The short answer
Input 1: monthly deposits
Funders read your last 3 to 4 months of bank statements and calculate average deposits. They also look at consistency. A business depositing $30,000 every month will usually be sized more generously than one averaging $30,000 from a $70,000 month and two $10,000 months.
Transfers between your own accounts and loan proceeds are usually excluded, since they are not revenue.
Input 2: existing payments
Every payment already leaving your account reduces what you can carry. Advance remittances, loan payments and equipment payments all count. A business with $50,000 in deposits and no debt has more room than one with the same deposits and $8,000 a month in existing payments.
If you already carry multiple advances, see MCA consolidation before asking for more.
Check what your business qualifies for
Merchant Fund Express reviews how much can my business borrow 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 ExpressInput 3: the product
| Product | Common revenue guideline | Other guidelines |
|---|---|---|
| Merchant cash advance | About $7,500+/month | 3+ months; credit flexible |
| Working capital loan | About $17,500+/month | 6+ months; commonly 600+ credit |
| Line of credit | About $17,500+/month | 1+ year; commonly about 650+ credit |
| Equipment financing | Based on the deal | 6+ months; vendor quote; terms up to 60 months |
| Invoice factoring | Based on invoices | B2B or government invoices, net 30 to 90 |
These are MFE's published planning guidelines, not approval rules. Equipment and factoring are sized mostly by the equipment price or invoice value rather than by a multiple of revenue.
Illustrative MCA ranges by revenue
Illustrative example. These figures are illustrations built on stated assumptions, not offers. Real pricing depends on the file MFE reviews.
| Monthly deposits | 0.5x | 1.0x | 1.5x |
|---|---|---|---|
| $12,000 | $6,000 | $12,000 | $18,000 |
| $30,000 | $15,000 | $30,000 | $45,000 |
| $80,000 | $40,000 | $80,000 | $120,000 |
Existing payments, credit and history can move an actual offer below or above these numbers.
Funding brings customers. Is your website ready for them?
Whatever amount you settle on, part of the plan should be how new customers find you, because deposits are what support both the payment and your next offer. A current website with clear services and a simple way to reach you protects that revenue. Cheap Cheap Websites builds professional sites from $399, with Website Care at $30/month, and an optional Monthly SEO add-on.
Worked example: asking for the right amount
Illustrative example. These figures are illustrations built on stated assumptions, not offers. Real pricing depends on the file MFE reviews.
Assumptions: a bakery deposits about $30,000 a month and has no existing advances. It asks for $30,000 (1x), with an assumed 1.30 factor rate, a $900 fee and remittances over about 126 business days.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Funding amount | $30,000 |
| Fee at funding | $900 |
| Net cash received | $29,100 |
| Total repayment ($30,000 x 1.30) | $39,000 |
| Daily remittance ($39,000 / 126) | $309.52 |
| Monthly remittances at 21 days | about $6,500 |
| Share of $30,000 deposits | about 21.7% |
If the bakery's slowest month is $22,000, the same $6,500 becomes about 29.5% of deposits. If that feels too tight, asking for $20,000 drops the monthly remittance to about $4,333 under the same assumptions.
How to ask well
- Write down what the money is for and its cost, with quotes if you have them.
- Add a small cushion, not a big one. Unused funding still costs money.
- Check the payment against your slowest month in the last year.
- Submit complete statements so the first offer is accurate.
You can request an amount on the MFE how much can I borrow page. If your score is low, also read business funding with bad credit.
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.