The specs
BluevineSquare Capital
Product typeLOCMCA
Amount range$10K – $250K$300 – $250K
Cost (factor / APR)APR 6.2% – 27% (LOC)Single fixed fee (10 – 16% of loan amount); no APR / no compounding
Speed to fund1 – 3 business daysAs soon as next business day
Min time in business12 months12 months
Min monthly revenue$10,000$10,000+ in Square card sales typical floor
Min credit score625+No FICO pull — underwrites entirely against Square sales history
Products
- Line of credit
- Invoice factoring
- Embedded seller working capital (Square sellers only)
Verdicts by use case
- Non-Square merchant — Winner: Bluevine. Bluevine is platform-agnostic and underwrites against bank + accounting data. Square Capital only works for Square sellers — useless if you don't process on Square.
- No application / no FICO pull — Winner: Square Capital. Square Capital surfaces offers with no application and no hard FICO pull — underwrites against Square sales history only. Bluevine runs a credit check and requires a formal application.
- Revolving draw-and-repay capital — Winner: Bluevine. Bluevine is a true LOC — draw, repay, redraw. Square Capital is a single advance per offer; you wait for Square to surface the next one.
- Lowest cost of capital — Winner: Bluevine. Bluevine LOC APR starts at 6.2% for qualifying borrowers. Square Capital's fixed-fee structure (10 – 16% of advance) is competitive for short holds but a multi-month Bluevine draw at sub-10% APR is cheaper on total cost.
- Cash-flow-aligned repayment — Winner: Square Capital. Square Capital takes a fixed % of daily Square card sales — slow days auto-pay less. Bluevine LOC has monthly interest regardless of weekly revenue swings.
The honest takeaway
Bluevine and Square Capital solve overlapping but distinct problems. The right choice depends on three things you already know about your business: how fast you need the money, how long you've been operating, and whether the capital need is one-time or recurring.
Frequently asked questions
- I'm a Square seller — should I take Square Capital or Bluevine?
- Take Square Capital first if they've offered. The cash-flow-aligned repayment and no-application UX are unmatched for Square-native merchants. Add Bluevine as a backup if you need a revolving line on top.
- I have a Square account but Square hasn't offered me capital — what now?
- Bluevine is the right call. Square's offers are algorithmic and unpredictable — you can't request one. Bluevine accepts applications and will underwrite proactively if you meet the $10K/mo and 12-month TIB floor.
- Can I take both at the same time?
- Technically yes. Square Capital takes a fixed % of daily Square sales; Bluevine LOC has monthly interest. Combined deductions are different revenue streams so stacking is less cash-flow-destructive than two MCAs — but read Bluevine's covenants on outside debt first.