Rowan ISO Newsletter — 24-Email Sequence
Prepared for Rowan Advance · 12 weeks · 2× per week
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Friday night. 11pm. Most funders are dark. An ISO sent us a $180K file — stacked merchant, 2nd position, tight timeline. The kind of deal that sits in a queue until Monday morning at most shops. We approved it before midnight. Contracts went out Saturday. Funded Monday by noon. Oh — and did we mention? We just launched a bonus program for our active ISO partners. That ISO didn't just close the deal. They earned a $12,600 bonus from us. Directly. On top of whatever their shop paid them. That's what happens when real people run your deal desk — not committees, not algorithms, not "we'll circle back Monday."
P.S. Every Rowan approval comes with 4 offers side by side — funder preferred, higher dollar, longer term, max capital. No back-and-forth needed. You pick what closes. |
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Eli · Rowan Advance deals@rowanadvance.com · Eden: (917) 439-6680 |
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Let's do some quick math on a deal you probably have on your desk right now. $150K funding amount. Sell rate: 1.38. At a 1.38 sell rate, our bonus grid pays you 7%. That's $10,500 from Rowan directly — on top of your shop's commission. On a single file. Now here's the part most ISOs miss: anything under $150K gets +3% on the grid. These are the deals we built a lighter lane for — faster approvals, less friction, fewer docs. Last week, an ISO sent us a $92K coffee shop deal. Clean file, 580 FICO, steady daily swipes. Approved in under 2 hours. The ISO cleared $6,440 and barely had to think about it. Compare that to chasing a $500K file for three weeks that dies in underwriting at another funder. The math works differently when the deal actually funds.
P.S. We recently rolled out a bonus grid for ISOs — it starts at 1.29 (1%) and goes all the way to 1.499 (13.5%). This is money from us to you, on top of your normal commission. Grid is included in every approval. |
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Eli · Rowan Advance deals@rowanadvance.com · Eden: (917) 439-6680 |
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You send a deal. Then what? At most funders, it enters a black hole. Maybe you hear back tomorrow. Maybe you get a soft approval that changes three times before it dies. Here's what happens at Rowan: Approval: 1–3 hours (depending on docs, often faster). That's submission-to-wire in the same business day. And 97% of our approvals actually fund. No approval theater. We funded a $220K restaurant deal last Tuesday — ISO submitted at 9:15am, merchant had the wire by 2pm. The ISO pocketed $15,400 in bonus from Rowan at a 1.38 sell rate — on top of their shop's commission. Five hours, submission to wire.
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Eli · Rowan Advance deals@rowanadvance.com · Eden: (917) 439-6680 |
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A lot of funders see "2nd position" and run. We see opportunity. Last week: a merchant with an existing balance at another funder. $280K ask, 2nd position. The ISO had already been declined twice elsewhere. Rowan approved it. Why? Because the merchant's story made sense. Revenue was consistent, the 1st position was manageable, and the use of funds was clear. We play 2nd through 10th positions — and we actually make them work. Our underwriters route deals based on risk criteria, which means we're not forcing every file through one filter. And because of our bonus program, that ISO earned $19,600 directly from Rowan at a 1.38 sell rate. On top of their shop's payout. On a file two other funders turned down.
P.S. If you've got a competing offer from another funder, just show us your cards. This game is about speed, not poker. We'll tell you straight if we can beat it — or why we can't. |
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Eli · Rowan Advance deals@rowanadvance.com · Eden: (917) 439-6680 |
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Most funders give you one number. You push back. They adjust. You push back again. By the third email, the merchant's gone cold. Every Rowan approval comes with 4 offers, side by side: Offer A — Funder Preferred. Aggressive pricing, grid starts at 1.27. You see all four at once. You pick what closes. No back-and-forth required. Last week an ISO used Offer D to close a $300K deal for a merchant acquiring a second location. And the Rowan bonus on that deal? $21,000 at a 1.38 sell rate — paid directly to the ISO, on top of their shop commission. The ISO said other funders kept asking "can you get us more docs?" while Rowan just… funded it.
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Eli · Rowan Advance deals@rowanadvance.com · Eden: (917) 439-6680 |
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Let me tell you which industries we love right now. Vape and smoke shops. Coffee shops. Bodegas. Salons. Laundromats. Car washes. Nail spas. Quick lubes. High-frequency daily swipes, loyal repeat customers, steady cash flow. These are green-light industries for us — minimum FICO as low as 550, revenue threshold starting at $20K/month. Last week: a vape shop owner, 560 FICO, $65K ask. Other funders saw the credit score and said no. We saw 18 months of consistent daily swipes and said yes. Approved by 11am, wire by 3pm. The ISO earned a $3,250 bonus from Rowan at a 1.36 sell rate — on top of their shop's commission. Quick, clean, easy. And at under $150K, our grid bumps +3%.
P.S. We also go deep in med spas, gyms, e-commerce/DTC, pest control, landscaping, and self-storage. If it has recurring revenue and steady swipes, we probably want it. |
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Eli · Rowan Advance deals@rowanadvance.com · Eden: (917) 439-6680 |
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If you've been sending us deals consistently, this one's for you. We just launched a volume bonus program for our most active ISO partners. Here's how it works: It's tiered by shop size. If you're a 1–5 person shop, the bonus unlocks at 5 funded units or $500K in 30 days. Hit the dollar threshold instead of the unit count? The minimum units drop to just 2.5. Bigger shops scale up: 6–10 reps need 7 units (or $1M funded). 11–20 reps need 10 units (or $1.25M). And it goes all the way up from there. This is on top of your regular bonuses. On top of the grid. On top of the +3% bump on sub-$150K deals. It's a straight bonus for keeping Rowan in the mix. We built this because the ISOs who send consistently are the ones who make us better. This is our way of saying: keep sending. It pays.
P.S. This isn't a limited-time promo. It's a permanent program. The math rewards consistency — and it starts counting from this month. |
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Eli · Rowan Advance deals@rowanadvance.com · Eden: (917) 439-6680 |
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Most ISOs wait too long to refi. Don't be most ISOs. Rowan offers refis at 35% paid-in. That's earlier than most funders, and it means your merchant gets fresh capital while they're still in a strong position — not when they're desperate. Original deal: $250K funded. Merchant is 35% paid in. You refi at $350K. At a 1.40 sell rate, your bonus is 8.5% = $29,750. That's a second bonus on the same merchant relationship. And since you brought the original deal, you own the renewal. Forever. As long as there's an active balance, that merchant is yours. One ISO told us he refis the same 8 merchants every cycle. That's not 8 deals — that's a recurring income stream built on relationships he already owns. And every single one of those refis counts toward the new volume bonus.
P.S. At other funders, "you own the renewal" comes with asterisks. At Rowan, it's a straight-up policy. You brought it in, you keep it. Period. |
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Eli · Rowan Advance deals@rowanadvance.com · Eden: (917) 439-6680 |
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You know the drill. Funder sends you an approval. You get the merchant excited. Then the stips start rolling in. Then the terms change. Then it's "let us take another look." Then it dies. That's approval theater. And it wastes everyone's time. Rowan's close rate is 97%. When we send you an offer, we've already decided we're funding it. No surprise stips. No moving goalposts. No "one more document." Last month, an ISO sent us a $195K deal for a gym owner — solid revenue, 620 FICO. Approved in 2 hours. Contracts in 25 minutes. Funded next morning. Zero changes between approval and wire. The ISO earned $13,650 at a 1.38 sell rate. Meanwhile, that same ISO had a $200K deal at another funder that got "approved" three weeks ago. Still hasn't funded. Still waiting on "additional documentation."
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Eli · Rowan Advance deals@rowanadvance.com · Eden: (917) 439-6680 |
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Construction is red-zone for most funders. Project-driven revenue, uneven cash flow, lots of unknowns. We get it. But "construction-adjacent" is a different story. This was a building materials supplier — recurring wholesale accounts, monthly POs, 700+ FICO. The revenue wasn't project-based; it was relationship-based. $750K. Funded in 48 hours. The difference? The ISO wrote killer deal notes. Two paragraphs explaining the business model, the customer base, and why this wasn't a typical construction file. That context turned a "probably not" into a "let's do it." Bonus at a 1.36 sell rate: $37,500. On one deal. And yes — it counts toward the volume bonus.
P.S. Deal notes matter more than you think. A short, clear note — "why this deal makes sense" — can flip a decline into an approval. Show us you have a grip on the merchant's story. |
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Eli · Rowan Advance deals@rowanadvance.com · Eden: (917) 439-6680 |
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Same deal. Same merchant. Same funding amount. The only thing that changes is the sell rate — and it changes your bonus by five figures. On a $232K deal: That's a $17,400 difference between the floor and a solid mid-range sell. Same file. Same work. Same merchant. You're just choosing to get paid more. The grid is included in every approval. You don't have to guess. You see all four offers, each with a sell rate range, and you pick your number. We funded a landscaping company last week — $110K, 600 FICO, recurring contracts. Boring deal. But the ISO sold at 1.42 and made $11,000 on a file that took 20 minutes to submit.
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Eli · Rowan Advance deals@rowanadvance.com · Eden: (917) 439-6680 |
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Most ISOs treat us as one funder. Smart ISOs know we're three. Rowan: Up to $1MM, terms up to 52 weeks. Your cleanest, strongest deals. Instead of shopping a deal to 5 different funders and managing 5 different conversations, send it to us once. We route it to the right label internally. An ISO sent us a deal last week that didn't fit Rowan's box. Instead of declining, we moved it to Austin and funded $180K within 24 hours. The ISO didn't have to re-submit anything. Bonus: $12,600.
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Eli · Rowan Advance deals@rowanadvance.com · Eden: (917) 439-6680 |
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She'd been declined three times. Different funders, same answer: "not at this time." Her ISO almost moved on. But he sent it to Rowan as a last shot — clean statements, loyal client base, 570 FICO. The credit score scared everyone else off. We looked at the daily swipes and saw a business that was running. $85K funded. Thursday afternoon. At a 1.36 sell rate, the ISO earned $4,250 — plus the +3% grid bump because it was under $150K. Not a life-changing deal by itself. But it was the ISO's 4th deal this month, which put him one unit away from the volume bonus tier. Small deals build empires. Especially when they close in hours instead of weeks.
P.S. Salons, barbers, nail spas, massage — all green-light industries for us. FICO as low as 550, revenue starting at $15K/month. If your merchant has a chair and repeat clients, send the deal. |
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Eli · Rowan Advance deals@rowanadvance.com · Eden: (917) 439-6680 |
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We're halfway through the month. Quick self-audit: How many deals have you sent to Rowan? If you're a 1–5 person shop: 5 units (or $500K funded) unlocks the bonus. Hit the dollar threshold and the unit minimum drops to 2.5. If you're a 6–10 person shop: 7 units (or $1M funded), minimum drops to 3.5 on the dollar path. You've still got two weeks. That's 10 business days. Two or three clean files could be the difference between "good month" and "great month + bonus." Think about the merchants you're already talking to. The refi that's 35% paid-in. The small deal you almost didn't bother submitting. The stacked merchant you assumed was unfundable. Send them all. We turn approvals in 1–3 hours. You could hit your bonus tier by Friday.
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Eli · Rowan Advance deals@rowanadvance.com · Eden: (917) 439-6680 |
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You've been there. Deal's moving. Merchant is ready. You're about to close. Then the funder hits you with: "Actually, we need the last 6 months of processing statements, a letter of explanation, and a utility bill." That's not underwriting. That's stalling. At Rowan, once terms are out, we don't change the rules. The offer you see is the funding you receive. No surprise stips. No new hoops. No bait-and-switch. We ask for what we need upfront: last 4 bank statements, signed app, deal notes. That's the submission. If you want to strengthen it, add AR — not required, but it's a mega advantage. An ISO told us last month: "I stopped sending to [name redacted] because every deal turned into a scavenger hunt. With Rowan, I know exactly what's needed before I submit." He's sent us 11 deals in 60 days. 9 funded. $127K in total bonus payouts.
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Eli · Rowan Advance deals@rowanadvance.com · Eden: (917) 439-6680 |
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This file had been everywhere. Three funders passed. The ISO was about to tell the merchant "sorry, can't help you." Then he sent it to us. $165K. Convenience store. 2nd position. The other funders got hung up on the existing balance. We looked at the full picture: 22 months of clean bank statements, $55K/month in revenue, zero NSFs. The story made sense. Approved by 10am. Funded by 1pm. This is what we mean when we say Rowan has a wide box. We're not institutional — no committees, no 40-page rulebook. Deals get routed to underwriters based on risk criteria. A file that doesn't fit one lane might be perfect for another. Bonus: $11,550 at a 1.38 sell rate. On a deal the ISO had already given up on.
P.S. Got a decline you think we should look at? Reply-all with context. A quick note from you can flip it. |
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Eli · Rowan Advance deals@rowanadvance.com · Eden: (917) 439-6680 |
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Let me walk you through a real month for an ISO who gets it. Deal 1: Coffee shop, $72K, 1.36 sell → $3,600 Total bonus payout: $31,160. Plus the volume bonus for hitting 5 units. Plus the +3% grid bump on every deal under $150K (that's 4 out of 5). None of these were monsters. No $500K whale. Just clean, normal deals in green-light industries that Rowan funds fast. Five files, all approved in under 3 hours each. While this ISO was collecting $31K with us, another ISO was chasing one big deal at a different funder that's been "in underwriting" for two weeks.
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Eli · Rowan Advance deals@rowanadvance.com · Eden: (917) 439-6680 |
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Here's something most funders won't do: hop on a live call with your merchant to help you close. We will. Eden will. The deal desk will. Because deals win when the ISO loops us in. The merchant hears directly from the funder — real person, real terms, real answers. No middleman telephone game. Last week, an ISO was on the phone with a restaurant owner who was nervous about the payment structure. He three-wayed Eden. Five minutes later, the merchant signed. $240K funded. Bonus: $16,800 at a 1.38 sell rate. This is the Rowan difference. We're not a faceless inbox. We're a deal desk that picks up, reps that care, and capital that lands.
P.S. Big or urgent deals → text Eden directly at (917) 439-6680. Daily submissions → deals@rowanadvance.com. General help → call or text Eli at (732) 607-5700. |
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Eli · Rowan Advance deals@rowanadvance.com · Eden: (917) 439-6680 |
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A lot of ISOs are still thinking brick-and-mortar only. You might be leaving an entire segment on the table. We funded a DTC subscription brand last week — supplements, auto-billed monthly, $200K ask. Clean revenue, strong repeat rate, clear data visibility. Approved and funded in under 24 hours. Here's what's green-light for us in the digital space: DTC e-commerce, subscription commerce (meal kits, pet boxes, supplements), content creators with auto-billed memberships, and SaaS platforms with recurring MRR. Most funders don't know how to underwrite these. We do. Because revenue is revenue — whether it comes from a cash register or a Shopify dashboard. The ISO on this deal earned $14,000 at a 1.38 sell rate. And the merchant was thrilled because nobody else would touch it.
P.S. Minimum FICO for e-commerce/DTC: 600. Monthly revenue: $30K+. If they've got repeat orders and data visibility, send it. |
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Eli · Rowan Advance deals@rowanadvance.com · Eden: (917) 439-6680 |
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At a lot of funders, "you own the renewal" comes with fine print. The merchant gets reassigned. Another rep swoops in. The rules change. At Rowan, the policy is simple: if you brought the deal in, you own it for as long as it has an active open balance. Period. No asterisks. No reassignment. You fund a $200K deal today. 4–5 months from now, the merchant is 35% paid in. You refi at $280K. A few months later, another refi at $320K. That's three bonuses on the same merchant relationship — potentially $50K+ from a single original file. One ISO we work with has built a portfolio of 15 merchants he cycles through. He doesn't even chase new deals most months — his renewal pipeline does the work. That's recurring revenue built on relationships you already own. And every renewal counts toward the volume bonus. So your existing book isn't just earning bonuses — it's pushing you into higher bonus tiers too.
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Eli · Rowan Advance deals@rowanadvance.com · Eden: (917) 439-6680 |
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We can't approve everything. Nobody can. And I'd rather be upfront about our deal killers than waste your time. Don't send us: open bankruptcy, unresolved liens or judgments, merchants trying to double fund, major NSF/OD activity with no explanation, or ghosting/stalling merchants. If it's dead on arrival, don't waste your time or ours. Now — everything else? Send it. Low FICO with strong revenue? Send it. 2nd position? Send it. Weird industry? Send it with deal notes. Got declined somewhere else? Send it — a decline at another funder means nothing here. The ISOs who win with us are the ones who send, send, send. It only takes one approval to get traction and momentum.
P.S. Think we missed something on a decline? Reply-all with context. A quick note from you can flip a decline into an approval. We've seen it happen dozens of times. |
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Eli · Rowan Advance deals@rowanadvance.com · Eden: (917) 439-6680 |
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This is the deal that reminded everyone why Rowan is called the "big deal closer." $1MM+. Creative structure. The kind of file that requires a funder who can actually think — not just plug numbers into a formula. The merchant needed capital for a major acquisition. Traditional lenders were too slow. Other MCA funders didn't have the appetite. Rowan structured it, approved it, and funded it. The ISO's bonus on this single deal was six figures. One file. One submission. One funder who said yes when everyone else said "we'll get back to you." When the big one lands on your desk — the $500K, the $750K, the seven-figure file — Rowan should be your first call.
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Eli · Rowan Advance deals@rowanadvance.com · Eden: (917) 439-6680 |
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We're in the final stretch of the quarter. Time for a gut check. How many deals did you send us? How many funded? What's your total bonus payout this quarter from Rowan alone? Here's what we've seen this quarter from ISOs who keep Rowan in the mix: one ISO sent us 18 deals over 12 weeks. 14 funded. Average bonus per deal: $9,800. Total quarterly payout: $137,200. Plus volume bonuses every single month. He didn't send us whales. He sent us clean, normal, $80K–$200K files in green-light industries. Salons, restaurants, vape shops, landscapers. The kind of deals he used to send to three different funders — now he sends to one. You've got two weeks left. That's 10 business days. At our speed, that's potentially 10+ funded deals if you've got the pipeline.
P.S. If you're close to a bonus tier, check your numbers. You might be one deal away. Make it count. |
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Eli · Rowan Advance deals@rowanadvance.com · Eden: (917) 439-6680 |
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That's it. That's the whole pitch. We're not going anywhere. We're not getting acquired. We're not changing our process. We're not adding committees or layers or "new policies effective immediately." Rowan is still a few guys in an office playing what sometimes feels like a wild video game. Still making decisions based on whether the deal makes sense — not whether it fits a formula. Still funding what we approve. Still paying bonuses fast. Still picking up the phone when you call. Over the last 12 weeks, we've talked about the math, the process, the industries we love, the deals we've funded, and the reasons ISOs keep coming back. But it all comes down to one thing: When you send us a deal, something actually happens. Fast. Clean. No surprises. Next quarter, same energy. Same speed. Same people. Got something? We're ready.
P.S. We hope it doesn't take a pizza lunch or a steak dinner to build a relationship. Let's just do good business. |
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Eli · Rowan Advance deals@rowanadvance.com · Eden: (917) 439-6680 |
Prepared by Omni Online Strategies for Rowan Advance