Best Revenue-Based Financing With an ITIN

Revenue-based financing gives you capital today and is repaid from a share of your future revenue, so what matters most are your sales and deposits, not your Social Security number. For ITIN holders, Merchant Fund Express, our recommended funder, tops the list: it accepts applicants with an ITIN (no SSN needed), reviews sales and deposits, considers credit from FICO 500 and offers Spanish-speaking support. If your sales swing a lot from month to month, look for a payment calculated as a percentage of revenue; if you can wait, a CDFI that accepts ITINs usually costs less.

Below you'll see the options ranked, how the payment works in each, which documents to prepare and how to avoid offers that choke your cash flow.

The best revenue-based options with an ITIN, ranked

How we chose. We don't use ratings or scores. We compare every option on the same criteria: speed, minimum time in business, minimum credit, whether it accepts an ITIN or owners without an SSN, required documents, amounts and collateral. We only publish facts about other companies that we verified on their official sites; if we couldn't confirm it, we left it out. Read how we rank business funding options.

1. Merchant Fund Express (recommended funder). Reviews your sales and deposits, not just your credit, with amounts from $5,000 to $5,000,000 and credit from FICO 500. Decisions often come in 2 to 4 hours, collateral isn't required in most cases, and applying is free and doesn't affect your credit. It accepts applicants with an ITIN (no SSN needed) and offers Spanish-speaking support, so you can ask exactly how your payment is calculated in the language you're most comfortable with.
2. Payment as a percentage of monthly revenue. The purest form of this financing: you pay a fixed percentage of what comes in each month until you reach the agreed amount. If you sell less one month, you pay less. It works well for online stores, subscription businesses and services with strong seasons.
3. Financing from your sales platform or payment processor. Some e-commerce and payment platforms offer capital sized to what you sell through them, and collect it from your future sales on that same platform. It's convenient, but only what flows through that platform counts, and each one has its own ID rules. Read their official terms before you accept.
4. Merchant cash advance with card split. Very similar, but collection is a percentage of each card sale, day by day. It fits restaurants, salons and stores with heavy terminal volume.
5. A CDFI that accepts ITINs. Not revenue-based financing, but a loan with a fixed payment. We include it because many community lenders work with ITIN holders and usually cost less. The tradeoff: they take weeks and ask for more documents.

Comparison by criteria

To understand the difference between the two most similar products, read MCA vs. revenue-based financing.

How the payment works when your revenue changes

The big advantage of this financing is that the payment can move with your sales. But not every offer works the same way, and the difference matters a lot in a slow month. Ask these three questions:

• Is the payment a percentage or a fixed amount? Some offers called "revenue-based" actually collect a fixed daily or weekly amount. That doesn't drop on its own when you sell less.
• How often does it adjust? If the percentage applies to each sale or each month, the payment adapts quickly. If an adjustment requires you to request it with documents, learn the process before you sign.
• What is the total amount to repay? Ask for it in writing, along with any upfront fees and the estimated term based on your current sales.

A practical rule: compare the payment with what comes in during your worst weeks of the year, not your best. If in your slowest month the payment leaves you without cash for payroll or rent, the amount is too high.

ITIN, credit and identity: what to know

According to the IRS, an ITIN is a nine-digit number for people who need to identify themselves for federal taxes but can't get an SSN. The IRS makes clear that it doesn't authorize work in the U.S. or provide eligibility for Social Security benefits. For financing, that comes down to three points:

• Identity verification. Each funder decides whether it accepts an ITIN plus photo ID. Ask before you hand over documents.
• Credit history. You can have one under your ITIN if you've had reported cards or loans. If not, your deposits do almost all the work. It helps to read ITIN vs. SSN for business funding.
• Expired ITIN. If you haven't used it on a tax return for several years, it may have expired. Renew it before you apply.

This guide is not immigration advice. Before signing contracts or opening new accounts, talk to an immigration attorney about your situation.

Which option fits your type of business

Online store or marketplace seller

Your sales tend to rise in certain seasons (back to school, the holidays) and drop afterward. A payment set as a percentage of monthly revenue, or capital from your own platform, follows that rhythm. Pull reports from all your platforms to show the full total.

Restaurant, salon or storefront with a card terminal

You take cards every day. An advance with a card split or deposit-based financing fits well, as long as the percentage doesn't eat your margin on slow days.

Contractor or service business that invoices

Your revenue arrives in chunks when clients pay. Look for a payment calculated monthly, not daily, or consider invoice factoring if your clients are businesses.

Business under six months old

There isn't enough revenue to measure yet. A CDFI that accepts ITINs, or waiting a few months while all your sales flow into the business account, usually beats forcing an expensive offer.

Documents funders usually ask for

• Your IRS ITIN letter and a current photo ID.
• The business's EIN and your LLC or DBA registration.
• Business bank statements for the last 3 to 6 months, complete and in PDF.
• Sales reports from your platform, online store or card processor.
• A year-to-date profit and loss statement, if you have one.
• Details on any active financing, with its balance and payment.

A practical tip: if you sell on several platforms, combine every report into one monthly summary. That way the funder sees your full revenue and not just a slice of it.

Mistakes that make your financing more expensive

• Mixing accounts. If your sales land in your personal account, your business revenue looks lower than it is.
• Stacking offers. Two revenue-based deals at the same time eat the same cash flow twice.
• Borrowing more than you need. A bigger amount means a bigger payment or more months of paying.
• Signing without understanding. If the contract is in English and you'd rather go over it in Spanish, ask for an explanation clause by clause.
• Paying upfront fees to "unlock" approval. It's a classic sign of fraud.
• Not filing taxes. Filing with your ITIN every year gives you documents that open cheaper options later.

If you already have steady revenue, you can apply with Merchant Fund Express: it's free and doesn't affect your credit. To compare more options, see the best revenue-based financing options. Leer en español.