Checklist
Pick the product, tick what is true and ready today, and see what is still missing in the order to fix it: documents first, then bank activity, then the lines that time and credit decide. It never predicts a decision.
✓ Checking what you qualify for does not affect your credit score.
Updated October 13, 2026 · Merchant Fund Express
Illustrative arithmetic only. This is not an offer or a quote; real terms depend on your file and the funder.
Most slow decisions come from an incomplete file, not a bad one: a missing statement month, a screenshot instead of a PDF, an EIN that does not match the start date. This checklist uses only the requirements we publish on our funding requirements page and the items the application itself asks for. Ticking every line means the file is complete for review. It does not mean an offer will follow, because the funder reads the statements themselves.
It fits an owner who is about to apply and wants the file complete on the first pass. It is less useful if your business is under 6 months old or in a restricted industry; in those cases the honest answer is to wait or to look elsewhere, and the list will say so.
Open items are sorted in the order to fix them. Documents come first because they can be ready today. Bank activity comes next because it shows up in your next statement months. Lines decided by time in business, credit or past events come last, and on the Tier 1 list a miss there means "read the revenue-based list", not "fix this".
A dental practice, 2 years in business, $48,000 a month in sales deposits and a 670 FICO, wants $150,000 for a second operatory on October 13, 2026. On the line of credit list it misses one line: 3+ years in business. That is a structural line, so the tool points to the revenue-based list instead.
| Line | This file | Ticked |
|---|---|---|
| 6+ months in business | 2 years | Yes |
| 600+ FICO | 670 | Yes |
| $60,000 verifiable revenue | $48,000 x 12 = $576,000 a year | Yes |
| $800 minimum daily balance | Lowest day $1,150 | Yes |
| At most 5 negative days or NSFs | 2 negative days in July | Yes |
| Statements as PDFs | August and September only | Open: download July |
The only open item is a document: the July statement. Downloading it closes the file the same day. In about 12 months, when the practice passes 3 years, the Tier 1 list becomes the one to read. Because $150,000 is under $250,000, full financials are not on the list.
All figures in worked examples are illustrations of the arithmetic, not offers or quotes. Real terms depend on your file and the funder.
Under 6 months in business, or an open bankruptcy. No document fixes these; the honest move is to wait.
More than 5 negative days or NSFs, or a daily balance that dips under $800. One or two clean statement months change how the file reads.
A Tier 1 miss on time, credit or revenue. The revenue-based tier exists for exactly those files; it costs more, so compare offers carefully.
Restricted industries come before all of it. We will not promise funding for residential remodeling, new home construction, long-haul trucking, real estate agents, brokers and property managers, or used car dealers. Roofing, HVAC, electrical and plumbing are specialty trades and are eligible, but they follow the construction rule.
Bank statements are read first. Download them from online banking as PDFs with every page, including blank ones; see why screenshots do not work and how many months you need. About 3 months is the usual starting point, and no tax returns are required for a typical first review. If a funder needs anything else, such as a month-to-date statement late in the month, it is requested directly. For a fuller walk-through of each document, use the first business loan document pack, and for a score of the whole file, the funding readiness score.
When the list is clear, apply. The application takes about 5 minutes, starts with a soft credit pull, and complete files get a decision the same day. Not sure which product to tick? Run the qualification check first.
No. It means your file is complete for review. The funder reads the statements, the credit report and the industry, and the decision comes from that review, not from this list.
Tier 1 carries the lowest cost, so it reads more lines: time in business, credit, revenue, deposits, balances, negative days, NSFs, ownership, past bankruptcy and positions. Missing one does not end the conversation; the revenue-based tier is built for those files.
Not for a typical first review. Full financials are usually requested only above $250,000.
Yes. Sole proprietors are eligible. Non-profits are not.
No. The checklist runs in your browser and nothing you tick leaves the page.
Same-day decision. Applying takes a few minutes and will not affect your credit score.
