Short answer
Merchant Fund Express funds POS terminals, kitchen display systems, self-order kiosks, drive-thru timers, menu boards, networking and install for existing franchise locations, from $5,000 to $5,000,000. Hardware usually fits equipment financing; install, training hours and the cutover week fit working capital. Send the vendor or franchisor quote, three months of business bank statements and owner ID. A complete file usually gets a decision in 2–4 hours, and same-day funding is available.
What a tech rollout really costs a store
The quote covers the boxes. The store pays for more than the boxes. A mandated POS change usually means new terminals and card readers, kitchen screens to replace printers, a network upgrade, someone on site for install, and crew hours spent training instead of serving. Fund the whole thing, not just the hardware line.
POS terminals and readers
Counter, drive-thru and handheld units.
Kitchen display systems
Screens and bump bars that replace the ticket printer.
Self-order kiosks
Lobby kiosks that change labor and ticket size.
Digital menu boards
Indoor and drive-thru boards, often tied to a refresh.
Network and install
Cabling, routers, mounts and the technician's day.
Cutover costs
Training hours and the slower week while the crew learns the system.
Match the upgrade to the structure
| Upgrade | Fund it with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Terminals, screens, kiosks | Equipment financing | Hardware anchors the deal |
| Install, training, network work | Working capital | Soft costs repaid from sales |
| Rollout across several stores | Franchise business loan | One lump sum, store-by-store schedule |
| Monthly software or service fees | Business line of credit | Draw for timing gaps, not long-term cost |
| Tight deadline, card-heavy store | Merchant cash advance | Fast, repaid as a share of deposits |
| Uneven seasonal sales | Revenue-based financing | Payments move with revenue |
Apply once and Merchant Fund Express splits the request where it makes sense. Compare the two most common structures on Equipment financing vs working capital.
Hit the go-live date
- Get the rollout quoteFrom the franchisor's approved vendor or your installer. Itemize hardware and labor.
- Apply in about 4 minutesName your brand, number of stores and the go-live date.
- Send statements and IDThree months of business bank statements per store entity, ID for each owner.
- Decision in 2–4 hoursSame-day funding is available once approved.
- Schedule the installBook the tech with money already in the account.
Running several stores in separate LLCs? Each entity sends its own statements. See Separate LLCs and multi-unit owners.
Where it comes up most
Quick-service brands push the most frequent tech rollouts: drive-thru timers, kiosks and kitchen screens at quick-service restaurants, burger and chicken stores. Retail, salon and fitness franchises upgrade POS and booking hardware too. The file reads the same way: the location's deposits, time open and current payments.
A hypothetical example, not a past transaction: an owner of two coffee locations receives a mandated kiosk-and-screen rollout quoted at $38,000 across both stores, plus $6,000 of install and training. Each store's LLC applies with its own statements. The hardware goes on equipment financing, the install on working capital, and each payment is sized to that store's deposits.
Three mistakes that slow a tech file
Funding only the hardware line
Then the install invoice lands on the operating account the same week as payroll. Put the whole rollout in one request.
Waiting for the go-live week
Vendors book installers weeks out. Apply when the rollout letter arrives, not when the deadline is close.
Leaving out current payments
An old POS lease or an existing advance shows on your statements anyway. List it and the file moves faster.
Do those three things right and a tech upgrade is one of the cleanest files a franchise owner can send: a clear quote, a clear deadline and a clear reason. If the rollout lands during a slow season, tell the reviewer; the structure can lean toward revenue-based financing so the payment follows the sales curve. If you want a reusable limit for the software and service fees that keep coming after install, ask about a line of credit on the same application.
What to send
No tax returns to apply. 500+ FICO accepted. Sole proprietors, Spanish-speaking owners and ITIN applicants are welcome.
Owner questions, answered
Can I finance a franchisor-mandated POS change?
Yes. Merchant Fund Express funds POS, kitchen display and kiosk rollouts for operating franchise locations, from $5,000 up.
Can install and training be funded, not just hardware?
Yes. Soft costs usually go on working capital alongside equipment financing for the hardware.
How fast can I have the money?
A complete file usually gets a decision in 2–4 hours, with same-day funding available.
I own several stores. One application or several?
Apply per entity. If every store sits in its own LLC, each sends its own statements; one owner ID covers you across them.
Do I need tax returns?
No. The application, three months of business bank statements and owner ID start the file.
Keep going
Merchant Fund Express is a separate company with no franchisor ties. Terms depend on the business's revenue and history.