Short answer
For multi-unit franchise owners, Merchant Fund Express reviews the entity that will receive the funds, using that entity's bank deposits and existing payments. If all your stores sit in one LLC with one operating account, they are reviewed together. If each store has its own LLC, each is reviewed on its own, and one strong store does not automatically carry a weaker one. Tell us the structure up front and send statements for the entity that needs the money.
Map your structure before you apply
| Your setup | How the review works | What to send |
|---|---|---|
| All stores in one LLC, one account | Reviewed as one business | Three months of that account |
| One LLC per store | Each store reviewed separately | Statements for the store's own LLC |
| Holding company over store LLCs | Depends on which entity signs and receives funds | Statements for the receiving entity and an ownership chart |
| Mixed brands under different LLCs | Reviewed per entity, brand by brand | Statements and brand per entity |
Unit-level revenue is what counts
Franchise owners sometimes describe their total portfolio sales. The review needs to see the deposits that land in the account of the business taking the funding. A five-store group with $4 million in combined sales may still have a store doing $40,000 a month in its own account; that store's numbers set what that store can carry. This protects you as much as the funder: a payment sized to the group but collected from one store can strangle it.
Ownership and who signs
List every owner and their percentage. Owners with a significant stake are usually asked for a photo ID and to sign. If a partner owns part of Store 3 but not Store 1, the paperwork for each store reflects that. Sorting this out before you apply saves the most time in multi-unit files.
Existing obligations across stores
Equipment notes, SBA loans, advances and leases across your portfolio all matter if they are paid from the account under review. Cross-collateralized bank loans or liens that cover every store can also affect what is possible. List them all on the application. If an existing advance is the strain, ask about options to lower the payment.
Using an open store to help open the next one
This is the most common multi-unit question. Funding drawn by an operating store and used inside that store's business is reviewed on that store's history. A new location in a brand-new LLC has no history of its own, so its startup costs are not something Merchant Fund Express funds. Read existing vs new before planning around it.
What to send
Every product, per entity
Each store entity can use a different structure from Merchant Fund Express, matched to its own deposits; see Separate LLCs. The full menu for existing owners: franchise business loans, merchant cash advances, revenue-based financing, lines of credit, equipment financing, working capital and, for franchises that bill other businesses, invoice factoring.
Three common multi-unit structures, and the fastest path for each
Single LLC, several stores, one account
The simplest case. One application, one set of statements, and the reviewer sees the whole group's revenue and payments together. Name each store address on the application.
One LLC per store
Apply for the store that needs the money. If two stores need funding at once, submit two applications so each is sized on its own deposits. This takes a little longer but keeps one store's payment from landing on another.
Holding company with store subsidiaries
Tell us which entity will sign and which account receives the funds. Include a simple ownership chart. If store revenue is swept up to the holding company, explain the sweep so the reviewer can follow the money.
Owner questions, answered
Can I combine all my franchise locations into one application?
Only if they are owned and banked by the same entity. Separately owned stores are reviewed separately.
Will a strong store help a weaker one qualify?
Not automatically. Each receiving entity is reviewed on its own deposits and payments.
Do all partners need to sign?
Owners with a significant stake are usually asked for ID and a signature. The specialist will confirm for your structure.
Can I fund a new location using my existing stores?
Startup costs for a new LLC with no operating history are not funded. An existing store can fund needs inside its own business.
I own two different brands. Is that a problem?
No. Each entity is reviewed on its own numbers regardless of brand.
Keep going
Merchant Fund Express is a separate company with no franchisor ties. Terms depend on the business's revenue and history.