Financing demand is not limited to distressed businesses; it is a regular part of small-business operations and growth.
Source: Federal Reserve Banks, 2024 Small Business Credit Survey. View report
PARTNER For payment processors, merchant services ISOs and agents
Give your merchants a capital path. Keep the processing relationship.
When a merchant needs inventory, equipment, expansion capital or cash-flow support, give them a trusted next step. Elite Funders handles the financing process while your team protects the merchant relationship it worked to build.
No processing switch required
No cardholder data needed
Referral and full ISO paths
Portfolio opportunity estimator
How many funding conversations may already exist?
Illustrative
250
257501,500
8%
3%12%20%
Illustrative annual opportunity
20
potential merchant
funding conversations
funding conversations
1–2estimated conversations per month
5estimated conversations per quarter
Scenario planning only—not a forecast or earnings representation. Actual demand, eligibility, funding and compensation vary.
Add value beyond paymentsGive merchants a financing path when operating needs extend beyond processing.
Protect the relationshipElite handles financing without requiring the merchant to replace your processing service.
Multiple financing pathsExplore lines, term loans, equipment, SBA and revenue-based options where eligible.
No payment-card dataFunding referrals should never include PAN, CVV, track data or other cardholder data.
What is a business funding partner program for payment processors?
A business funding partner program lets a payment processor, merchant services ISO, agent, POS provider or payments consultant introduce merchants that need capital. The funding partner evaluates the business, matches eligible applicants with commercial financing options, manages underwriting and helps close the transaction. The payment company keeps its processor relationship and may receive agreement-based compensation when an eligible referral funds.
For processors, this converts a frequent merchant question—“Can you help me access capital?”—into a structured service instead of an untracked handoff to an unknown provider.
Payroll, inventory, vendor timing and ordinary working-capital pressure create natural conversations for payments teams.
Source: Federal Reserve Banks, 2024 Small Business Credit Survey. View report
Strong processing growth may signal a merchant preparing to add locations, equipment, staff, inventory or marketing.
Source: Federal Reserve Banks, 2024 Small Business Credit Survey. View report
Why payment partners
You are often close to the capital need before a lender is.
Payment professionals interact with merchants during onboarding, equipment changes, seasonal planning, account reviews and growth. That context can reveal a need for capital—but it should be used as a conversation signal, not as an automatic credit decision.
- Trusted operating relationship: merchants already rely on your team for a revenue-critical service.
- Natural timing: upgrades, new terminals, added locations and increasing volume frequently overlap with capital needs.
- Merchant retention: helping solve a financing problem can deepen the relationship without changing the processing agreement.
Rapid sales growth
A merchant may need inventory, hiring, marketing or fulfillment capacity to keep pace with increasing demand.
Conversation: growth capitalSeasonal volume cycle
Retailers, restaurants, contractors and service businesses may need capital before their highest-revenue period.
Conversation: pre-season working capitalNew location or remodel
A POS deployment, terminal order or location setup can coincide with construction, equipment and opening costs.
Conversation: expansion financingEquipment replacement
Operational equipment may fail before the merchant has accumulated enough cash to replace it comfortably.
Conversation: equipment financingLarge inventory purchase
Bulk buying, supplier discounts or a major purchase order can create a short-term cash conversion gap.
Conversation: inventory fundingCash-flow timing pressure
A profitable merchant can still face payroll, tax, vendor or receivable timing gaps that require temporary capital.
Conversation: working capitalChoose your operating model
Refer a conversation—or manage the full financing relationship.
The right model depends on how involved your team wants to be, how much financing experience it has and how much control it needs over the merchant journey.
01
Hands-off referral
Your team identifies interest, obtains permission and makes a warm introduction. Elite takes over the financing workflow.
- Minimal team training
- Elite collects financing documents
- Agreement-based referral compensation
Best forAgents, independent sales offices, POS consultants and account managers who want a simple handoff.
Best for portfolios
02
Team-enabled partner
We give your organization a defined referral process, qualification prompts and visibility into referred opportunities.
- Structured scripts and referral workflow
- Defined merchant communication standards
- Portfolio reporting and attribution
Best forMerchant services ISOs, processors, gateways and POS organizations with multiple sales or service representatives.
03
Full ISO partner
Your financing team packages files, manages merchants and submits complete deals through the Elite partner platform.
- Greater control of the sales process
- Multi-product placement support
- Industry-leading commissions on funded deals
Best forExperienced payments organizations that already sell financing or want to establish a dedicated funding desk.
Merchant-first workflow
A clear handoff from payments conversation to financing decision.
Your team does not need to become an underwriting department. Start with a warm, permission-based introduction and select how much of the process you want to own.
Step 1
Identify interest
A merchant asks about capital or your team recognizes a legitimate business need and asks whether the merchant wants an introduction.
Step 2
Make the referral
Submit a warm introduction or complete financing file through the agreed workflow. Never include payment-card data.
Step 3
Elite reviews options
We collect the required information, evaluate the file and pursue appropriate products with available providers.
Step 4
Track the outcome
The merchant chooses whether to proceed. Eligible funded referrals are credited and compensated under the partner agreement.
More than one product
Match the capital need—not every merchant to the same offer.
Eligibility, pricing, speed and documentation vary. Elite Funders helps explore different commercial financing paths instead of assuming revenue-based financing is right for every merchant.
Financing path
Common merchant use
Typical profile
Partner conversation
Business line of creditReusable access to capital
Inventory, payroll timing, recurring operating expenses and short-term opportunities.
Established cash flow
“Would flexible access help manage recurring gaps?”
Term loanFixed financing structure
Expansion, renovation, hiring, refinancing and planned investments.
Stronger credit profile
“Is this a planned project with a defined budget?”
SBA financingGovernment-guaranteed programs
Real estate, acquisition, long-term expansion and major business investments.
Qualified, patient borrower
“Is lowest long-term cost more important than speed?”
Equipment financingAsset-specific capital
Kitchen, medical, construction, manufacturing, vehicle or technology equipment.
Equipment purchase
“Do you have a quote or invoice for the equipment?”
Revenue-based financingFast, cash-flow-based review
Time-sensitive working capital, inventory, repairs or immediate opportunities.
Consistent deposits
“Is speed the main priority, and can cash flow support frequent payments?”
Invoice financingReceivable-based liquidity
B2B receivables, long customer payment cycles and purchase-order fulfillment.
B2B invoicing
“Are strong customers paying on 30–90 day terms?”
Product availability is not guaranteed. Financing is offered by third-party providers and is subject to underwriting, approval, documentation, state availability and provider terms.
Relationship protection
Funding support should strengthen your merchant relationship—not compete with it.
The merchant should understand who handles payments, who handles financing and when each party will communicate. The program is designed around a clean separation of roles.
No required processing conversionExploring financing does not require the merchant to replace your processing service.
Defined communication processSet contact expectations, escalation points and branding rules during onboarding.
Transparent attributionUse an agreed referral or submission workflow to preserve partner credit.
Merchant consent firstOnly introduce merchants who have agreed to discuss business financing.
Elite Partner Desk
Partner attributed
Merchant opportunity
Northside Hospitality Group
Options review
Referral receivedMerchant consent and partner attribution recorded.
Day 1
Funding file completedBusiness application and required financial documents collected.
Day 1
Options being evaluatedAvailable products are compared with the merchant's stated need.
Current
Payments relationship: remains with the referring processor. Financing communication is handled under the agreed partner workflow.
Data boundaries and disclosures
Keep funding referrals outside the cardholder-data environment.
A financing referral generally needs business and contact information—not payment credentials. Your organization remains responsible for its own privacy, PCI, marketing, consent and partner-compliance obligations.
What belongs in a warm referral
Start with the minimum information needed to make a permission-based introduction. Additional financing documents should move through the secure, approved workflow.
- Merchant name, business name and business contact information
- Approximate financing amount and intended business use
- Confirmation that the merchant agreed to be contacted
- Never submit PAN, CVV, PIN, track data or other cardholder data
Official standard
PCI Data Security Standard
PCI DSS provides baseline technical and operational requirements for entities that store, process or transmit payment account data, or can affect its security.
PCI Security Standards CouncilAdvertising guidance
Disclose material partner relationships
When a compensated recommendation or endorsement could affect how a merchant evaluates the recommendation, the relationship may require clear and conspicuous disclosure.
Federal Trade CommissionMarket research
Small Business Credit Survey
The Federal Reserve Banks' 2024 Small Business Credit Survey documents financing demand, use cases, application outcomes and borrower experiences among surveyed employer firms.
Federal Reserve BanksWhat good referrals look like
Merchant situations your payments team may already encounter.
A strong referral begins with a real use of funds, merchant consent and a reasonable expectation that the business can provide supporting documentation.
Restaurant group
Second location opening
Payments signalNew MID, terminal order or POS configuration for an additional location.
Capital needKitchen equipment, buildout, opening inventory and pre-opening payroll.
Possible pathsEquipment financing, term loan, line of credit or revenue-based financing—subject to eligibility.
Retail merchant
Pre-season inventory order
Payments signalConsistent seasonal cycle and a large anticipated increase in transaction volume.
Capital needInventory must be purchased weeks before the sales season produces cash.
Possible pathsLine of credit, term loan or revenue-based financing—depending on timing and profile.
Medical practice
Revenue-producing equipment
Payments signalNew service line, updated checkout workflow or added location setup.
Capital needSpecialized equipment with a clear purchase price and revenue use case.
Possible pathsEquipment financing, term loan or SBA financing—subject to qualifications and timing.
Partner visibility
Know where your merchant referral stands.
A partner channel works best when attribution, ownership and next steps are visible. Approved partners receive a defined workflow based on their program level and operating model.
- Submit new merchant opportunities through an approved channel
- Track documentation, review, offer and funding stages
- Preserve partner attribution and compensation records
- Escalate merchant questions through a dedicated partner workflow
Elite Funders Partner Portal
Payment partner
Merchant Portfolio
Active review8
Offers issued4
Funded this month3
Merchant
Need
Status
Updated
Northside Hospitality
$125k
Review
Today
Brightline Auto
$80k
Funded
Yesterday
Mercer Dental
$250k
Docs
Jul 17
Atlas Supply Co.
$60k
Offers
Jul 16
Who the program is for
Built for organizations already trusted with merchant operations.
From independent agents to scaled payment companies, the program can be structured around your team, merchant portfolio and desired level of involvement.
Merchant services ISOs
Add a commercial funding channel across an existing portfolio and sales organization.
POS and technology providers
Help merchants fund equipment, deployment, inventory and location expansion.
Payment gateways and platforms
Create a defined referral path for merchants asking about working capital or growth financing.
Independent agents
Make warm introductions without building an internal underwriting or closing operation.
Payment consultants
Expand your advisory offering with a commercial financing resource for established clients.
Industry associations
Offer members a vetted financing path through an organization-level partnership.
Portfolio acquirers
Add merchant value and a new monetization channel to acquired or managed portfolios.
Embedded payments companies
Discuss a custom referral workflow for software platforms with integrated payment relationships.
Frequently asked questions
Payment partner program FAQ
Clear answers for processors, ISOs, agents, POS providers and payments organizations evaluating a business funding referral relationship.
What is a business funding partner program for payment processors?
It is a referral or ISO relationship that lets a payment processor, merchant services company or agent introduce business clients that need working capital or commercial financing. Elite Funders handles the agreed financing responsibilities while the payment partner keeps its processing relationship.
Do merchants have to switch payment processors?
No. Elite Funders does not require referred merchants to replace their payment processor as a condition of exploring financing. Certain financing products may use specific repayment mechanisms, but any approved offer and its terms are presented separately for the merchant to review.
How does partner compensation work?
Compensation depends on the partner model, funded transaction, provider terms, applicable law and executed agreement. Referral partners may receive agreement-based compensation on eligible funded referrals. Full ISO partners commonly earn 6–12 points on eligible funded revenue-based transactions, depending on the deal and agreement. No compensation is guaranteed.
What information is required for a warm referral?
A warm introduction can begin with the merchant's name, business name, contact information, approximate financing request, intended use of funds and confirmation that the merchant agreed to be contacted. Do not send card numbers, CVV, PIN, track data or other payment-card information.
Will Elite Funders contact my merchants about payment processing?
The program is designed to address the merchant's financing request, not replace the referring partner's processing relationship. Communication, branding, attribution and non-circumvention expectations should be documented in the executed partner agreement.
Can we promote financing to our entire merchant portfolio?
A portfolio campaign requires more planning than a one-to-one referral. Your organization should review merchant consent, privacy commitments, marketing rules, state requirements, brand standards and compensation disclosures before launching. Elite can discuss an approved campaign workflow, but partners remain responsible for their own legal and compliance review.
What types of businesses can be referred?
Many established U.S. businesses may be considered, including restaurants, retailers, contractors, professional practices, automotive businesses, wholesalers, manufacturers and service companies. Eligibility depends on industry, location, time in business, revenue, cash flow, credit, existing obligations, requested product and provider guidelines.
How are referrals submitted and tracked?
Approved partners receive a defined attribution and submission workflow appropriate to their model. This may include a warm-introduction process, dedicated referral link, partner portal or direct deal submission workflow. Implementation details are finalized during onboarding.
Does Elite Funders provide the financing directly?
Elite Funders is a commercial finance brokerage. Financing is provided by third-party providers and is subject to application, underwriting, approval, documentation, state availability and provider terms. Not every applicant will qualify or receive an offer.
Build the channel
Turn merchant capital questions into a structured partner program.
Tell us about your organization, active merchant portfolio and preferred operating model. We will use the information to evaluate fit and determine the appropriate onboarding path.
- Hands-off referral, team-enabled and full ISO options
- Defined relationship, attribution and communication standards
- Commercial financing options across multiple product categories
- Partner compensation on eligible funded transactions under agreement
Have an enterprise portfolio or embedded-payments use case?
Choose “Enterprise / platform partnership” in the form and describe the intended workflow.
Choose “Enterprise / platform partnership” in the form and describe the intended workflow.
Have one merchant ready now?
Apply for the program and note the immediate opportunity in your application so the partner team can route it appropriately.