Draw when you need it. Pay only for what you use.
Keep a revolving facility in your back pocket for slow weeks, big orders and surprise bills. Comparing your options takes one request and leaves no mark on your credit score.
Draw. Repay. Draw again.
Instead of one lump sum, you are approved up to a limit and take only what you need, when you need it. As you repay what you have drawn, that capacity refreshes and is there to use again. The facility sits in the background, ready, rather than being a single one-off advance.
The limit is not a debt
It is simply the most you can draw at any one time. Two businesses with the same limit can carry very different balances, because each only owes what it has actually used.
Drawing is meant to be dull
Drawing, repaying and redrawing typically happens through an online dashboard or a simple transfer into your business account, not a fresh application every time.
It suits uneven needs
Recurring, variable or hard-to-time costs are what a line is built for. A single large purchase with a known price usually belongs somewhere else.
The moments a line is actually for.
None of these are one big planned purchase. They are the ones that arrive at their own pace, which is exactly the shape a revolving facility fits.
A slow month arrives early
Rent, wages and suppliers keep their dates when takings dip. A line covers the gap and clears as trade picks back up.
Stock has to go in before the season
The big supplier bill lands months before the busy weeks pay for it. You draw for the order, then repay as it sells through.
A supplier drops the price for a quick decision
Opportunities like that rarely wait for a fresh funding request. An open line means the money is already there to use.
Payroll falls in a quiet stretch
One of the most common reasons owners keep a line open at all, so a short dip never turns into a hard conversation.
A good customer is paying late
A line bridges the wait. If it is always the invoices, invoice finance often matches that problem more closely. See invoice finance.
Limits are set by each funding partner against how you actually trade. Pick a range and see what UK partners come back with.
Same money, very different shape.
The honest split is not which product is better, it is which one matches how the cost arrives.
You take the full amount up front and repay it on a fixed schedule from day one. For a defined expansion, a specific machine or a fixed multi-year investment, that predictability is usually the lower and cleaner cost.
Compare term loan offersYou are approved up to a limit and usually pay interest only on the portion you have actually drawn, not on the whole limit. If you are approved for a limit but only draw a small part of it, you are charged on that smaller balance.
Many businesses keep a facility open for flexibility and reach for other funding types for big, planned purchases, using each for what it does best.
Compare all funding shapesA revolving credit facility is the closest thing most UK businesses have to the bank overdraft that has quietly disappeared from the high street, and it is compared here alongside short-term business loans and unsecured business loans in the same request.
What shapes a limit, and what to weigh up.
Every lender sets its own criteria, which is exactly why offers vary so much for the same business. The decision, the limit and the terms are always theirs and subject to approval.
Worth having to hand
Most lenders look at how long you have traded, how steady revenue and cash flow are, the credit profile of the business and often the owner, and any existing borrowing.
- Recent business bank statements showing cash flow in and out
- A clear sense of your typical monthly revenue and trading history
- Up-to-date records of any existing borrowing
- An idea of how you intend to use the line and how often you will draw on it
Look past the headline limit
The rate, and how it is charged
Pricing is usually applied to the drawn balance rather than the full limit. How it is applied matters as much as the number.
Draw and maintenance fees
Some lenders add a small fee per draw, or one for keeping the facility open. Both change the real cost of using it.
Renewal and notice
Most UK facilities run for a set period and then come up for renewal, with a notice period on either side, so it is normal to revisit the terms rather than set and forget.
Security, debenture or a personal guarantee
A facility secured by a debenture over company assets can support a larger limit or a keener cost. An unsecured one is often quicker to set up, and a director guarantee is common either way.
How fast you can actually draw
A line is only a standby facility if the money moves when you need it, so speed of access is part of the comparison.
Pick the limit you have in mind. Comparing what a line would actually cost you takes about three minutes, and the search behind it is soft.
One request, and nothing hidden in it.
Looking is a soft search
Comparing what a line would cost you leaves no mark on your credit file. A full credit check only happens if you decide to accept an offer.
NO CREDIT-SCORE IMPACTOne request, competing offers
Your request goes out once across a network of funding partners instead of you filling in the same form repeatedly. Offers typically come back within hours.
ONE FORMCapvant is not the lender
We do not lend, set your limit or make the credit decision. That sits with the funding partner you choose to proceed with.
THE CHOICE STAYS YOURSThe full path, from the first question to funds in the account, is set out on how Capvant works.
Frequently asked questions
What is business line of credit?
A revolving credit facility you draw on as you need it, paying only for what you use. Through Capvant you compare business line of credit offers from multiple funding partners in one place, then choose what works for your business.
How much can I borrow?
Amounts depend on your trading history, turnover and the offers our partners make. Many businesses access £5,000 to £500,000 and beyond.
Will checking my options affect my credit score?
No. Seeing your options through Capvant is a soft search, so it leaves no mark on your credit file. A lender only runs a full credit check if you decide to accept an offer.
Is Capvant a lender?
No. Capvant is a funding marketplace, we match you with funding partners and you choose the offer that suits you. Funding decisions, rates and terms are set by the lender, subject to approval.
How fast can I get funded?
Once you accept an offer, many businesses receive funds within a few working days, some products fund same day.
See what business line of credit offers look like for you.
One request, competing offers side by side, and a soft check that leaves your credit score exactly where it is.
No obligation. Checking your offers won’t affect your credit score.
Disclaimers & footnotes
- 1Capvant is a funding marketplace, not a lender. We match business owners with third-party funding partners; we do not make credit decisions, lend money, or set rates or terms. All funding decisions, rates, terms and approvals are made solely by the lenders in our network, subject to their criteria.
- 2Checking your options through Capvant does not affect your credit score. A lender may carry out a soft or hard credit search depending on the product, stage and your consent. A full hard credit check is only carried out where required by a lender before you proceed.
- 3Funding speed, including any reference to funding in as little as 24 hours, is typical for some products and lenders and is not guaranteed. Actual timescales depend on the lender, the product, and how quickly requested information and documents are provided.
- 4Funding amounts and ranges are indicative only and vary with your business profile, trading history, the lender and the market. Figures shown are not an offer of finance and do not guarantee any particular amount, rate or approval.
- 5Any offers, rates or repayment figures shown in illustrations or examples are for demonstration only and are not real quotes. Your actual offers, if any, are provided by lenders and are subject to approval.
- 6Product availability varies by market. Some products are only available in certain countries. Capvant currently serves businesses in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Capvant is not a lender and does not make credit decisions, we introduce businesses to third-party funding providers. Capvant is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
Capvant does not compare every lender, broker, funding product or offer available in the market. We only show options from funding partners in our network that may be relevant based on the information you provide.
Capvant may receive compensation from lenders, brokers, funding partners or referral partners when a customer is introduced, approved, funded or takes another qualifying action. This compensation does not guarantee that any lender will approve an application or offer specific terms. Capvant does not charge business owners a fee to compare funding options unless clearly stated otherwise.
If you access Capvant through a partner, introducer or embedded funding page, that partner may receive a referral fee or commission if your request results in funding. This does not increase your cost unless expressly disclosed.
Capvant is intended for business-purpose funding only. Eligibility may depend on entity type, location, trading history, revenue, industry and lender criteria. In the UK, Capvant currently focuses on limited companies, LLPs and plcs, and does not currently support sole traders or ordinary partnerships.
Information on Capvant is general information only and is not financial, legal, tax or accounting advice. You should consider whether funding is suitable for your business and seek professional advice where appropriate.
Calculators, eligibility checkers and funding-readiness tools are estimates only. They are based on limited information and assumptions, and do not represent a credit decision, quote, approval or recommendation.
Company information may be sourced from public registers such as Companies House, or from information you provide. Public register data may be incomplete, delayed or inaccurate and should not be treated as a full credit assessment.
The Business Credit Score by Capvant is an independent statistical assessment based on public register data. It is not provided by a credit reference agency and may differ from scores used by individual lenders.
By submitting an application or funding request, you authorise Capvant to share relevant business, owner, request and document information with funding partners, service providers and introducers where necessary to process your request, subject to our Privacy Policy.
Some US commercial financing offers may be subject to state-specific disclosure requirements. Where required, additional disclosures will be provided and must be accepted before a transaction is finalised.