Merchant Fund Express
(305) 384-8391Apply

Funding for your situation

Opening a convenience store franchise: the fee, the build and the runway.

What opening a convenience store franchise really takes in cash and how a funding request is built around it.

✓ Checking what you qualify for does not affect your credit score.

What makes this moment different

Franchisors set the build and the brand standards; the owner supplies the cash. A corner store nearby is closing and its customers need somewhere to go. Funding a convenience store franchise means covering the fee, the build and the ramp.

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.

Typical useFee, build and opening runway
TimelineSame-day decision on a complete file; funding typically the next business day after signing
CreditMinimum FICO is 500; better credit means better offers
DocumentsAbout three months of business bank statements and a short application

A convenience store file is read through daily deposit pattern and cash share, inventory turns and regulated product mix, since eligibility varies by file.

High-frequency card and cash deposits, with inventory and vendors paid ahead. 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 walk-in cooler or a security system can run $6,000 to $6,000 and interrupt revenue while it is down.

The documents that usually matter most for a convenience store are lease for the new site and vendor or equipment quote, alongside the bank statements.

A worked example: opening a convenience store franchise

Cost itemIllustrative amount
Franchise fee and training (illustrative)$55,000
Lease deposit and build-out$50,000
Coolers and shelving$28,000
POS and security$8,000
Working capital for the opening runway$31,500
Cushion for overruns and slow early weeks (about 10%)$17,000
Total to open$189,500

Sizing check. If the full repayment shown in an offer were $247,000 over about 26 weeks, the weekly debit would be about $9,500. Against illustrative monthly deposits of $225,000 (about $51,923 a week), that is roughly 18% of weekly deposits. Your own offer states the real repayment amount in dollars; run your numbers on the factor rate calculator before you accept 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.

What opening usually involves

Franchise fee and training (illustrative) ($55,000)

People are paid on a schedule that does not wait for new revenue to ramp.

Lease deposit and build-out ($50,000)

Paid to a contractor before opening, often in draws that start before any revenue.

Coolers and shelving ($28,000)

A real cost of the move that is easy to leave out of the first estimate.

POS and security ($8,000)

A real cost of the move that is easy to leave out of the first estimate.

Working capital for the opening runway ($31,500)

A real cost of the move that is easy to leave out of the first estimate.

Where owners go wrong

Using the franchisor's low estimate as the plan, with no cushion
Forgetting required reserves or inventory minimums
Signing a lease before funding is lined up

What funders read on a file like this

The franchise agreement and the franchisor's estimate of opening costs
Your own deposits, credit and obligations
The lease for the franchise site
Daily deposit pattern and cash share
Inventory turns

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.

Other ways to fund it, and where to go next

Business term loans: A fixed schedule for a larger, longer project, if the file supports it.
Working capital loans: Lump-sum capital sized on your deposits, for a defined need with a clear payback.
Equipment financing: Built around the equipment itself, which often keeps the payment tied to what it earns.
Business line of credit: A reusable pool you draw on and repay, useful when costs arrive in pieces.
How funders read a convenience store: Industry-specific notes on what the file needs.
Convenience store funding guide: The full industry guide, with every product and topic.
Convenience store funding in Florida: State-level funding page for this industry.
Funding for a franchise: A closely related situation, explained in detail.
Business term loans: A closely related situation, explained in detail.
Factor rate calculator: Run your own numbers before accepting an offer.
More funding situations: Other growth, operating and recovery moments.

Documents that speed it up

Three months of business bank statements
A completed application
A government-issued ID for the owner
Lease for the new site
Vendor or equipment quote
The franchise agreement and the opening-cost estimate

A complete file is what makes a same-day decision possible. If something is missing, tell us and we will work around it.

Common questions

Can I fund a convenience store franchise?

Funding is sized on your own file, not the franchise brand. A term loan or working capital may fit depending on the pieces.

Does the franchisor finance part of it?

Some do. Whatever they provide goes into the plan; the rest is what a funder reviews.

What does Merchant Fund Express need to start?

Application and three months of business bank statements, plus the franchise agreement and the site lease once you have them.

What credit score do I need?

The minimum FICO is 500, and better credit means better products and terms. See credit score requirements for how the tiers work.

See what you qualify for

Merchant Fund Express gives a same-day decision on a complete file. Applying takes a few minutes and will not affect your credit score.

Apply Now →
Apply NowCall