What You Need vs. What You Don't
MCA underwriting is fundamentally different from bank underwriting. Here's the complete picture.
Why bank statements only? MCA repayment is a percentage of your daily deposits: it scales with your cash flow. Since repayment comes directly from your account, underwriters care about what your deposits look like right now, not what you reported on last year's taxes. Bank statements are the most accurate and current picture of your business's repayment capacity.
What Underwriters Look for in Your Bank Statements
Four things, in order of importance. Your credit score is a distant secondary factor.
How Much Can You Get? (Calculate from Your Statements)
Your advance amount is directly calculated from your average monthly deposits. This is how to estimate your offer before you apply.
The Bank Statement Formula
Actual offer depends on NSF count, industry, existing advances, and FICO score. Use the MCA Calculator for a more detailed estimate.
Step-by-Step: How to Apply Using Bank Statements
The complete process from bank statement to funded, with decision and funding timing set by the funding provider after review.
Calculate Your Average Monthly Deposits
Before applying, know your number. Open your four most recent complete, consecutive months of bank statements and add up all deposits per month. Divide by 4. This is your advance eligibility baseline. If the number is under $4,000/month, you may be below the minimum threshold. $4,000 to $6,000+/month is the sweet spot for most standard advance programs.
Download All Pages of Your Business Bank Statements
Log into your business bank's online portal and download the four most recent complete, consecutive months of statements as PDFs. Download all pages: every single page of each month. Incomplete statements (missing pages, partial months) delay or disqualify the review, and duplicate months do not count toward the four. Personal, Square, Cash App and Chime statements are not accepted, and payment-processor statements are not substitutes for business bank statements. If you have multiple business accounts, download statements from all of them.
Complete the 1-Page Application
The application form takes about 10 minutes. It asks for basic business information: your name, business name, business address, time in business, estimated monthly revenue, and how much funding you're looking for. No financial projections, no business plan narrative, no complex forms.
Upload Your Bank Statements
Upload your bank statement PDFs through the secure application portal. Submit complete PDF files downloaded directly from your bank, with every page of each statement included. Screenshots, photographs of statement pages, redacted or edited files and transaction summaries are not accepted. If you're applying by phone, a T.A.G. advisor can provide you with a direct upload link.
Receive Your Offer
An underwriter reviews your file, and decision timing is set by the funding provider. Your offer includes: advance amount, factor rate (total cost as a multiplier), total repayment amount, daily holdback percentage, and estimated term length. All terms are disclosed in writing before you sign anything. No obligation to accept.
Sign Electronically Once Approved
Review and sign the contract electronically through DocuSign or a similar platform. No in-person closing, no attorney, no notary. Once signed, funds wire to your business bank account, with timing set by the funding provider.
How to Prepare Your Statements for the Best Offer
The same business with the same deposits can get dramatically different offers depending on when they apply and how their statements look. Here's what improves your offer.
Ready? The Application Takes 10 Minutes
1-page form + bank statements. Review begins as soon as your file is complete, and decision and funding timing are set by the funding provider.
No tax returns. No collateral. 500 FICO minimum.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I apply for a business loan with just bank statements?
- Yes: for MCA (merchant cash advance), your bank statements are the primary and often only financial document required. The complete application is a 1-page form + the four most recent complete, consecutive months of business bank statements. No tax returns, business plan, or collateral documentation needed.
- Why do MCA lenders use bank statements instead of tax returns?
- MCA is not a loan: it's a purchase of future revenue. Repayment is automatically debited as a percentage of your daily deposits. Since repayment comes directly from your cash flow, underwriters evaluate your current deposits rather than last year's tax history. Bank statements show what your business generates right now.
- How many months of bank statements do I need?
- T.A.G.'s underwriting baseline requires the four most recent complete, consecutive months of business bank statements for every application, regardless of advance size or seasonality. Download all pages: partial statements delay review.
- What if my bank statements show some months with low deposits?
- Low-deposit months reduce your average monthly deposit volume, which lowers your advance amount but does not necessarily disqualify you. Underwriters look at the average across all statement months. A seasonal business with two strong months and one slow month may still qualify: the offer will be based on the average, not the peak month. Apply during or just after your strongest months for the best offer.
- Is there a hard credit inquiry before the initial decision?
- Initial funding decisions are based primarily on your business's bank-statement cash flow, without a hard credit inquiry before the initial decision. Additional underwriting and credit checks, potentially including a hard inquiry, may occur before final funding.
- Do I need business bank statements or personal?
- Business bank statements only. Personal bank statements are not accepted, Cash App statements are not accepted, Chime statements are not accepted, and payment-processor statements are not substitutes for business bank statements. If you don't have a business account yet, open one and use it consistently: the requirement is four complete, consecutive months of its statements.
- What if I was declined by a bank? Can I still apply with bank statements?
- Yes. A bank decline has no effect on MCA eligibility. MCA and bank loan underwriting are completely separate processes with different criteria. Many businesses that are declined by banks qualify for MCA the same week. The bank decline does not appear in MCA underwriting.
- What do underwriters look for in my bank statements?
- MCA underwriters evaluate four things from your bank statements: (1) average monthly deposit volume: determines your advance amount; (2) NSF (non-sufficient fund) events: 0 is ideal, 3+ per month is a risk flag; (3) average daily balance: $1,000+ preferred; (4) existing advance deductions already appearing as debits. Personal credit score is a minor factor; your bank deposits tell the real story.