Quick answer · Last verified: September 16, 2026
Send files your own lender stack cannot place to a multi-lender placement desk (super broker) rather than a lead buyer: you stay the broker of record, keep the merchant, and are paid when it funds. Route by what the file needs: strong credit to term, SBA or LOC; equipment purchases to equipment lenders; stacked files to consolidation review.
| File profile | First route | Second route | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fast working capital, 6+ months TIB, daily deposits | MCA / revenue-based funder | Placement desk | Bank term loan (too slow) |
| Stronger credit, 2+ years, wants a predictable monthly payment | Term loan lender | SBA 7(a) via desk | Stacking an MCA on a bankable file |
| Strong borrower profile, wants lowest-cost long-term capital | SBA 7(a) / 504 | Bank LOC | High-factor MCA |
| Recurring short-term gaps | Business LOC | Working capital / RBF | Repeated term requests |
| Equipment or vehicle purchase | Equipment financing | Term loan | Unsecured MCA for a hard asset |
| 2+ open advances | Consolidation / reverse consolidation review | Placement desk | A 3rd or 4th position |
| Outside your box (industry, size, state) | Placement desk (no exclusivity, declined files stay yours) | Direct funder in that niche | Selling the lead outright |
Related: Partner program · Placement desk · Best ISO programs 2026
Where should you send a deal you can't place?
Route it to a multi-lender placement desk (a "super broker"). The desk evaluates the borrower across multiple products and lender profiles, you stay the face of the deal, and you're paid a commission share when it funds. The strongest use case isn't "send everything" — it's send the files your own stack doesn't place efficiently: stronger credit that deserves term/SBA/LOC, larger requests, equipment purchases, stacked files needing restructure, or industries your lenders decline. Not sure how a file reads before you route it? Run the 60-second pre-flight check.
Eight deal types worth routing
The best files to route usually aren't bad deals — they're files where your lender stack is incomplete for the merchant's profile or objective.
Strong borrower asking for longer terms
A 24–60+ month request is poorly served by an MCA-only stack — forcing it loses the merchant.
Existing MCA positions
Already has advances and needs additional capital, restructure, or a cleaner path.
Equipment purchase
Financing the asset itself often beats putting the whole request into working capital.
Large-ticket request
The ask exceeds your funders' caps. Programs across the network generally range from about $10K to $5M; availability varies by product and qualification.
Thin or imperfect credit
Operating strength is there but your preferred lenders decline the credit profile.
Seasonal or irregular cash flow
Healthy business, but traditional underwriting doesn't fit the revenue pattern.
Business acquisition
A purchase needs transaction-level structure: SBA, equity injection, seller-note considerations.
You simply don't know the route
Sometimes the highest-value use of a desk is a second opinion before declining.
Match the problem to the likely funding path
A starting framework, not an underwriting decision. Actual fit depends on the complete business and owner profile — requirements vary by lender and product.
| Merchant need | First route to evaluate | Also consider | Why | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fast working capital | MCA / revenue-based | LOC | Cash-flow-weighted structures prioritize speed. | Light–moderate |
| Predictable monthly payment | Term loan | SBA | Fits when the borrower profile supports fixed-term repayment. | Moderate–full |
| Lowest-cost long-term capital | SBA | Term loan | Strong borrower with time for fuller underwriting. | Full |
| Recurring short-term cash needs | Business LOC | Working capital | Revolving access beats repeated term requests. | Moderate |
| Vehicle / machinery / equipment | Equipment financing | Term loan | Match financing to the productive asset. | Moderate |
| Multiple existing advances | Refinance review | Additional WC | Payoff and cash-flow analysis before adding debt. | Moderate–full |
| Business purchase | SBA 7(a) | Acquisition term | Transaction structure matters as much as cash flow. | Full |
Route a sample deal
Change the profile to see how the recommended review order shifts. Illustrative routing logic only — final eligibility depends on complete underwriting.
Educational illustration only. Not an offer, approval, or underwriting decision.
Common routing scenarios (static reference)
The router above is interactive; this table states the same logic in plain text.
| Merchant profile | Likely lane | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Fair-to-strong credit, wants longer-term financing, no existing advances | Term loan first, then business LOC, revenue-based as fallback | When credit, time in business, and revenue support monthly payments, test traditional structures before defaulting to revenue-based financing. |
| Needs fast working capital, any credit tier | MCA / RBF first, then business LOC, then short-term loan | Speed is the priority, so the review order shifts toward cash-flow-based products. |
| Challenged credit (under 620), any goal besides equipment, acquisition, or refinance | MCA / RBF first, then business LOC, then short-term loan | Weak credit routes to the speed-first lane — cash-flow-based products are the fastest natural route. |
| Buying equipment | Equipment financing first, then term loan, then working capital | The use of funds is a productive asset — evaluate asset-specific financing before generic capital. |
| Buying a business | SBA 7(a) first, then acquisition term, bridge capital last | A business purchase needs transaction-level underwriting, not a generic working-capital approval. |
| Wants to refinance existing debt | Refinance / consolidation review first, then structured term, additional working capital last | Before adding another payment, evaluate whether existing obligations can be restructured. |
| Carrying 2+ existing advances, seeking working capital or term money | Refinance / consolidation review first, then structured term | Stacked positions route to the refinance lane regardless of the stated goal — the payment burden gets analyzed before new capital is added. |
| Carrying 2+ existing advances, buying equipment or a business | Equipment financing or SBA / acquisition term (the asset lane still leads) | Equipment and acquisition requests keep their asset-specific lane even with existing positions, since the financing matches the purchase itself. |
Educational illustration only — the same caveat as the interactive router. Final eligibility depends on complete underwriting.
What you earn when a routed deal funds
Economics depend on the partner model and the product. Full ISO partners earn 6–12 points on eligible funded revenue-based transactions; commissions vary by product, deal size, and partner type. Term, SBA-type, and equipment placements pay on their own schedules — ask for the current schedule for the products you send. Renewals on files you placed stay credited to you.
The comparison that matters isn't placement points versus direct points — it's placement points versus the zero you earn on a file you can't place, plus keeping the merchant relationship alive. Relationship protection belongs in writing: at Elite Funders, partner submissions are tagged to the submitting partner in the portal, and merchant outreach on partner files is never automated.
Reviewed August 2026 — commission figures describe the Elite Funders partner program; exact terms are set in the partner agreement.
What should you send with the deal?
The right package depends on the product. Use the tabs as a starting checklist — lender-specific requirements vary, and the desk tells you exactly what's still needed. Packaging a revenue-based file? Work the full packaging checklist here.
Direct lender stack vs. placement desk
Not either/or. Keep direct relationships for deals you already place well; use a desk selectively for the rest.
Maintain every relationship yourself
Use a placement desk as an extension
Business loan placement FAQs
Where can I place a business loan deal I can't fund?
Should I send every deal to a placement desk?
Can an MCA broker submit SBA, term or equipment deals?
What if the merchant qualifies for something better than an MCA?
What happens to the merchant relationship?
What does it cost to submit?
Do I need a license to co-broker deals?
Don't decline the file until you've checked the other routes.
Send a test deal. It costs nothing, the file stays yours, and you'll see how the desk works before committing to anything.