The specs
OnDeckKabbage (American Express Business Blueprint)
Product typeMulti-productLOC
Amount range$5K – $400K (term); $6K – $200K (LOC)$1K – $250K
Cost (factor / APR)Term APR 27%+; LOC APR 30%+Monthly fee 2 – 27% (depending on term + paper); effective APR 9 – 36%
Speed to fundSame-day for approved filesMinutes after approval — funds land in linked bank account same day
Min time in business12 months12 months
Min monthly revenue$8,000$3,000+/mo typical floor
Min credit score600+640+
Products
- Term loan
- LOC
- Business line of credit
- Term loan via Amex Business Blueprint platform
Verdicts by use case
- Lowest revenue qualifying floor — Winner: Kabbage (American Express Business Blueprint). Amex Business Blueprint (Kabbage) accepts $3K/mo revenue. OnDeck wants $8K/mo. Sub-$8K/mo merchants are Amex-only in this pair.
- Speed of first draw — Winner: Kabbage (American Express Business Blueprint). Amex Business Blueprint funds in minutes after approval — funds land in your linked bank account same day. OnDeck same-day funding requires approved + verified status.
- Larger deal sizes ($300K+) — Winner: OnDeck. OnDeck term loans go to $400K. Amex Business Blueprint caps at $250K. For sizable working capital needs, OnDeck wins outright.
- Cheapest cost of capital if you qualify — Winner: OnDeck. OnDeck term loan APR (27%+) is typically cheaper than Amex Business Blueprint's effective APR (9 – 36%) on the same dollar amount over comparable terms — for qualifying borrowers.
- Recurring / revolving capital need — Winner: Kabbage (American Express Business Blueprint). Amex Business Blueprint is purpose-built as a draw-and-repay LOC. OnDeck offers an LOC but its headline product is the term loan — wrong product shape for purely revolving needs.
The honest takeaway
OnDeck and Kabbage (American Express Business Blueprint) 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 have an Amex card already — does that help me at Amex Business Blueprint?
- Sometimes. Existing Amex business cardholders sometimes see pre-approved Business Blueprint offers in their Amex dashboard with less paperwork. Otherwise the underwriting is the same: linked banking + accounting data + 640+ FICO + $3K/mo+ revenue.
- I'm a $50K/mo merchant — which?
- Get quotes from both. OnDeck's term loan will likely be cheaper on total cost if you can repay over 18 – 24 months. Amex Business Blueprint is faster to fund and better if you want revolving access vs a single lump sum.
- Which builds business credit?
- Both report to commercial credit bureaus. OnDeck reports its term loan and LOC; Amex reports the Business Blueprint LOC under the Amex Business umbrella, which strengthens your Amex business credit history specifically.