Why the bar is higher
A lump sum is underwritten once against a business the provider can see today. A line is a commitment to lend later, against a business as it will be in eight months.
That forward exposure is why the score matters more here than on any other product on this site — it is a proxy for how you behave over time rather than for what you are doing now.
It is also why the facility is reviewed periodically and why limits can be cut.
What else is weighed
Time in business, typically a year minimum and often two. This is the requirement that most commonly rules people out, ahead of the score.
Revenue consistency, more than volume. A line is repaid from operating cash, so the provider is looking at whether the account can carry a balance.
Negative days and overdrafts. Frequent negative balances are read as an inability to manage a revolving obligation, which is exactly what is being offered.
Existing obligations. Advances in place reduce what a line provider will commit to, sometimes to nothing.
If you are below the bar
Take working capital or an advance and repay it cleanly. That record, plus another six months of trading, is the most direct route to qualifying.
Keep every deposit in the business account and avoid negative days. On this product, banking conduct is read closely.
Consider a secured line. Collateral lowers the credit bar meaningfully, and a business with unencumbered equipment or receivables has more options than it thinks.
Apply before you need it. Applying under pressure, with an account already stretched, is the worst possible timing for the one product that judges you on account conduct.