The specs
BluevineYellowstone Capital
Product typeLOCMCA
Amount range$10K – $250K$5K – $400K
Cost (factor / APR)APR 6.2% – 27% (LOC)Factor 1.25 – 1.49 depending on paper grade
Speed to fund1 – 3 business daysSame-day to 24 hours on approved files
Min time in business12 months4 months
Min monthly revenue$10,000$10,000
Min credit score625+500+
Products
- Line of credit
- Invoice factoring
- MCA (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th position)
Verdicts by use case
- Lowest cost (qualified merchant) — Winner: Bluevine. Bluevine LOC at 6.2 – 27% APR is dramatically cheaper than Yellowstone's 1.25 – 1.49 factor (50 – 100% APR-equivalent). For merchants who clear Bluevine's 625+ FICO and 12+ month TIB bar, Bluevine is the only sane choice — the cost differential is often 4 – 8× on the same capital.
- Deeply distressed C/D-paper file — Winner: Yellowstone Capital. Bluevine declines sub-625 FICO and files with existing MCAs outright. Yellowstone accepts FICO down to 500 and underwrites 2nd – 4th position MCA. For genuinely distressed merchants, Yellowstone is one of the only realistic options.
- Revolving capital structure — Winner: Bluevine. Bluevine LOC is genuinely revolving — draw, repay, redraw without reapplying. Yellowstone is one-time MCA with each new deal a fresh underwrite, fresh commission, fresh contract. Recurring capital needs favor Bluevine outright.
- Builds business credit — Winner: Bluevine. Bluevine reports the LOC to commercial credit bureaus. Yellowstone's MCA generally does not report. For merchants building business credit, Bluevine is the structural winner — Yellowstone is invisible to D&B / Experian Commercial.
- Counterparty safety and regulatory record — Winner: Bluevine. Bluevine is venture-backed, publicly known infrastructure with a clean regulatory record. Yellowstone has substantial historical NY AG enforcement exposure and has been restructured/rebranded multiple times. Counterparty risk favors Bluevine by a wide margin.
The honest takeaway
Bluevine and Yellowstone 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
- Bluevine declined me for credit — is Yellowstone my only option?
- Not necessarily. Bluevine's 625+ FICO floor is strict but there's a wide band of B-paper funders (Credibly, Forward Financing, Fora Financial, Rapid Finance) that accept 550 – 625 at materially better pricing than Yellowstone's 1.30 – 1.45 factor. Yellowstone should be reserved for genuinely distressed files — sub-550 FICO, multiple existing positions, recent NSFs. If you're 580 – 624 FICO with one or no existing position, you have better options than Yellowstone.
- What's the cost on $50K — Bluevine LOC vs Yellowstone MCA?
- Bluevine at 16% APR over 10 months: ~$6,700 interest. Yellowstone at 1.40 factor on 8-month repayment: $20,000 fee, fixed regardless of paydown speed. Bluevine is $13,300 cheaper on the same capital, plus the LOC structure rewards early paydown (Yellowstone's fixed factor does not). The cost gap is so large that taking Yellowstone over Bluevine when both are accessible is almost always a mistake unless Yellowstone is funding something Bluevine specifically declined.
- Can I use a Bluevine LOC to refinance a Yellowstone MCA?
- Yes, common exit path. Pay down Yellowstone to ~50% of original advance, demonstrate 6+ months clean payment history, then apply to Bluevine with the Yellowstone payment showing on bank statements. Bluevine may require disclosure that the LOC proceeds will pay off the MCA. Once approved, use Bluevine LOC draw to pay off Yellowstone in full. Net savings on a $100K deal can run $25K – $50K depending on remaining Yellowstone balance and time. This refinance path is the standard exit from high-cost MCA into LOC structure.