Origination Fee

What it means

An origination fee is taken off the top, so a $100,000 facility with a 3% origination fee delivers $97,000. A 0% origination fee means the approved amount is the amount that actually lands.

Why it matters when you apply

Underwriting for revenue-based business funding leans on bank activity, time in business, industry and existing positions. Where this term touches one of those, it can move a decision.

See the four factors that decide most files on the qualification page.

Related terms

Factor Rate — A multiplier — not an interest rate — used to price a merchant cash advance. A $50,000 advance at a 1.4 factor rate means you repay $70,000 in total.

Holdback — The fixed percentage of daily or weekly card and bank deposits that a funder withholds to repay an advance, commonly 10% to 20%.

ACH Debit — An automatic withdrawal pulled directly from a business bank account, used by most funders to collect daily or weekly payments.

Where this fits

Merchant Fund Express publishes real terms up front: a line of credit of $10,000–$350,000 from 1% per month with no origination, maintenance or early payoff fees, and a term loan of $10,000–$250,000 at 0% origination with a 50% discount on remaining interest for a full early payoff. See the products →

Common questions

What is origination fee?

A charge deducted by the funder for issuing the facility, usually a percentage of the amount funded.

How does this affect my approval?

It depends on the factor it touches — industry, bank activity, time in business or existing positions. Those four decide most files.

Where can I see real rates and terms?

Every product page on this site publishes the amount range, term, rate and fee structure up front.