Funding for your situation
What a bank decline usually says about a catering company's file and which alternatives read the business differently.
✓ Checking what you qualify for does not affect your credit score.
The bank said no, and the need did not go away. Three weddings land on the same Saturday and one van and kitchen cannot do it. What a catering company needs now is a clear view of which alternatives read the business on deposits and bank activity.
Merchant Fund Express is a funding marketplace: you apply once, and the file is matched to the structure that fits it. The sections below show what this situation usually costs, how a funder reads it, and what to prepare.
Compliance touchpoints for a catering company often include catering license and commissary agreement, which can come up when the request involves a new site, a purchase or a significant change.
A catering company file is read through deposit-to-balance flow and how much is paid before the event, corporate receivables aging and seasonality across twelve months.
Deposits arrive in lumps: event deposits, balance payments and corporate invoices on net terms. A reviewer sees that pattern in the statements before reading a word of the application.
Equipment is part of the picture. A failure such as a van refrigeration unit or a transport cart replacements can run $4,700 to $4,700 and interrupt revenue while it is down.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Typical bank loan decision timeline, in days | 45 |
| Alternative review timeline, in days | 1 |
| Documents banks commonly ask for (count) | 12 |
| Documents typically needed here (count) | 3 |
Read it honestly. Faster and lighter paperwork usually costs more than a bank loan. Compare total repayment in dollars, not just speed; use the factor rate calculator before accepting anything.
Source: worksheet by Merchant Fund Express. Illustrative only: these figures are not an offer, and real amounts depend on your file and the funder.
Time in business, collateral, tax returns, debt ratios or documentation.
Deposits, average daily balance, existing obligations.
Speed has a price. Know it in dollars.
Three months of statements and, for a catering company, the booking contract or signed proposal.
These are the same factors described on revenue and deposit requirements and time in business. Merchant Fund Express walks you through how your own file reads before you apply.
A complete file is what makes a same-day decision possible. If something is missing, tell us and we will work around it.
Common reasons are time in business, collateral, tax returns and debt ratios. The decline letter, if you received one, lists them.
Usually, because it is faster and less documented. Compare the full repayment amount in dollars.
Merchant Fund Express is a funding marketplace: one application, a same-day decision on a complete file, and funding typically the next business day after signing.
The minimum FICO is 500, and better credit means better products and terms. See credit score requirements for how the tiers work.
Merchant Fund Express gives a same-day decision on a complete file. Applying takes a few minutes and will not affect your credit score.
