Franchise funding
The national ad fund builds the brand. Local store marketing fills your parking lot. Here is how to fund the second without guessing.
✓ Merchant Fund Express starts with a soft credit pull. Terms depend on your business's revenue and history.
Updated October 21, 2026 · Merchant Fund Express
Already running a franchise and need to push local sales? Merchant Fund Express funds existing franchise owners for local store marketing on top of the national ad fund: grand re-openings, territory launches, local digital ads and community sponsorships. The ad fund debit is already counted as a normal cost in our review, and a line of credit draw or working capital fits most campaigns.
The national or regional ad fund pays for brand campaigns, creative and media across the system. It does not know that a competitor just opened across the street, that a highway exit was rebuilt, or that your unit just finished a remodel. Local store marketing does that job:
Check your franchise agreement for any required local marketing spend and approved materials; this page is about funding what you choose or are required to spend.
Yes. Merchant Fund Express reads royalty and advertising-fund debits as normal recurring obligations, the same as rent. That means the payment on new funding is sized after the ad fund comes out, not before. An owner is never asked to fund marketing with room that is already promised to the franchisor.
This matters because ad fund contributions are usually a share of revenue: a stronger month raises the debit too. Read franchise funding requirements for the full list of what the review counts.
Marketing is the hardest use of funds to measure, so set the test before you spend. A simple frame:
If the break-even number is not believable, shrink the campaign, not the payment term.
A hypothetical quick-service unit finishes a remodel and plans a 6-week re-opening push.
| Line | Figure |
|---|---|
| Mailers and door hangers | $4,500 |
| Local digital ads, 6 weeks | $6,000 |
| Event day and giveaways | $2,500 |
| Total campaign | $4,500 + $6,000 + $2,500 = $13,000 |
| Margin per extra ticket after food, labor and royalty | $4.00 |
| Extra tickets to break even | $13,000 / $4.00 = 3,250 tickets |
| Per week over 6 weeks | 3,250 / 6 = about 542 a week, about 77 a day |
If the unit can believably add 77 tickets a day during the push, and keep some of them after, the campaign pays for itself. If not, trim the digital budget first.
Figures in this example are illustrations of the arithmetic, not an offer, quote or approval. Real terms depend on the file and the funder.
| Campaign type | Product that fits | How it repays | Read next |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recurring local marketing calendar | Line of credit | Draw per campaign, interest only on what is drawn | Franchise lines of credit |
| One-time re-opening or territory launch | Working capital | Short term sized to deposits | Franchise working capital |
| Seasonal push in a revenue-swing unit | Revenue-based financing | Payments sized to revenue | Seasonal cash flow |
| Marketing bundled with a remodel | Term loan | Tier 1, first position | Franchise remodel funding |
A line of credit draw has a $10,000 minimum and a 2.49% fee per draw, with no maintenance fee. For general guidance see funding for marketing campaigns and fund a marketing push.
Merchant Fund Express gives a same-day decision on a complete file. Existing positions are counted, and a new structure can lower the payment if a current advance is heavy. Terms depend on revenue and history. Apply in about 5 minutes.
Yes, though it is usually not the first choice. An MCA is a purchase of future receivables, not a loan. For a recurring calendar, a line of credit costs less to keep on hand.
It is counted as a normal recurring cost, like rent. The payment on new funding is sized after it.
Yes. Mailers, search ads and launch events for an operating franchise expanding its service area are a common use.
Check your franchise agreement for any approval rules on local materials. Funding the campaign is between your business and Merchant Fund Express.
Set one measurable result before you spend, calculate the break-even number of sales and track it weekly during the campaign.
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.
