The honest, math-forward answer: most businesses qualify for roughly 1x to 1.5x their average monthly revenue. Here is how that number is built, what moves it up or down, and how to estimate your own funding amount before you ever apply. $5K to $5M, decisions same day.
See Your Amount (305) 384-8391The single most useful number to know before you apply is your average monthly revenue. In alternative business funding, the offer you receive is built primarily off of how much money flows through your business bank account each month — not off of your tax returns, your credit score, or your building. As a rule of thumb, most healthy businesses qualify for somewhere between 1x and 1.5x their average monthly revenue or deposits.
To estimate your own number, pull your last three business bank statements, add up the total deposits, and divide by three. That is your average monthly revenue. Multiply it by 1 for a conservative floor and by 1.5 for a strong-file ceiling. A business averaging $60,000 a month in deposits should expect offers roughly between $60,000 and $90,000. That range is where most files land, and it is a far more reliable predictor than any credit-score-based estimate.
Why revenue instead of credit? Because funding gets repaid out of future sales. A funder cares first about whether your daily and weekly cash flow can comfortably carry the payment. Revenue tells that story better than a FICO score does, which is exactly why we can approve businesses with credit as low as 500 when the deposits are strong and consistent.
Average your last three months of bank deposits. That single number drives most of your offer — not your tax returns.
Multiply average monthly revenue by 1x to 1.5x. Conservative files land near 1x, strong files reach 1.5x.
Steady deposits month over month raise your multiple. Wild swings and negative days pull it down.
The 1x to 1.5x range is a starting point. Where you land inside that band — or occasionally above or below it — comes down to a handful of factors underwriters weigh on every file.
Existing positions deserve special attention. If you already have one merchant cash advance being repaid, a funder subtracts that daily or weekly payment from your available cash flow before sizing a new offer. This is why paying down or paying off an existing advance before you reapply can meaningfully raise the amount you qualify for.
Here is how the rule of thumb plays out across three common business sizes. These are illustrations of the method, not guaranteed offers — your actual amount depends on the full file.
| Average Monthly Revenue | Conservative (1x) | Strong File (1.5x) | Typical Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| $20,000 / month | $20,000 | $30,000 | $20K–$30K |
| $50,000 / month | $50,000 | $75,000 | $50K–$75K |
| $100,000 / month | $100,000 | $150,000 | $100K–$150K |
| $250,000 / month | $250,000 | $375,000 | $250K–$375K |
A restaurant depositing $20,000 a month with 18 months in business and no existing advances would typically see offers around $20,000 to $30,000. A distributor moving $100,000 a month with three years in business and clean statements sits comfortably in the $100,000 to $150,000 band, and a particularly strong file can be structured higher across multiple products. To model your own scenario with specific terms and payment sizes, run the numbers on our business loan calculator.
The 1x to 1.5x rule applies most directly to revenue-based products. But Merchant Fund Express offers six products, and the ceiling on each is set differently. Your maximum is often the highest across whichever product fits your need.
Sized off average monthly deposits, typically 1x to 1.5x. The everyday answer for most businesses asking how much they can borrow.
Learn moreSized off card and total sales volume. Higher volume means a higher advance. Repaid as a set share of daily sales.
Learn moreReaches the highest amounts. Sized off total revenue with fixed daily or weekly ACH. Best path to seven figures.
Learn moreSized off the value of the equipment, not just revenue. The asset is the collateral, so the equipment cost sets the amount.
Learn moreA revolving limit you draw against as needed. Sized off revenue and credit. Pay interest only on what you use.
Learn moreSized off your outstanding receivables, not monthly deposits. The more you invoice on net terms, the more you can advance.
Learn moreIf your revenue is modest but your equipment need is large, equipment financing can fund well above your revenue multiple because the machine secures the deal. If you carry big B2B receivables, invoice factoring is sized off those invoices instead of your deposits. The right question is not only how much can I borrow, but which product unlocks the most for my specific situation. Compare amounts across products on our funding amount guide.
If the estimate you calculated is lower than you hoped, several of the inputs are within your control. Each of these levers can raise the multiple a funder is willing to offer.
Underwriters reward predictability. Three months of steady, similar deposit totals will earn a higher multiple than three months that swing from $10,000 to $90,000 and back. If you can smooth out your deposit timing, do it before you apply.
Overdrafts and returned-item fees are red flags that signal tight cash flow. A month with zero negative days and no NSF fees reads as a safer, larger payment can be supported. Clean up the account for a few weeks before submitting statements.
Every existing position subtracts from the cash flow available to service new funding. Paying off or paying down a current advance frees that capacity and often lifts your next offer more than any other single move. Stacking multiple advances at once does the opposite — it shrinks what you qualify for and strains the business.
You cannot rush the calendar, but if you are close to a milestone like one year or two years in business, waiting a few weeks to cross it can move you into a stronger tier. Time in business is one of the clearest signals of stability.
Complete, legible bank statements with no missing pages let an underwriter size your file accurately and quickly. Incomplete or messy documentation forces a conservative offer or a request for more paperwork, both of which cost you.
Businesses often expect a funding amount to be quoted the way a bank quotes a mortgage — off of assets and a debt-to-income ratio. Alternative funding works differently, and that difference is usually in your favor for speed and access.
| How the Amount Is Set | Bank Estimate | Merchant Fund Express |
|---|---|---|
| Primary input | Tax returns & collateral | Average monthly revenue |
| Typical sizing | Debt-to-income formula | 1x–1.5x monthly deposits |
| Minimum FICO | 680+ | 500+ |
| Time to an amount | Weeks | Same day |
| Documents to get a number | 2 years of returns | 3 months of statements |
| Funding range | Varies widely | $5K–$5M |
The practical takeaway: you can get a realistic amount from us in hours using nothing but three bank statements, and that amount tracks your real revenue rather than a paperwork-heavy formula.
Average your last three months of business bank deposits and multiply by 1 to 1.5. That range covers where most files land. For a payment-and-term estimate on a specific amount, use our business loan calculator, then apply to see real numbers.
Sometimes. Strong files with long time in business, clean statements, and no existing positions can be structured higher, and asset-based products like equipment financing and invoice factoring are sized off collateral or receivables rather than deposits, so they can exceed a straight revenue multiple.
Credit influences your ceiling and your cost, but revenue and cash flow weigh more. We fund businesses with 500+ FICO. Strong, consistent deposits can offset a lower score and keep your amount healthy.
Each existing position reduces the cash flow available to repay new funding, so it lowers what you qualify for. Paying down or paying off a current advance before you reapply is one of the most effective ways to increase your next offer.
A one-page application and three months of business bank statements are enough for most files under $250K. Larger requests may call for additional documents. You get a decision the same day and funds typically within 24 to 48 hours after you accept terms.
Pre-qualification uses a soft pull with no impact to your credit. A hard pull only happens if you accept terms and move forward. You can see an estimated amount without any credit hit.
Apply in 4 minutes with three bank statements. Decision same day, funding in 24 to 48 hours. Soft pull for pre-qualification — no credit impact to find out your amount.
See Your Amount Free Funding Audit (305) 384-8391