American Express Business Blueprint Review

The key to success in any business is the ability to maintain a steady cash flow. The majority of businesses crash and burn simply because they run out of money. American Express Business BlueprintTM is an online lender that understands the needs of small businesses.

American Express Business BlueprintTM Overview

American Express Business BlueprintTM is an online lending company that offers business loans and lines of credit to small businesses. In 2020, the company was acquired by American Express, and has since introduced a bunch of new programs like American Express® Business Line of Credit, American Express Business BlueprintTM Payments and American Express Business BlueprintTM Insights, which is a free automated tool that allows you to keep track of revenue and cash flow.

The company uses an automated system that processes all your information, and if you are eligible, your loan is approved rather quickly. When it comes to credit score requirements, you are advised to have a credit score of at least 660*.

American Express Business BlueprintTM primarily deals with lines of credit. You pay interest only for the amount you draw, and each time you take it, it’s considered a separate loan. You can choose to repay it in 6, 12, or 18 months.

Types of Financing Available

Instead of handing out one-time loans, American Express Business BlueprintTM gives its clients access to ongoing lines of credit. You gain access to a pool of funds from $2,000 to $250,000, and you take the amount you need.

You get to choose whether you want to repay it in 6, 12, or 18 months. But the availability of options depends on the applicant, and not everyone gets the same payment terms.

Application Process

American Express Business BlueprintTM has an automated approval process, which consists of three steps.

Basic business information

You provide business information in accordance with the American Express Business BlueprintTM loan requirements. The clearer you are in your application, the faster the process.

Financial review

The lender requires access to your financial statements and bank accounts (in a read-only mode), and the company will also do a hard pull of your information to make sure everything is in order.

Identity verification

Finally, they’ll need to verify your identity through official documents. If you’re approved, you get access to the funds fast. The entire application process is free, and you are in no way obliged to take the funds being offered.

What criteria do I need to meet in order to apply?

In order for an application to be approved, a prospect must meet the minimum
criteria, including but not limited to:

• Must be 18 years old
• Minimum credit score: 660*
• Minimum Time in Business: 12 months
• Average monthly revenue: at least $3,000
• All businesses are unique and are subject to review and approval.

Although American Express Business BlueprintTM is a reliable, registered lender that won’t abuse any of the information you provide, make sure to give read-only access to all your financial programs. Most of these popular apps like Quickbooks or Xero already have modes created specifically for these purposes.

In-depth Presentation of Features

This lender doesn’t provide long-term deals. The most you can ask for is $250,000, and the maximum loan term is 18 months, with a minimum credit score requirement of at least 660*. If your application is approved, the cash is deposited into your bank or PayPal account.

Ultimately, the biggest drawback is the interest rate. The fees can take a sizable chunk of your monthly budget, so it’s important to know what you’re getting yourself into.

When it comes to feedback on consumer review websites, such as TrustPilot, American Express Business BlueprintTM has a score of 2.9 based on over 6,770 reviews.

Loan amount

The minimum amount you can borrow from American Express Business BlueprintTM is $2,000, while the maximum goes up to $250,000. This is a decent figure for a short-term line of credit. As part of our review, we feel it is important to point out that anything over $200,000 requires manual processing.

Although there’s no origination or prepayment penalties, interest rates are front-loaded. That means you get all the heavy rates up to 10% in the first few months, so you pay off most of the interest early on.

Eligible and non-eligible businesses

The American Express Business BlueprintTM loan was created to attract as many businesses as possible, especially those that can’t get approved elsewhere. This doesn’t mean that your score doesn’t matter, as minimum required credit score is 660*.

American Express Business BlueprintTM does a hard pull of your information and checks your revenue consistency, cash flow, and the business owner’s consumer credit. It even checks your social media activity to create a full picture. Your business needs to be active for at least a year and have an average monthly revenue of $3,000.

One question that always comes is whether you should reapply if you are rejected. The answer is a simple no. With your first application, you’ve created an account with this lender. As such, your business will constantly be checked for eligibility, and you will be contacted if anything’s changes.

Repayment Terms

Since there are only short-term American Express Business BlueprintTM business loans, you can expect higher interest rates. These range from 3-9% for 6-month loans, 6-18% for 12-month loans, and 9-27% for 18-month loans.

The Bottom Line

There is no doubt that American Express Business BlueprintTM’s main virtue is borrowing to small businesses. Thanks to the automated process, you get a great value loan without having to endure a complicated application process. It’s money in your pocket when you need it most.

Although many of grievances found in customer reviews are legitimate, this is still a reliable service with few requirements.

*The required FICO score may be higher based on your relationship with American Express, credit history, and other factors.