Merchant Fund Express
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Line of Credit vs MCA for Machine Shops

Fund material buys, tooling or a new CNC with the product that fits the job. $25,000 to $5,000,000, FICO 500+ considered, 5-minute application.

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Machine Shop Funding Comparison

Keep spindles turning while invoices clear

Job shops pay suppliers before customers pay them. Compare a reusable line of credit with a one-time advance and pick the one that fits your workflow.

As fast as
24 hours

Amount to request

$85,000.00

Funding range$25K to $5M

*Sample amounts shown. Your actual offer depends on your business and is reviewed before approval.

Why shop owners work with us

Fast and low paperwork

Apply in 5 minutes with about three months of bank statements. Funding in as little as 24 hours for qualified businesses.

Credit that is not perfect

FICO 500+ considered. A soft credit pull starts the process without touching your score.

Transparent total cost

The full repayment amount appears in your offer before you accept. No surprise costs after you sign.

Repayment laid out

Your offer shows the repayment schedule up front, so you can line it up against job payments.

Need capital this week?

Fast decisions. Applying takes about 5 minutes.

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How it works

Apply in minutes

A short application. A soft credit pull to start.

Fast decision

We review revenue, time in business and bank activity, not just a credit score.

Review your offer

You see the amount, the schedule and the full repayment amount before you sign.

Get funded

Funding in as little as 24 hours for qualified businesses.

Net-30 customers, cash-up-front suppliers

Machine shops live in the gap between paying for bar stock, tooling and payroll today and getting paid by customers weeks later. Win a bigger job and the gap gets wider before it gets better.

Two products show up often in that conversation. A business line of credit gives you a limit you can draw, repay and draw again. A merchant cash advance gives you a single lump sum repaid from future revenue. Each solves a different shape of problem.

The case for a line of credit

A line is built for the steady churn of a job shop:

You draw what a job needs and repay as invoices clear. Read more about a business line of credit for machine shops.

The case for a merchant cash advance

An advance fits a single, defined push. Think spindle rebuilds, a used CNC lathe that comes up for sale, a second shift you need to staff up for a new contract, or rewiring the floor for more machines. You get the full amount in one deposit. Learn more on our merchant cash advance for machine shops page. For the machine purchase itself, also look at equipment financing for machine shops.

A simple rule of thumb

Repeating, unpredictable costs tend to fit a line of credit. One-time, known costs tend to fit an advance. Some shops use both: a line for materials and an advance for a specific project. Whatever you choose, the offer shows the full repayment amount and the schedule before you accept, so you can run the numbers against the job.

What we look at

We fund established shops with steady deposits, from $25,000 to $5,000,000. Our 5-minute application begins with a soft credit pull. We review about three months of business bank statements, consider FICO 500+, and do not require tax returns. Sole proprietors can apply. Qualified businesses can be funded in as little as 24 hours. Apply here to see what fits your shop.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for buying material for a big order?

A line of credit often fits material buys because you can draw per order and draw again later. If the order is one large, fixed purchase, an advance can also work.

Can I use an MCA to buy a CNC machine?

You can. You may also want to compare equipment financing, which is structured around the equipment purchase.

My customers pay slowly. Does that hurt my application?

We look mainly at your deposits and existing obligations. Steady deposits over about three months matter more than any single late invoice.

Do I need to send tax returns or financial statements?

No tax returns are required. We review about three months of business bank statements.

How fast is a decision?

Decisions move quickly, and qualified businesses can be funded in as little as 24 hours.

Can I use both products at the same time?

Some shops do, for example a line for materials and an advance for a specific machine. Whether that fits depends on your deposits and existing obligations, which we review when you apply.

Bar stock $40,000.00
Tooling $18,000.00
Used CNC lathe $140,000.00
Payroll bridge $65,000.00

Example uses for illustration only.

How to improve your chances

Shops that do these things tend to get cleaner offers.

  • Deposit customer payments into one business account
  • Keep a list of open POs and expected pay dates
  • Avoid overdrafts in the months before applying
  • Separate equipment costs from day-to-day spend

Merchant Fund Express vs a bank loan

Merchant Fund Express
Traditional bank loans
Fit for shops
Line of credit or MCA
One size fits all
Paperwork
About 3 months of statements
Tax returns, statements, plans
Credit
FICO 500+ considered
Often strong credit required
Speed
As little as 24 hours if qualified
Often weeks of underwriting
Application
5 minutes, soft pull to start
Long forms, hard pull common

See which option fits your shop

One secure application. A soft credit pull to start. No obligation to accept an offer.

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