Find out exactly what you need to qualify for revenue based financing. Lower barriers than banks, faster process, and approvals based on your revenue — not just your credit score.
Check My EligibilityMinimum Credit Score
Minimum Monthly Revenue
Minimum Time in Business
Revenue based financing has fundamentally different qualification criteria compared to traditional bank loans. While banks focus primarily on credit scores, collateral, and multi-year financial histories, RBF providers evaluate your business based on what matters most for repayment: your revenue. This shift in evaluation methodology means that thousands of businesses that would be denied by banks — including newer businesses, those with imperfect credit, and companies without significant assets — can access the capital they need to grow.
The requirements outlined below represent the standard criteria used by most RBF providers, including Merchant Fund Express. Meeting these minimum thresholds makes you eligible to apply; exceeding them improves the terms and amounts available to you.
This is the most important qualification factor. Your business must generate at least $10,000 per month in gross revenue, verifiable through bank statements or payment processor records. Revenue can come from any source — product sales, service fees, subscriptions, contracts, or any combination. The revenue must be deposited into a business bank account that you can provide statements for.
Higher revenue qualifies you for larger funding amounts and better terms. Businesses with $50,000+ monthly revenue receive the most competitive offers, while those above $100,000 qualify for premium tier pricing. There is no maximum revenue threshold — businesses generating millions per month can and do use RBF.
Your business must have been operating and generating revenue for at least 3 months. This provides the minimum data set needed for underwriting — providers need to see a revenue pattern rather than a single data point. Some providers require 6 months for first-time applicants but may accept 3 months for businesses with strong revenue metrics.
Time in business is evaluated in combination with revenue consistency. A 4-month-old business with steady $30K monthly revenue is a stronger candidate than a 3-year-old business with erratic revenue swinging between $5K and $50K. What matters is the pattern, not just the duration.
Revenue based financing requires a personal credit score of at least 500 for the primary business owner. This is dramatically lower than the 680+ required by most banks and the 700+ preferred by SBA lenders. Credit score is used as a secondary risk indicator — it provides context about the business owner's financial behavior but is not the primary decision factor.
Businesses with credit scores in the 500-600 range can absolutely qualify for meaningful funding. The primary impact of a lower credit score is on the factor rate — you may receive a rate of 1.3x-1.5x rather than 1.1x-1.2x. But approval itself is driven by revenue metrics, not credit alone. If your revenue is strong and consistent, a lower credit score will not prevent approval.
Your business must be a registered legal entity in the United States. Acceptable entity types include LLC (Limited Liability Company), Corporation (S-Corp or C-Corp), partnership, and sole proprietorship. You need a valid Employer Identification Number (EIN) or, for sole proprietors, your Social Security Number can be used.
The business registration must match the bank account from which revenue will be verified. If you operate under a DBA (Doing Business As) name, ensure that the DBA is properly registered and linked to your bank account. Unregistered businesses, hobby operations, and purely informal enterprises do not qualify.
A dedicated business bank account is required. Revenue must flow through this account, and you must be able to provide bank statements (typically 3-6 months) for verification. The bank account serves as the primary data source for underwriting — deposits confirm your revenue claims, and the pattern of deposits demonstrates consistency.
Personal bank accounts used for business purposes are generally not accepted. If you are a sole proprietor using a personal account, many providers will still accept it if business revenue is clearly identifiable in the transaction history, but having a separate business account significantly strengthens your application.
| Requirement | Revenue Based Financing | Traditional Bank Loan | SBA Loan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collateral | Not required | Usually required | Required for loans over $25K |
| Personal Guarantee | Rarely required | Almost always required | Always required |
| Business Plan | Not required | Often required | Always required |
| Financial Projections | Not required | Required | Required |
| Tax Returns (2+ years) | Not typically required | Required | Required |
| Profitability | Not required | Usually required | Required |
| Down Payment | None | 10-30% for some products | 10-20% for real estate |
| Industry Restrictions | Very few | Many | Extensive list |
| Minimum Credit Score | 500+ | 680+ | 680+ |
| Time in Business | 3+ months | 2+ years preferred | 2+ years required |
The documentation requirements for revenue based financing are intentionally minimal compared to traditional lending. Here is exactly what you need to have ready when you apply:
Revenue based financing is available to a wide range of industries. Here is a breakdown of eligibility by industry category:
While meeting the minimum requirements makes you eligible, certain factors significantly improve your application strength and result in better terms, higher funding amounts, and faster approval.
Upward-trending revenue is the single most powerful positive signal in an RBF application. Even modest month-over-month growth (5-10%) demonstrates business momentum and suggests the revenue base from which payments are calculated will increase over time. Providers view growing businesses as lower risk because their repayment capacity improves naturally throughout the term.
Businesses that generate revenue from multiple customers, products, or channels are more resilient. A restaurant with 500 daily customers has less concentration risk than a consulting firm with 3 major clients. Similarly, an ecommerce seller on Shopify, Amazon, and eBay is less vulnerable to platform-specific disruptions than a seller dependent on a single channel.
Your bank statements tell a story about your business operations. Providers look for: consistent deposits that match your stated revenue, absence of NSF (non-sufficient funds) charges, healthy average daily balances, absence of casino or gambling transactions, and a pattern of responsible financial management. Even small issues like frequent overdrafts or excessive returned payments can increase your rate or reduce your funding amount.
If your monthly debt obligations (existing loans, MCAs, or RBF positions) consume more than 15-20% of your monthly revenue, providers may offer reduced amounts or higher rates to ensure the combined payment load is manageable. Paying down existing obligations before applying can materially improve your offer.
The Problem: Your monthly revenue is below $10,000. The Fix: Focus on growing revenue for 2-3 months before reapplying. Even reaching $12,000-$15,000 per month opens up funding options. Use this time to optimize pricing, increase marketing activity, or launch new revenue streams. Reapply once you have 3 months of $10K+ revenue documented in your bank statements.
The Problem: Your business has been generating revenue for fewer than 3 months. The Fix: Simply wait until you have 3-4 months of revenue history. Use this time to build the strongest possible bank statement profile — consistent deposits, growing revenue, and clean account management. The wait is worth it because the additional data will also qualify you for better terms.
The Problem: You have multiple existing MCAs, loans, or RBF positions that consume a large portion of your revenue. The Fix: Some providers specialize in consolidation — replacing multiple expensive positions with a single, lower-cost RBF agreement. Alternatively, focus on paying down existing obligations to reduce your payment-to-revenue ratio below 15% before applying for new funding.
The Problem: Your bank statements show NSF charges, negative balances, or irregular deposit patterns. The Fix: Clean up your banking behavior for 3-6 months before applying. Maintain a positive balance, eliminate overdrafts, and ensure all revenue deposits flow through a single primary account. Providers evaluate the most recent statements most heavily, so improvement is quickly visible.
Understanding the exact application process helps you prepare in advance and move through qualification as quickly as possible. Here is the complete timeline from initial application to funded capital.
Complete the online application form with your basic business information: legal business name, your name, contact information, industry, time in business, estimated monthly revenue, and desired funding amount. This initial form does not require any document uploads and can be completed on a phone or computer. A soft credit check is performed at this stage, which does not impact your credit score. You receive instant pre-qualification results indicating your estimated eligibility and funding range.
Upload your required documents: 3-6 months of business bank statements and a photo of your government-issued ID. Most applicants submit these as PDF downloads from their online banking portal. Some providers offer direct bank integration through services like Plaid, which allows read-only access to your bank data without requiring manual statement uploads. This step can be completed immediately after the application or within 24 hours.
The underwriting team reviews your application, bank statements, and credit profile. They analyze your revenue trends, consistency, existing obligations, and overall business health. Modern RBF underwriting is heavily automated, with algorithms processing bank statement data to identify patterns that predict repayment success. A human underwriter reviews the automated results and makes the final decision. Most decisions are communicated within 4-8 business hours, with complex cases taking up to 24 hours.
Upon approval, you receive a formal offer specifying the funding amount, factor rate, revenue share percentage, and estimated repayment timeline. Take time to review these terms, use our calculator to model the payments, and compare against any other offers you have received. There is no time pressure to accept — a legitimate provider will give you reasonable time to make an informed decision. Once you accept, you execute the agreement electronically through a secure signing platform.
After agreement execution, funds are deposited directly into your business bank account. Standard funding takes 24-48 hours via ACH transfer. Some providers offer same-day wire transfer for urgent funding needs, typically at no additional cost. Once the funds arrive, they are yours to deploy immediately with no restrictions on use.
Speak with a funding specialist today. No obligation, no impact on your credit score.