Qualification Guide
Your credit score is one data point. Your business revenue tells the real story. Merchant cash advances approve based on monthly bank deposits — not your FICO. Here is what actually matters, what underwriters look at instead, and exactly how to qualify.
Yes, you can get business funding with bad credit. MCA (merchant cash advance) approves based on your monthly bank deposit volume — not your credit score. Minimum 500 FICO. A business depositing $10,000+/month can qualify for MCA funding even with a 520 FICO and a bank decline on record.
MCA qualification is different from bank loan qualification. Here is what each score range means in practice.
These 4 factors from your bank statements determine your approval, advance amount, and factor rate — not your FICO.
The process from application to funded — even with a 500–600 FICO score.
Check your current FICO through your bank app, Credit Karma, or annualcreditreport.com. Scores below 500 are the hard floor for most MCA providers. Knowing your score helps you set realistic expectations on factor rates before you see offers.
These are the primary underwriting document for MCA. Download them as PDFs from your business bank account — all pages, including the transaction detail. Personal statements will not substitute for business statements. If you have multiple accounts, include them all.
Add up all deposits for each of the last 3 months, then divide by 3. This is your average monthly deposit volume. Your advance amount will be approximately 75–150% of this number. A business averaging $15,000/month may qualify for $11,250–$22,500.
The MCA application is a single page asking for basic business information. Combined with your bank statements, that is the full submission. No tax returns, no business plan, no personal financial statements, no collateral schedule required.
Offers return in 2–4 hours. Review the factor rate, advance amount, and daily holdback percentage. Bad credit typically means a higher factor rate (1.28–1.45 vs 1.18–1.28 for strong credit). Sign electronically — no attorney or closing agent required.
Funds are deposited directly into your business bank account. Daily repayment begins the next business day at the agreed holdback percentage — automatically debited from your account each business day until paid in full.
With bad credit, two lenders looking at your business see two completely different things.
Direct answers to the most common questions about qualifying with a low credit score.
Yes. Merchant cash advances (MCAs) approve businesses with credit scores as low as 500. MCA underwriters evaluate your monthly bank deposit volume — not your credit score. A strong business with $10,000+/month in deposits can qualify for MCA funding even with a 520 FICO.
For MCA: 500 FICO minimum. For SBA 7(a) loans: typically 640–680 FICO. For traditional bank business loans: 680–720+ FICO. For business lines of credit: 600–650 FICO minimum for most lenders. If your score is below 640, MCA is the most realistic funding path.
MCA underwriters primarily evaluate four factors from your business bank statements: (1) total monthly deposit volume — the most important factor, (2) NSF frequency — 0–2/month preferred, (3) average daily balance — $1,000+ preferred, and (4) time in business — 6+ months required. A business with 520 FICO and $25,000/month in consistent deposits will likely qualify.
Most MCA providers use a soft credit pull for initial qualification, which does not affect your score. A hard pull may be done at contract stage but is typically a minor impact. Unlike multiple bank loan applications, MCA applications generally have minimal credit score impact.
Yes, if monthly deposits are strong. A 500 FICO with $15,000+/month in business bank deposits will likely qualify for an MCA. The factor rate may be higher than for a 650 FICO applicant, but qualification is possible. The minimum floor is approximately 500 — below that, most MCA providers cannot fund.
Chapter 13 (active repayment plan): sometimes approved with court approval on a case-by-case basis. Chapter 7 (discharged): most MCA providers can fund 1–2 years after discharge if monthly deposits are strong. Chapter 7 still pending: very difficult. The bankruptcy type and timing matters significantly.
Submit a 1-page MCA application with 3 months of business bank statements, receive an offer in 2–4 hours, sign electronically, receive funds in 24–48 hours. Total time from application to funded: often less than 48 hours regardless of credit score.
One-page application. 3 months of bank statements. Decision in 24–72 hours.
500 FICO OK · No collateral · $8K/month minimum deposits · Bank declines OK
Or call/text: 330-238-3003
