Average Business Loan Interest Rates in 2024

Current business loan rates vary between types of business loans and lenders. Your credit score, annual revenue and time in business will also affect the interest rate you receive.

Because various factors determine interest rates, it’s important to review all aspects of a small business loan before making a decision.

SBA 7(a) loans

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) partners with financial institutions to provide SBA loans to businesses. The SBA guarantees a portion of these loans, reducing risk for lenders. The 7(a) loan is the SBA’s primary lending program for small business owners.

Borrowers can use SBA 7(a) loans for various expenses, such as working capital, real estate, equipment and more.

The SBA limits the interest rate lenders may charge based on the current prime rate (8.5% as of July 27, 2023). The cap to the prime rate varies depending on the type of loan, loan amount and repayment term.

Because of this cap, SBA loan rates are often competitive compared to other types of business loans.

SBA 7(a) variable loan interest rates

*Variable interest rate 7(a) loans are pegged to the prime rate (currently at 8.5%), the LIBOR rate or the SBA optional peg rate.

According to the SBA, fixed interest rate 7(a) loans are based on the prime rate in effect on the first business day of the month of your loan.

SBA 7(a) fixed loan interest rates

Rates accurate as of December 2023.

Traditional bank loans

Banks tend to have strict eligibility requirements. They tend to require good business and personal credit, two years in business, a business plan, financial statements, cash flow projections and collateral. Because of these high underwriting standards, traditional bank loans tend to have the lowest interest rate ranges and most attractive terms.

Online loans

Online loans come from lenders without brick-and-mortar locations. These alternative loans are often available to borrowers with less-than-perfect credit, making them generally more accessible than traditional bank loans.

However, these flexible qualifications often mean you’ll receive higher interest rates and less flexible terms with an online lender than with a traditional bank.

Business lines of credit

A business line of credit is a form of revolving funding that businesses can use repeatedly. Like a credit card, you can borrow up to the limit, repay what you borrowed and borrow again. An advantage of a business line of credit is that you only pay interest on the outstanding amount.

Interest rates on business lines of credit vary depending on the lender and whether you offer collateral.

Merchant cash advances

A merchant cash advance allows a business to borrow a lump sum against its future credit and debit card sales. Instead of repaying in monthly installments, the lender partners takes a preset percent of your business’s credit card or debit card sales each day or week. This continues until the advance is paid off.

Merchant cash advances charge a factor rate rather than an interest rate. The lender multiplies the advance amount by the factor rate to determine how much interest is due.

For example, if you borrow $10,000 and the factor rate is 1.3, you’ll owe $13,000, including principal and interest. Factor rates tend to be higher than interest rate ranges on traditional bank loans.

Invoice factoring

Invoice factoring allows businesses to unlock cash tied up in unpaid invoices. A businesses can sell their accounts receivable (invoices) to a factoring company, who takes a fee and sends you the remaining balance. You can usually get 70% to 90% of the value of your unpaid invoices advanced to you from the factoring company.

Factoring companies charge a factoring fee — either as a flat fee per invoice or as a variable fee that increases if the invoice remains outstanding beyond 30 days. Invoice factoring tends to be more expensive than other forms of financing.

In addition to interest and factor rates, many lenders charge loan fees. These fees often cover the costs of issuing and administering a loan.

Here are some common fees you may see included with your small business loan:

• Origination fee: The loan origination fee covers the costs of processing the loan. It includes underwriting, preparing and reviewing the loan application and deciding whether to approve the loan. The loan origination fee may be a flat fee or a percentage of the loan amount, which may range from 1% to 8.49%.
• SBA guarantee fee: The Small Business Administration charges this fee to guarantee a loan. It usually costs between 0.25% and 3.75% of the guaranteed portion of the loan.
• Servicing fee: Some lenders charge servicing fees annually to cover the costs of administering your loan. This includes things like customer service, billing and collections. The annual service fees for SBA 7(a) loans range from 0.25% to 0.75% of the guaranteed portion of the outstanding balance.
• Underwriting fee: A lender can charge an underwriting fee for assessing a business loan application. The amount varies from lender to lender but may be a flat fee or a percentage of the loan amount.
• Late payment fee: Lenders may charge a late payment fee if you pay past the due date. The fee may be a flat fee or up to 5% of the outstanding amount.

Some fees, such as origination and underwriting, are included in the loan’s APR. Other fees may not be included in the APR.  To calculate the total cost of borrowing, check with your lender to see which fees are included with your APR.

One of the best ways to secure the lowest business loan interest rate is to make your business strong and resilient. Here are some tips to improve the likelihood of securing an attractive rate.

1. Offer collateral

Some types of funding may require collateral, such as equipment financing or invoice factoring. Offering collateral when not required could help you receive more favorable rates.

When you provide collateral, you allow the lender to seize the assets you offered if you default on the loan. This reduces risk for the lender and may reduce the interest the lender charges. Secured business loans using collateral generally come with lower rates than unsecured business loans.

2. Improve your personal credit

The higher your credit score, the less risk you are to a business lender. This can translate to a lower interest rate. Depending on your credit score, you may want to improve your credit profile before applying for financing. Some quick ways to build up your credit include:

• Paying down any existing debt, including credit card balances
• Making on-time or early bill payments
• Disputing any errors that currently appear on your credit report. (You may be able to remove those errors as well.)

  Learn more about how to improve your credit score.

3. Build your business credit score

In addition to solid personal credit, it’s essential to keep track of your business credit report. While personal credit scores have a fairly standardized rating system, business credit scores vary depending on the company calculating the score. For example, Equifax uses three numbers for small businesses: a business credit risk score, a business failure score and a payment index.

4. Establish a relationship with a lender

Lenders may give lower rates to borrowers they’ve worked with in the past. Both banks and alternative lenders may be more willing to approve your business loan if you’ve opened a deposit account with the institution. And if you’ve previously borrowed from the lender and made on-time payments, you could have a good shot at getting a second loan.

Furthermore, some banks offer reward programs for members, such as discounts if you decide to take out a business loan or line of credit.

Although circumstances could prevent you from borrowing and banking in the same place, it’s worth trying to do so if possible.