might have to put an application in at each individual bank to see which offers more favorable rates and fees.

Chase vs. OnDeck

In contrast to Chase’s full suite of business financing options, OnDeck is an online lender that offers only two products: business term loans and business lines of credit. However, OnDeck is more transparent with its eligibility criteria; both products are available for those with less-than-perfect credit scores (as low as 625) and come with high APRs. While Chase does not disclose its rates and credit score requirements, many traditional brick-and-mortar lenders offer more favorable interest rates, but only to those with higher credit scores. You would have to apply to see if this rule holds on Chase business lending products.

Chase vs. Funding Circle

Compared to Chase, Funding Circle is very transparent with its fees and interest rates. While it only offers three products — SBA 7(a) loans, term loans and business lines of credit — it offers reasonable rates considering the minimum credit score requirements for each product, which range from 680 to 700. Chase may or may not offer better rates as a traditional lender, but you’ll have to apply and ensure your credit score is high enough to qualify.