The short answer
At a glance
| Typical amounts | $5,000 to $5,000,000 at MFE; an advance is often sized around 0.5x to 1.5x monthly revenue, illustrative only |
|---|---|
| Revenue guideline | About $7,500/month for an advance; about $17,500/month for working capital or a line of credit |
| Time in business | Often 3+ months (advance), 6+ months (working capital), 1+ year (line of credit) |
| Credit | Scores from 500 considered; about 600+ common for working capital, about 650+ for a line |
| Speed | Same-day decisions are common on complete files; funding often next business day, never promised |
| Cost structure | Factor rate on advances; fixed payback on loans; interest on drawn amounts for lines |
| Documents | 3 to 4 months of bank statements, ID, voided check, application; processor or marketplace reports help |
| Best for | Holiday inventory, restocking bestsellers, store fixtures, franchise buildout |
| Avoid if | The inventory will not sell before payments start eating your margin |
Before you apply: checklist
- Pull 3 to 4 months of bank statements showing card and marketplace payouts
- Write down last year's peak-season sales by month
- Price the inventory order with supplier quotes
- Estimate how many weeks it takes to sell through
- List existing advances, including any marketplace or processor advance
- Check your gross margin per product line
- Have your ID and a voided business check ready
- Plan the slow month after the peak before you sign
Check what your business qualifies for
Merchant Fund Express reviews retail and ecommerce funding 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 this covers
This sheet covers retail stores and boutiques, ecommerce sellers on their own site or marketplaces, convenience stores, liquor stores, gas stations, franchises and small wholesale operations selling to retailers.
The shared problem: you pay suppliers weeks or months before customers buy. That gap is widest right before the holidays, back-to-school, or summer for seasonal goods.
- Convenience and liquor stores: steady daily card sales, inventory and cooler repairs.
- Gas stations: fuel deliveries are large and frequent; margins on fuel are thin, so in-store sales matter to the review.
- Franchises: buildout, remodel requirements and opening inventory.
- Ecommerce: stock ordered from overseas suppliers, ad spend timed with inventory arrival.
- Wholesale: purchase orders from retailers can support purchase-order funding or invoice factoring.
Inventory before peak season
The safest inventory borrowing follows three rules:
- Order what last year proves you can sell, plus a modest buffer.
- Time the money so stock arrives before demand, but payments do not run long into the slow months.
- Compare total payback to the gross profit on that inventory, not to revenue.
The holiday season funding guide covers timing in detail, and the retail business funding guide covers store-specific options.
Illustrative example: a store stocks up for the holidays
Assumptions: a gift store with about $45,000 a month in revenue takes a $40,000 merchant cash advance in September at an assumed factor rate of 1.32, repaid weekly over 24 weeks. Its gross margin on the holiday stock is assumed at 50%.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Advance | $40,000 |
| Factor rate (assumed) | 1.32 |
| Total payback ($40,000 x 1.32) | $52,800 |
| Cost of funds | $12,800 |
| Weekly payment ($52,800 / 24) | $2,200 |
| Gross profit if all $40,000 of stock sells at 50% margin ($80,000 sales) | $40,000 |
The math works only if most of the stock sells. If half of it sits on the shelf into January, the $2,200 weekly payment keeps running while sales drop.
These figures are illustrations, not offers. Real terms depend on the full file review.
Funding brings customers. Is your website ready for them?
Funding usually pays for growth: more stock, staff, equipment or marketing. Make sure the customers that growth brings find a website that explains what you do and makes it easy to call, book or buy. Cheap Cheap Websites builds professional sites from $399, with Website Care at $30/month.
Common mistakes
- Overbuying because the offer was larger than the plan.
- Forgetting an existing processor or marketplace advance that already takes a cut of sales.
- Comparing weekly payments instead of total payback and number of positions.
- Ignoring January. The payment continues after the rush ends.
- Funding thin-margin fuel sales as if they were in-store margin.
- Using short money for a long buildout, such as a franchise remodel, when a longer term would fit better.
How Merchant Fund Express handles this
Merchant Fund Express reviews retail, ecommerce, convenience store, liquor store, gas station, franchise and wholesale files through its industries page. MFE looks at deposits, payouts, existing positions and credit, with scores from 500 considered. If you already carry advances, MFE can review an ecommerce or retail buyout or refinance rather than stacking another. Wholesale sellers with business customers may fit invoice factoring. Service is available in English and Spanish.
Once your inventory plan is written down, apply with Merchant Fund Express.
Related
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 16, 2026.