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Convenience stores / New business

Funding a new convenience store: what the account has to show.

The published time-in-business tiers and the bank-account habits that make a young file readable.

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

What a young convenience store file needs to show

At Merchant Fund Express, we publish the terms and thresholds behind this page so you can check your own numbers before you apply.

A new store is read on daily deposits, the mix of card and cash and distributor debits that recur through the week. Consistency in that pattern matters more than size.

Funding is for businesses that are earning. The published tiers start at six months in business; the strongest tier asks for three years and a 650 FICO. The minimum FICO is 500, and the better your credit, the better your offer.

The timeline, tier by tier

StagePublished
Strongest tier (line of credit, term loan)3+ years, FICO 650+, $300,000 a year or $25,000 a month average
Second tierBuilt for files that miss the first tier; published floor from 6 months in business
Renewals2 years, FICO 550, once 50% of the original balance is repaid

See the published requirements line by line, or check where your file lands; checking does not affect your credit score.

What strengthens a new convenience store file

Deposit cash regularly and document it
Keep distributor payments on schedule
Avoid mixing owner draws with operating debits
Aim for a steady number of deposits each month; the strongest tier asks for eight or more.
Keep a cushion: the strongest tier looks for an average balance of $5,000 or 10% of monthly revenue.

For a convenience store, the weakness we see most is committing to a large vendor promotion that ties up cash in slow-moving inventory.

Related

Convenience stores: the full industry guide — Cash flow, calendar and every funding page for this industry.
Published requirements — Every threshold, line by line.
How much can I borrow? — Sizing against revenue.
Does a convenience store qualify? — Eligibility for this industry.

Common questions

How long does a convenience store need to be in business?

Possibly at six months in business, with a stable daily deposit pattern. Merchant Fund Express shows the exact amount, schedule and total cost in your offer before you sign.

What credit score is needed?

The minimum FICO is 500, and the better your credit, the better your offer. The published tiers use 650, 600 and 550 as product criteria rather than a floor.

Does applying hurt my credit?

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

See what you qualify for

Apply with Merchant Fund Express: same-day decision, and applying takes a few minutes without affecting your credit score.

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