> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.nextlevelmca.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Quickstart
> Create a business and a deal, match lenders, submit to two of them and read the offers, all with curl.
This walk-through takes a deal from nothing to offers in five requests. You need an API key with `businesses:write`, `deals:write`, `lenders:read`, `submissions:write` and `offers:read`, or one with no scope restriction.
```bash theme={null}
export NLMCA_KEY="nlmca_live_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX"
export NLMCA_API="https://api.nextlevelmca.com/v1"
```
The request bodies below carry only the fields the flow needs, and the responses are trimmed. Every field, filter and response property is listed on the endpoint's page in the **API reference** tab.
```bash theme={null}
curl -X POST "$NLMCA_API/businesses" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $NLMCA_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"legal_name": "ACME Plumbing LLC",
"dba": "ACME Plumbing",
"ein": "12-3456789",
"entity_type": "LLC",
"industry": "Plumbing",
"state": "NY",
"phone": "+12125550123",
"email": "owner@acmeplumbing.example",
"business_start_date": "2018-03-01"
}'
```
```json Response 201 theme={null}
{
"data": {
"id": "0f6b0d2e-1c3a-4b8e-9d2f-7a1e5c4b3d21",
"legal_name": "ACME Plumbing LLC",
"dba": "ACME Plumbing",
"ein": "12-3456789",
"entity_type": "LLC",
"industry": "Plumbing",
"address": null,
"city": null,
"state": "NY",
"zip": null,
"phone": "+12125550123",
"email": "owner@acmeplumbing.example",
"business_start_date": "2018-03-01",
"status": "active",
"tags": [],
"custom_data": {},
"primary_contact": null,
"deal_count": 0,
"lifetime_funded": 0,
"active_advances": 0,
"outstanding_balance": 0,
"last_activity_at": null,
"created_at": "2026-09-04T14:02:11.000Z",
"updated_at": "2026-09-04T14:02:11.000Z"
},
"meta": {}
}
```
If a business with the same EIN, or the same normalised legal name and state, already exists you get `409` with `code: "duplicate_business"` and `existing_id`. Use that id, or repeat the call with `?force=true` to create a second record anyway.
```bash theme={null}
curl -X POST "$NLMCA_API/deals" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $NLMCA_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"business_id": "0f6b0d2e-1c3a-4b8e-9d2f-7a1e5c4b3d21",
"requested_amount": 75000
}'
```
```json Response 201 theme={null}
{
"data": {
"id": "3c9d1f70-8e5a-4d26-b1f4-2a7e6c5d4b39",
"business_id": "0f6b0d2e-1c3a-4b8e-9d2f-7a1e5c4b3d21",
"business": {
"id": "0f6b0d2e-1c3a-4b8e-9d2f-7a1e5c4b3d21",
"legal_name": "ACME Plumbing LLC",
"dba": "ACME Plumbing"
},
"business_name": "ACME Plumbing LLC",
"requested_amount": 75000,
"product_type": "mca",
"paper_grade": null,
"paper_grade_source": null,
"status": "new",
"stage": {
"id": "2b8c4d6e-0f1a-4b2c-9d3e-4f5a6b7c8d90",
"label": "New app",
"phase": "preoffer",
"sort_order": 0,
"event": null
},
"stage_entered_at": "2026-09-04T14:03:40.000Z",
"days_in_stage": 0,
"primary_offer": null,
"source": "api",
"submissions_count": 0,
"offers_count": 0,
"created_at": "2026-09-04T14:03:40.000Z",
"updated_at": "2026-09-04T14:03:40.000Z"
},
"meta": {}
}
```
The deal starts in the first stage of the `preoffer` phase (`stage.phase`) and a `deal.created` webhook fires. You can also create the business inline by sending a `business` object instead of `business_id`; duplicate detection applies the same way. An optional `owner` object creates the primary owner or links an existing person matched by email or phone.
If you have bank statements, upload them first (see [Documents and uploads](/guides/documents-and-uploads)): once they are analysed, matching uses bank-verified revenue instead of the stated figure. Without them, matching still runs on the application data.
```bash theme={null}
curl "$NLMCA_API/deals/3c9d1f70-8e5a-4d26-b1f4-2a7e6c5d4b39/lender-matches?view=recommended" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $NLMCA_KEY"
```
```json Response 200 theme={null}
{
"data": [
{
"lender_id": "6a2d9e11-4f0b-4c7d-8e3a-9b1c2d3e4f50",
"lender_name": "Northwind Capital",
"score": 88,
"confidence": "high",
"recommended": true,
"eligible": true,
"auto_eligible": true,
"disqualify_reasons": [],
"unknown_gates": [],
"paper_grades": ["A", "B"],
"checks": [
{
"field": "min_monthly_revenue",
"label": "Minimum monthly revenue",
"kind": "gate",
"criterion": "at least $25,000",
"deal_value": "$41,200 (bank-verified)",
"passed": true,
"skipped": false
},
{
"field": "state",
"label": "State",
"kind": "gate",
"criterion": "not CA, NV",
"deal_value": "NY",
"passed": true,
"skipped": false
}
],
"explanation": "Northwind Capital funds NY plumbing businesses with $25k+ monthly revenue. This deal clears every gate and scores 88.",
"approval_rate": 0.62
},
{
"lender_id": "9d4b7c21-0a5e-4f13-9c8d-1e2f3a4b5c67",
"lender_name": "Harbor Funding",
"score": 81,
"confidence": "medium",
"recommended": true,
"eligible": true,
"auto_eligible": false,
"disqualify_reasons": [],
"unknown_gates": ["time_in_business"],
"paper_grades": ["B", "C"],
"checks": [
{
"field": "time_in_business",
"label": "Time in business",
"kind": "gate",
"criterion": "at least 12 months",
"deal_value": "unknown",
"passed": true,
"skipped": true
}
],
"explanation": "Harbor Funding is a fit on revenue and state; time in business is missing, so confirm it before an automated send.",
"approval_rate": null
}
],
"meta": {
"next_cursor": null,
"has_more": false,
"total": 2,
"recommended_count": 2,
"eligible_count": 5,
"matched_at": "2026-09-04T14:05:02.000Z",
"deal": {
"paper_grade": null,
"paper_grade_computed": "B",
"missing_fields": ["time_in_business"],
"completeness_percent": 86,
"threshold": 75
}
}
}
```
`view=recommended` is the shortlist an underwriter would send to: score at or above the location's threshold, with the data to back it. `view=eligible` also includes lenders that pass every hard gate but score lower; `view=all` adds disqualified lenders with their reasons. `auto_eligible` marks matches with no unknown gates, safe for an automated send. `meta.deal.missing_fields` tells you what to collect to raise confidence.
Submissions send email, so use an `Idempotency-Key`. A retry with the same key replays the original response instead of emailing the lenders twice.
```bash theme={null}
curl -X POST "$NLMCA_API/deals/3c9d1f70-8e5a-4d26-b1f4-2a7e6c5d4b39/submissions" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $NLMCA_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-H "Idempotency-Key: 5d0c9b8a-7e6f-4d5c-b4a3-2f1e0d9c8b7a" \
-d '{
"lender_ids": [
"6a2d9e11-4f0b-4c7d-8e3a-9b1c2d3e4f50",
"9d4b7c21-0a5e-4f13-9c8d-1e2f3a4b5c67"
],
"send": true
}'
```
```json Response 201 theme={null}
{
"data": [
{
"id": "b1e2d3c4-5f6a-4b7c-8d9e-0f1a2b3c4d5e",
"deal_id": "3c9d1f70-8e5a-4d26-b1f4-2a7e6c5d4b39",
"lender_id": "6a2d9e11-4f0b-4c7d-8e3a-9b1c2d3e4f50",
"lender_name": "Northwind Capital",
"status": "queued",
"response_type": null,
"response_notes": null,
"decline_reason": null,
"decline_category": null,
"requested_items": [],
"match_score": 88,
"match_eligible": true,
"submitted_by_id": null,
"submitted_at": null,
"responded_at": null,
"created_at": "2026-09-04T14:06:15.000Z",
"updated_at": "2026-09-04T14:06:15.000Z"
},
{
"id": "c2f3e4d5-6a7b-4c8d-9e0f-1a2b3c4d5e6f",
"deal_id": "3c9d1f70-8e5a-4d26-b1f4-2a7e6c5d4b39",
"lender_id": "9d4b7c21-0a5e-4f13-9c8d-1e2f3a4b5c67",
"lender_name": "Harbor Funding",
"status": "queued",
"response_type": null,
"response_notes": null,
"decline_reason": null,
"decline_category": null,
"requested_items": [],
"match_score": 81,
"match_eligible": true,
"submitted_by_id": null,
"submitted_at": null,
"responded_at": null,
"created_at": "2026-09-04T14:06:15.000Z",
"updated_at": "2026-09-04T14:06:15.000Z"
}
],
"meta": { "created": 2, "already_submitted": [], "sending": true }
}
```
One submission is recorded per lender, with the lender-match score snapshotted as `match_score`, and each comes back as `queued`. A background worker emails it through the location's connected mailbox, sets `submitted_at` and flips the status to `sent` (until then `GET /v1/submissions/{id}` shows `pending`); a `submission.sent` webhook fires per lender when the email goes out. If the location has no connected mailbox the submissions are still recorded, returned with `status: "recorded"` and `meta.warning: "no_email_sender"`, for the team to send from the app. Lenders that already had a submission on the deal are left unchanged and listed in `meta.already_submitted`; lenders without a submissions email are listed in `meta.not_sent`. Pass `"send": false` to record submissions as `pending` without emailing. The first submission also moves the deal to the stage bound to `first_submission_sent` (*Submitted* on the default board).
Offers appear as lenders respond (`offer.received` webhook) or when someone logs them.
```bash theme={null}
curl "$NLMCA_API/deals/3c9d1f70-8e5a-4d26-b1f4-2a7e6c5d4b39/offers" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $NLMCA_KEY"
```
```json Response 200 theme={null}
{
"data": [
{
"id": "d3a4b5c6-7e8f-4a9b-8c0d-1e2f3a4b5c6d",
"deal_id": "3c9d1f70-8e5a-4d26-b1f4-2a7e6c5d4b39",
"lender_id": "6a2d9e11-4f0b-4c7d-8e3a-9b1c2d3e4f50",
"lender_name": "Northwind Capital",
"submission_id": "b1e2d3c4-5f6a-4b7c-8d9e-0f1a2b3c4d5e",
"amount": 70000,
"factor_rate": 1.32,
"buy_rate": null,
"term": 9,
"term_unit": "months",
"payment_frequency": "daily",
"payment_amount": 488.89,
"payback_amount": 92400,
"points": null,
"commission_estimate": null,
"position": 1,
"status": "new_offer",
"status_name": "New offer",
"status_type": "open",
"is_primary": false,
"is_selected": false,
"notes": null,
"decline_reason": null,
"merchant_response": null,
"expires_at": null,
"received_at": "2026-09-05T09:12:44.000Z",
"accepted_at": null,
"created_at": "2026-09-05T09:12:44.000Z",
"updated_at": "2026-09-05T09:12:44.000Z"
}
],
"meta": { "next_cursor": null, "has_more": false, "primary_offer_id": null }
}
```
To pick one, call `POST /v1/offers/{id}/primary`. That syncs the deal status to the offer's status, and from then on status changes on that offer (`contracts_requested`, `contracts_out`, `contracts_signed`) move the deal stage through the location's event bindings; `GET /v1/pipeline` shows them. Funding goes through `POST /v1/deals/{id}/stage` with `event: "mark_funded"`, which creates the advance.
## Where next
Errors, pagination, idempotency and rate limits in detail.
Get told when offers arrive instead of polling.
Turn these five calls into an agent.
## Related topics
- [Overview](/getting-started/overview.md)