Guide
"Bad credit" is not one thing. A 590 from high utilisation and a 590 from a discharged bankruptcy are read completely differently.
✓ Checking your options with bad credit does not affect your credit score.
The score sets which product your file is read against, not whether you are funded. Tier 1 reads at 650, Tier 2 at 600, renewals at 550.
Bad credit is not an automatic no: no hard score cutoff applies. The 650, 600 and 550 tiers decide which product a file is read against, not whether the business can be funded. Owners with scores in the 500s are placed routinely and are judged on revenue, deposit consistency and time in business rather than the score by itself.
Underwriters weigh the bank statements far more heavily than owners expect. A clean, boring account at 520 is a stronger file than a chaotic one at 660.
Not the score. An open bankruptcy, three or more open positions, a restricted industry, or a business under six months old.
A low score narrows the menu but rarely closes it. What you do before applying can still change which offers you see.
Revenue-based programs read bank statements closely. Send complete bank PDFs for every account that receives sales, include month-to-date activity, and explain any large transfers between your own accounts so they are not mistaken for revenue.
Negative days and returned payments in the last 90 days often matter more than an old late payment on a credit report. If the balance is running thin, delaying an application by a few weeks to avoid overdrafts can help more than waiting months for a score to rise.
| Score | What it can open |
|---|---|
| 500–549 | Applications are reviewed; deposits and account health carry the decision |
| 550–599 | Renewals of an existing advance can be reviewed |
| 600–649 | The revenue-based program |
| 650+ | Bank-style lines of credit and term loans, with other criteria met |
Some lenders will look past a low score if the loan is secured by equipment, real estate or a vehicle, or if a co-owner with stronger credit signs too. That can open a cheaper product, but it also puts the asset or the co-owner on the hook. Weigh the savings against what is pledged, and never pledge a home for a short-term business need without advice.
A tax lien or a judgment is treated differently from a low score. Many funders will still review the file if a payment plan is in place and current, so bring the agreement and recent payment confirmations with the application.
Low-credit borrowers are the most common target for advance stacking and “take this first” offers. Read the ten MCA warning signs and, if you have time, the 30/60/90-day credit plan.
Yes. Bad credit is not an automatic no: no hard score cutoff applies. The 650, 600 and 550 tiers decide which product a file is read against, not whether the business can be funded. Owners with scores in the 500s are placed routinely and are judged on revenue, deposit consistency and time in business rather than the score by itself.
The minimum FICO is 500. Scores in the 500s are placed routinely and are read on revenue and deposits.
No. Checking options with a low score does not affect it.
Files with low scores still get a same-day decision, and the few-minute application does not affect your credit score.
