The short answer
How revenue-based financing works
You receive a lump sum and repay a fixed total through a set percentage of future revenue, or a fixed payment sized to that revenue. When deposits rise, payoff speeds up. With a true percentage structure, slow months mean smaller payments.
Because the money comes back from sales, the reviewer cares more about what lands in your account than about a missed card payment three years ago.
The Merchant Fund Express bad-credit revenue-based financing page covers the funding-side view.
What your deposits need to show
- Consistency: similar deposit totals month to month, or a clear seasonal pattern you can explain.
- Real revenue: customer payments, not transfers from your own savings or loan proceeds, which reviewers subtract.
- Few negative days: an account that dips below zero often signals the business is already stretched.
- Visible existing payments: any advances or loans already debiting the account, since they reduce what you can carry.
A deposit-heavy file can offset a low score. A thin or erratic file usually cannot, whatever the score.
Check what your business qualifies for
Merchant Fund Express reviews revenue-based financing with bad credit requests from $5,000 to $5,000,000. Scores from 500 are considered, and same-day decisions are common on complete files.
Check funding options with Merchant Fund ExpressWho it fits, and who it does not
Fits: a landscaper, clinic, shop, or service company with a 520 to 620 score, three or more months of steady deposits, and a clear use for the cash.
Does not fit: a startup with no deposit history, or a business with frequent overdrafts and a stack of existing advances. In that case, a consolidation review is a better first conversation.
Illustrative example: a plumbing company with a 560 score
The figures below are illustrations built on stated assumptions, not offers or quotes. Real pricing depends on the full file.
Assumptions: $60,000 a month in average deposits, a $50,000 advance (about 0.83x monthly revenue), total repayment set at 1.38x, a 3% fee, and 10% of deposits retrieved each month.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Funded amount | $50,000 |
| Fee (3%) | $1,500 |
| Net cash received | $48,500 |
| Total repayment ($50,000 x 1.38) | $69,000 |
| Payment in a normal month (10% of $60,000) | $6,000 |
| Payment in a slow month (10% of $45,000) | $4,500 |
| Approximate payoff at $60,000 a month | 11.5 months |
Total cost over the net cash received is $20,500. Same file, 680 score, and the multiple could be noticeably lower, so improving credit while you repay is worth it.
Funding brings customers. Is your website ready for them?
A lower score makes funding cost more, so the website your customers find should turn visits into calls and bookings, not lose them to an outdated page. Cheap Cheap Websites builds professional sites from $399, and Website Care at $30/month handles updates and weekly checks so the site keeps working while you repay.
Documents to prepare
- 3 to 4 months of business bank statements, all pages.
- Photo ID for each owner with 20% or more.
- A voided check for the receiving account.
- A short note on any credit issue, such as a resolved medical collection, if it explains the score.
- For larger requests, a year-end profit and loss statement or tax return.
When another option, or waiting, is better
If deposits have been falling for three months, waiting is usually better than funding. A payment on shrinking revenue tightens the squeeze.
If your score is close to 600 and you have six or more months in business, check a working capital loan first, since guidelines there commonly start around 600+ credit.
And if you only need a few thousand dollars, a cheaper source like a supplier payment plan may cost less than any financing.
Related funding guides
Cheap Cheap Websites builds websites. It does not lend or make funding decisions. Funding is offered by our funding partner, Merchant Fund Express, and every request is subject to its review and approval. Figures on this page are illustrations, not offers. Updated October 15, 2026.