Restaurants / New business
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.
At Merchant Fund Express, we publish the terms and thresholds behind this page so you can check your own numbers before you apply.
A restaurant six to twelve months in has something a plan cannot show: a card-settlement history. Funders read the daily batches, the weekly delivery payouts and the supplier debits to see whether the dining room fills, and whether the owner pays the produce vendor before the rent.
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.
| Stage | Published |
|---|---|
| Strongest tier (line of credit, term loan) | 3+ years, FICO 650+, $300,000 a year or $25,000 a month average |
| Second tier | Built for files that miss the first tier; published floor from 6 months in business |
| Renewals | 2 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.
For a restaurant, the weakness we see most is funding a remodel from operating cash right before a slow season.
Sometimes. At six months in business a restaurant can fit the second tier if deposits are consistent; many owners wait until deposits show a full busy and slow cycle. Merchant Fund Express shows the exact amount, schedule and total cost in your offer before you sign.
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.
Checking what you qualify for does not affect your credit score.
Apply with Merchant Fund Express: same-day decision, and applying takes a few minutes without affecting your credit score.
