> ## 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.

# How do I get contracts from the lender and signed by the merchant?

> Request contracts from the lender, receive them automatically, share them with the merchant for signing, and get the application signed in the portal.

Once the merchant picks an offer, the contract phase runs through three steps: ask the lender for contracts, share them with the merchant, and collect the signed copy. Separately, you can have the owner sign the application in the merchant portal. Anyone who can work the deal can do this. Emails go from a connected mailbox, see [Email senders](/help/email-senders).

## 1. Request contracts from the lender

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Request Contracts">
    On the deal's **Offers & Contracts** tab, click **Request contract** beside the primary offer. For any other offer, choose **Request contracts** in its **⋯** menu.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Fill in the email">
    * **From**: the mailbox to send from.
    * **Send To**: **Reply to submission thread** keeps it in the same email thread as your submission to that lender (when there is one), or send to the lender's address.
    * **Subject Line** and **Email Body**: start from your **Request Contracts** template (**Settings → Templates → Request Contracts**) with the offer's details filled in. Edit freely.
    * **Attachments**: optionally tick deal documents to include. They go out the way a submission's do: bank statements as their watermarked copy, and each PDF carries the document reference of your submission to that lender.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Send">
    The primary card shows *Contracts requested … · waiting on the lender*. The deal's activity log records it, and your pipeline can move the deal when a stage is set up for contracts requested, see [Pipeline stage events](/help/pipeline-stage-events).
  </Step>
</Steps>

## 2. Contracts arrive

When the lender replies to the request with the contracts attached, NextLevel MCA picks them up from your mailbox:

* PDF and Word attachments are saved on the deal's **Documents** tab in the **Contracts** folder. Inline images in the email are ignored.
* The primary card changes to *Contracts received … · N files in Contracts*.
* The deal's activity log records it, and the deal's rep gets an email.

The reply must come back in the thread of your request, or be matched to that lender's submission. If the lender sends the contracts some other way, upload them yourself: **Upload files** on the **Documents** tab, with the type **Contract**.

Receiving contracts doesn't move the deal's pipeline stage.

## 3. Share the contracts with the merchant

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Contracts folder">
    On the deal's **Documents** tab, click **Contracts**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Share each contract">
    Open the contract's **⋯** menu and choose **Share with merchant**. It shows an **In portal** pill. **Remove from portal** takes it back out.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Send the portal link">
    Sharing doesn't notify the merchant. Send them the portal link from **Portal link** in the deal header, see [The merchant portal](/help/merchant-portal).
  </Step>
</Steps>

In the portal's **Contracts** tab the merchant downloads each contract, signs it, and uploads the signed copy. The signed copy appears in the deal's **Contracts** folder with "signed" added to its name and a **Signed copy** pill, and the original shows how many signed copies came back. The deal's rep is notified, and the activity log records it.

## Get the application signed

This is for the funding application itself, not the lender's contracts.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Request the signature">
    On the deal's **Documents** tab, click **Request signature**. It asks the business owner to sign.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Send the portal link">
    The portal link window opens so you can text or email the owner their link.
  </Step>

  <Step title="The owner signs">
    In the portal's **Signature** tab, the owner enters their name and signs.
  </Step>
</Steps>

While you wait, the button reads **Signature requested** with *Waiting on* the owner's name and a **Cancel** link. Once they sign:

* The application PDFs are regenerated with the signature, and the signed version appears under **Documents**.
* The button shows *Signed by* their name, and becomes **Request new signature** if you need them to sign again.
* The deal's rep is notified, and the activity log records it.

You can cancel a request until the owner has signed.

**More than one owner.** Each owner can have their own request waiting, and the **Documents** tab shows *Waiting on* each of them. Asking the same owner again replaces their earlier request; asking another owner leaves the first one open. In the portal, each owner's link opens on their own request, and once one owner signs, the next request appears. If you remove an owner from the deal, their waiting request is cancelled and the activity log says so.

## Common problems

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="The lender sent contracts but they didn't show up">
    The reply has to be matched to your request: ask the lender to reply to the contract request email. Also check that the mailbox you sent from is still connected, see [Reconnecting a mailbox](/help/reconnect-mailbox). Otherwise, download the files from your email and upload them with the type **Contract**.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="There's no Share with merchant option on a file">
    Only documents of type **Contract** can be shared this way. Check the file is in the **Contracts** folder as a contract.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="The merchant says they can't see the contracts">
    Check each contract shows **In portal**, then send a fresh portal link. Links last 24 hours.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Request Contracts says no email accounts are connected">
    Connect a mailbox under **Settings → Senders**, see [Email senders](/help/email-senders).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>


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