The core qualifying criteria for a merchant cash advance at Westline are deliberately simple: six months minimum time in business, $15,000+ in monthly business revenue, and a U.S. business bank account. Most U.S. small and medium-sized businesses operating in mainstream industries qualify when those three are met. Personal credit score is not a gating factor — we have no FICO floor.
Beyond the core minimums, qualification depends on a handful of additional factors that affect terms (factor rate, advance amount, term length) rather than approval/decline.
Core Qualifying Criteria (Westline)
- Time in business: 6 months minimum. Documented by state business registration or first business bank account opening date.
- Monthly revenue: $15,000+ average. Calculated from three months of business bank deposits. Marketplace deposits (Amazon, Shopify, PayPal) count.
- Business bank account: U.S.-domiciled. A bank account in the legal business name. Personal-account commingled deposits don't qualify.
Industries That Qualify
Most mainstream small business industries are eligible. Westline routinely funds:
- Restaurants and food service
- Construction and contractors (general, sub, specialty trades)
- Trucking and transportation (owner-operators, fleets)
- Retail (brick-and-mortar and e-commerce)
- Healthcare practices (medical, dental, physical therapy, mental health)
- Auto repair and auto body
- Landscaping and lawn care
- Salons, spas, and personal services
- Manufacturing
- Hospitality (hotels, B&Bs, vacation rentals)
- Wholesale and distribution
- Professional services (legal, accounting, marketing, consulting)
- Fitness studios and gyms
- Agriculture and farming
Industries That Are Case-by-Case
- Cannabis-adjacent businesses — banking restrictions complicate underwriting. Eligible when the merchant has established banking with a cannabis-friendly bank or credit union and can provide three months of bank statements showing the deposit pattern.
- Adult entertainment — eligible at most reputable funders; some specialty MCA companies focus exclusively on this vertical.
- Tribal-owned businesses — eligible; some additional documentation around tribal sovereignty and dispute-resolution mechanisms.
- Foreign-owned U.S. businesses — eligible if the business is U.S.-domiciled and the bank account is U.S.; the personal guarantor's residency may affect terms.
Industries That Generally Don't Qualify
- Speculative finance — payday lending, debt collection, certain crypto-trading businesses with no underlying revenue stream.
- Pure consulting startups under 6 months — usually time-in-business ineligible.
- Multi-level marketing — most reputable funders decline due to revenue-recognition issues.
- Pre-revenue or pre-operational businesses — no cash flow to underwrite against.
Specific Disqualifiers (Even at No-FICO-Floor Funders)
Even at Westline, where personal credit isn't a gating factor, some items can disqualify:
- Active personal bankruptcy (open Chapter 7 or 13)
- Open business judgments or unresolved tax liens above $50,000
- Recent (within 90 days) MCA defaults at other funders
- Business under criminal investigation or with active regulatory enforcement actions
A 480 FICO from old credit damage is fine. An active bankruptcy is not. The distinction is between historical credit damage (which doesn't predict future business cash flow) and current legal/financial encumbrances (which directly affect collectability).
What Affects Terms (Once Qualified)
For merchants who clear the core qualifying criteria, these factors affect factor rate, advance amount, and term length:
- Time in business (longer = better terms)
- Monthly revenue and consistency
- Industry-specific risk profile
- Existing advances or open debt
- Personal credit (affects factor rate at margins; doesn't gate approval)
- Geographic location (some funders price by state)
- Advance amount relative to monthly revenue
Apply
If you meet the three core criteria — 6 months in business, $15K+ monthly revenue, U.S. business bank account — there's a strong chance you qualify. Apply with Westline. 60-second form, no credit pull at qualification. 855-439-0082.
Related: Full MCA requirements · Credit score requirement · Can a new business get an MCA?
Sources & References
- Bank denial and small business credit access figures cited in this piece are derived from the Federal Reserve Small Business Credit Survey. Approval rates for small business credit applications at large banks have ranged from approximately 13%-31% across recent survey years, depending on bank category and reporting period.
- Small business finance landscape and lending program data: SBA Office of Advocacy.
- Merchant cash advance industry standards and disclosure practices: Small Business Finance Association (SBFA).
- Commercial financing disclosure regulations referenced (NY FAIR Act, CA SB 1235/666/362, VA, UT) are summarized from the published statutes; consult counsel for specific compliance application.