What is the minimum credit score for business funding?

Merchant Fund Express considers scores from 500. Advances are the most flexible, working capital loans commonly look for about 600, and lines of credit about 650. Stronger credit usually means better offers.

How long do I need to be in business?

Guidelines run from about 3+ months for a merchant cash advance to 6+ months for working capital and equipment financing and 1+ year for a line of credit. They are planning guidelines, not fixed rules.

Can a sole proprietor meet these requirements?

Yes. Sole proprietors can apply. The review looks at business deposits, time in business and credit, so running income through a dedicated business account makes the file clearer.

Do I need a business plan?

Not for most requests. Bank statements, ID, a voided check and an application cover many files. For large amounts, a short use-of-funds summary and financials help a reviewer understand the request.

Business Funding Requirements by Product

The short answer

Most business funding looks at three things: monthly revenue in a business bank account, time in business, and credit. Merchant Fund Express's guidelines range from about $7,500 a month and 3+ months for a merchant cash advance to about $17,500 a month, 1+ year and around 650 credit for a line of credit. The basic documents are 3 to 4 months of bank statements, ID, a voided check and a short application.

Requirements by product

Product	Monthly revenue	Time in business	Credit
Merchant cash advance	About $7,500+	Often 3+ months	Flexible
Working capital loan	About $17,500+	Often 6+ months	Commonly 600+
Line of credit	About $17,500+	Usually 1+ year	Commonly about 650+
Equipment financing	Varies	Often 6+ months	Varies
Invoice factoring	Varies	Varies	Customer payment history weighs heavily

These are MFE's published planning guidelines, not approval rules. Scores from 500 are considered across the board, and stronger credit usually means better offers. The Merchant Fund Express requirements page lists them in full.

Product-specific requirements

Equipment financing: a vendor quote or invoice, a term matched to the equipment's life (never more than 60 months at MFE), and possibly a down payment.
Invoice factoring: real, undisputed invoices owed by business or government customers, usually net 30 to 90. It does not fit businesses paid at the point of sale by consumers.
Industry: many funders restrict residential remodeling, new residential construction and long-haul trucking.

Sole proprietors can apply. What matters is that business income flows through an account used for the business.

Check what your business qualifies for

Merchant Fund Express reviews business funding requirements 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 Express

Illustrative example: who qualifies for what

Assumptions: a pet grooming shop has been open 8 months, deposits about $22,000 a month, and the owner's credit score is 610. It meets the advance and working capital guidelines but not the line of credit guideline yet. The owner takes a $15,000 advance with an assumed factor rate of 1.35, an assumed 3% fee and 26 weekly payments.

Item	Amount
Advance amount	$15,000
Fee (3%)	$450
Net cash received	$14,550
Total repayment (15,000 x 1.35)	$20,250
Weekly payment (20,250 / 26)	$778.85

These figures are illustrations, not offers. Real pricing, terms and amounts depend on the full file Merchant Fund Express reviews.

The same owner, four months later with a year in business and credit raised to 650, might compare a line of credit and pay less for the same cash.

Documents to gather

The three to four most recent months of business bank statements, every page.
A government-issued ID.
A voided business check.
A short application.
For larger requests: financial statements and tax returns.

Send complete PDFs from your bank, not screenshots. Missing pages are the most common reason a file sits.

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What to fix first

Overdrafts and returned items. A month or two without NSFs can improve how a file reads. See whether NSFs disqualify you.
Mixed accounts. Move business deposits into one business account so revenue is easy to see.
Thin balances. A balance that hits near zero every week signals stress. Our average bank balance guide explains why.
Credit utilization. Paying card balances down can lift a score within a billing cycle or two.

When to wait before applying

Wait if you are a few weeks short of a time-in-business milestone that opens a better product, if a large deposit is about to clear that lifts your average, or if you have several open advances and need a refinance review instead. Applying with a weak file does not only risk a decline. It can also lead to a smaller, pricier offer than you could get a month later.

Related funding guides

How much revenue you need for business funding How long you need to be in business to get funding Credit score for a business line of credit Do NSFs disqualify you from business funding Business funding requirements at Merchant Fund Express

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.

Business funding requirements, product by product