Time in business
Business age is one of the first lines checked and one of the easiest to plan around. Here is what 3, 6, 12, 24 and 36 months reach, and what to do while you wait for the next mark.
✓ Checking what you qualify for does not affect your credit score.
Updated October 13, 2026 · Merchant Fund Express
Time in business usually runs from the start date on your formation documents or the first month your business account shows regular sales, whichever the reviewer can verify. A newer bank account on an older business is fine if you can show the history; see funding with a new business bank account.
| Age | What it opens on our sheet | Realistic alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| 3 months | Below every published floor | Owner savings, an SBA microloan program, a business card used carefully, or waiting |
| 6 months | Tier 2 revenue-based funding opens (600+ FICO, $60,000 verifiable revenue) | Keep the request small; a first advance at this stage is priced for the short history |
| 12 months | Still Tier 2; a longer statement history makes the file read more stable | Equipment financing becomes more realistic because the business has a track record |
| 24 months | Still Tier 2 on our sheet; strongest revenue-based files sit here | Plan for the 3-year mark if a line of credit is the goal |
| 36 months | Tier 1 opens: line of credit and term loan (650+ FICO, $25,000/month) | The cheapest money on the sheet: a line from 1% per month or a term loan at 0% origination |
Published thresholds as of October 2026. Trucking (3 years) and construction (5 years) carry longer floors on Tier 2.
A business at 33 months asking for a line of credit is three months away from the cheapest tier. Taking a revenue-based advance now and then refinancing later costs more than waiting, unless the money is urgent and the purpose pays back quickly.
| Choice | Timing | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Take an advance at 33 months | Funds now | Higher cost; a position on your account when you later apply for a line |
| Wait to 36 months | Funds in about 3 months | Eligible for Tier 1 if credit and revenue also clear |
Use the months to tidy statements: fewer negative days, a higher average balance and no unexplained transfers all help when the date arrives.
All figures in worked examples are illustrations of the arithmetic, not offers or quotes. Real terms depend on your file and the funder.
Age alone never decides a file. A two-year business with clean statements can read better than a five-year business that runs negative every week.
More detail for each mark: three months in business, six months in business and one year in business.
Check where your start date puts you with the qualification check, which uses a soft pull. If you clear your mark, apply with recent statements.
On our published sheet, revenue-based funding starts at 6 months and a line of credit or term loan at 3 years.
Not on the published tiers. Owner savings, microloan programs or waiting to 6 months are the realistic options.
No, if you can show the business history. The reviewer reads business age, not account age, though statements from the new account will be thinner.
Often, if you are close and the need is not urgent. Tier 1 products are the lowest-cost money on the sheet.
Yes. On Tier 2, trucking needs 3 years and construction needs 5 years.
Same-day decision. Applying takes a few minutes and will not affect your credit score.
