The 60-second answer
On a clean A-paper file with modern funders, an MCA can fund in 4–24 hours. On a typical B-paper file with normal underwriting questions, expect 2–4 business days. C-paper or stacked positions: 3–7 business days. The single biggest variable is document readiness on your end, not the funder's speed.
The five stages
Stage 1 — Application submitted to first response
Typical: 5 minutes to 4 hours.
You submit a funding application — either to a single direct funder or, more efficiently, to a referral platform that matches you. The funder's system acknowledges receipt and routes the file to an underwriter or an automated decision engine.
What can speed this up: applying through a modern API-driven platform; having bank statements ready as PDFs (not images); applying during business hours.
Stage 2 — Underwriter review
Typical: 2 hours to 1 business day.
An underwriter (or an automated decision system) reviews your bank statements, business information, credit, and existing position(s). For A-paper files with no flags, automated systems return offers in 30 minutes or less. For B-paper or files with questions, a human underwriter is involved and may request additional documentation.
Stage 3 — Approval and offer letter
Typical: 30 minutes to 4 hours after underwriter review.
If approved, the funder issues a formal offer letter with the amount, factor rate, daily payment, and term. You review and either accept, negotiate, or decline. Negotiation (asking for a slightly larger amount or longer term) usually adds 4–8 hours.
Stage 4 — Contract execution and ACH setup
Typical: 1 to 8 hours.
You sign the funding agreement (usually e-signature). The funder verifies your business bank account (often via Plaid or a voided check), confirms ownership documents, and sets up the daily ACH authorization. This is where most preventable delays live — missing voided check, missing driver's license, slow e-signature response, etc.
Stage 5 — Funding disbursement
Typical: 2 hours to 1 business day.
The funder wires or ACHs the funded amount to your business bank account. Wire transfers arrive same-day if initiated before the funder's daily cutoff (usually 2–3 PM ET). ACH transfers arrive next business day.
Real-world timeline examples
The fast case (4 hours, A-paper)
- 9:00 AM — Restaurant submits application via referral platform
- 9:15 AM — Automated underwriter approves at 1.28 factor on $50K
- 9:45 AM — Offer letter signed via e-sign
- 10:30 AM — Voided check + ID verified
- 1:00 PM — Wire initiated
- 1:30 PM — Funds in business account
The typical case (2 business days, B-paper)
- Day 1, 11 AM — Application submitted
- Day 1, 2 PM — Underwriter requests an extra month of statements
- Day 1, 4 PM — Statements submitted
- Day 2, 10 AM — Conditional approval received
- Day 2, 12 PM — Offer letter signed
- Day 2, 2 PM — Documents verified, ACH set up
- Day 3, AM — Funds arrive via ACH
The slow case (5–7 business days, C-paper or stacked)
- Day 1 — Application submitted
- Day 1–2 — Multiple underwriter questions about existing positions
- Day 2–3 — Negotiation on amount and factor
- Day 4 — Final approval at adjusted terms
- Day 4–5 — Document gathering (existing funder payoff letters, etc.)
- Day 5–7 — Contract execution, ACH setup, funding
What you can do to speed it up
- Have your statements ready as PDFs, not photos. Image-format statements sometimes fail bank-statement parsers and trigger manual review.
- Apply before 11 AM ET on a weekday. Underwriters have full days to review; wires can initiate same-day.
- Disclose existing positions up front. Hiding stacks always backfires and adds days to underwriting once detected.
- Respond to underwriter questions within an hour. The faster you respond, the faster you fund.
- Choose wire instead of ACH if speed matters and the funder offers both. Wires arrive same-day; ACH is next-day.
- Apply through a referral platform that pre-scores you. Fewer underwriter questions means fewer back-and-forth cycles.
Why funder speed varies so much
Modern funders with API-driven submission (Credibly's API V2, OnDeck's direct channels) move files faster than funders still operating on email-based portals. Underwriting is increasingly automated for A-paper files — model decisions in under 30 minutes. B-paper still requires human review, which adds hours but not days.
The single biggest delay across the industry isn't funder speed — it's merchant document response time. Funders are often waiting on you, not the other way around.
Frequently asked questions
- What's the fastest an MCA can fund?
- About 4 hours on a clean A-paper file with a funder running modern infrastructure. Credibly publishes a 4-hour funding window on approved files; OnDeck offers same-day on approved files. These speeds require everything to be ready: clean statements, no stips, no underwriter questions.
- What slows funding down?
- Missing documents (the #1 cause of delay), funder questions about specific transactions, multi-position deal underwriting (second or third position MCAs), wire vs ACH funding choices, and weekend or holiday timing. Each can add 24–48 hours.
- Can I get funded same day?
- Yes — increasingly common in 2026 for clean files. Apply early in the morning (before 11 AM ET), have your statements PDF-ready, and ask the funder up front whether same-day is achievable on their platform for your file profile.
- Why does my deal take longer than the advertised time?
- Advertised funding times reflect the best case — clean A-paper, no stips, no questions. Most deals fall outside the best case. Realistic averages: 24–48 hours for A-paper, 2–4 days for B-paper, 3–7 days for C-paper or stacked positions.