Franchise funding
For independent operators of open Valvoline Instant Oil Change service centers, including groups that bought refranchised stores.
✓ Merchant Fund Express starts with a soft credit pull. Terms depend on your location's revenue and history.
Updated October 21, 2026 · Merchant Fund Express
Already operating Valvoline Instant Oil Change service centers? Merchant Fund Express funds existing VIOC franchisees with equipment financing, working capital, lines of credit, business loans, merchant cash advances and revenue-based financing from $25,000 to $5,000,000. We read each center's deposits and size payments after royalty and advertising fund drafts and the monthly lubricant supply bill. A complete file gets a same-day decision, and funding often arrives the next business day.
Franchisees with open service centers and business deposit history. Valvoline's annual report describes about 15-minute stay-in-your-car oil changes plus battery, bulb and wiper replacements and tire rotations, delivered with its SuperPro system in company and franchised stores alike. Product supply is arranged through Valvoline under long-term agreements, and the company has been selling company stores to franchisees, so some groups are absorbing acquired centers while running their existing ones.
Our automotive franchise funding sector guide and auto repair industry page explain the service-bay cash cycle in more depth.
Checked Oct 2026 against official sources: the franchisor's own franchising site, its FDD or SEC filings, or the SBA Franchise Directory. Figures change; confirm current numbers in the latest Franchise Disclosure Document. Figures we could not confirm from an official source are left out.
Already running a Valvoline Instant Oil Change location and need capital? Merchant Fund Express funds existing franchise owners with every product below. Terms depend on the business's revenue and history.
Valvoline says operator supply contracts are generally indexed to material prices, so the monthly product bill can rise without warning. A line of credit for auto repair absorbs the swing.
Groups that buy stores need cash for staffing, signage and equipment at each new center before its deposits settle into their account history.
Lower-bay pumps, hose reels and drain systems wear under constant use. Equipment financing replaces them without draining payroll cash.
| Need | Product | Published requirement it leans on | What to send |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower-bay pumps, reels, dispensing | Equipment financing | Vendor quote and useful life | Quote, 3 months of statements |
| Higher supply bill after a price move | Line of credit | Tier 1: 3+ years, FICO 650+, about $25K/month revenue | Statements, supplier invoices |
| Staffing centers just added to a group | Working capital | Tier 2: 6+ months, FICO 600+, $60K verifiable revenue | Statements for operating entities |
| Bay renovation at an older center | Business loan | Tier 1, applicant owns at least 50% | Contractor bid, statements |
| Uneven sales across a large group | Revenue-based financing | Tier 2: $800 minimum daily balance, up to 2 current advances | Statements per entity |
Sole proprietors are eligible, and Merchant Fund Express serves all 50 states.
Assume a three-center group depositing $210,000 a month combined. Lubricant and supply drafts are $52,000, payroll $63,000, franchisor drafts $16,000, rent $21,000 and existing payments $9,000. The owner wants $75,000 to replace pit equipment across two centers.
Figures in this example are illustrations of the arithmetic, not an offer, quote or approval. Real terms depend on the file and the funder.
A first center, or a store you have agreed to buy but not yet operated, needs an operating history under your entity before Merchant Fund Express can review it. See buying a franchise. If you already operate centers, the review reads their deposits; see second location funding and franchise transfer financing.
Yes. We read the centers already operating under your entities. Centers just added are reviewed as their deposits build.
Yes. Equipment financing is reviewed against a vendor quote and the useful life of the equipment.
As cost of goods. We read it next to deposits and size payments after it, along with royalty and advertising fund drafts.
Merchant Fund Express serves all 50 states. Each entity is read on its own deposits.
No. Merchant Fund Express is independent. We use the Valvoline Instant Oil Change name only to identify the owners this page is for; it does not mean the franchisor endorses or works with us.
Merchant Fund Express is independent. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Valvoline Instant Oil Change or its franchisor. Brand names identify the owner audience only.
Merchant Fund Express reviews your location's revenue, deposits and existing payments. Same-day decision on a complete file; funding often the next business day. About five minutes to apply.
