For MCA funders
Underwrite merchants with the state's own records.
Before you fund, know three things: the business is real and active, the applicant actually runs it, and who already has a lien on it. Clerkfield answers all three from official state records, in seconds, in your underwriting flow.
- Entity id
- 0148596
- Status
- Active
- Formed
- 1980-07-30
- Owner
- Listed as President
The three risks in every submission
A business that isn't what it claims
Dissolved, revoked or never registered under that name. A bank statement can't tell you; the state registry can.
An applicant who isn't an owner
Someone applying for a business they don't control. The officer list the state publishes shows who does.
A merchant already stacked
Advances from other funders already being repaid. Their UCC-1 filings show up in the state's lien records.
Where Clerkfield fits in underwriting
Run it when a submission lands, before anyone spends time on bank statements.
- 01
Verify the business
Search the legal name in the state of formation. Pass, Review or Fail comes back with the status, formation date and months in business against your minimum.
- 02
Confirm the applicant
Add the applicant's name and the check confirms they're listed as an officer, member or manager, with their title.
- 03
Search the liens
One click from the result runs a lien search on the same business. Active filings and their lenders come first.
- 04
Decide and keep the record
Approve, decline or send to review. Print the result to PDF or store the JSON: it names the source and the date of the data.
How to spot stacking in UCC records
Stacking is when a merchant takes a new advance while earlier ones are still being repaid. UCC filings are one of the clearest public signs.
Several active liens from funders, filed recently. Two or three UCC-1s from different MCA companies within a few months is the classic pattern. Clerkfield's summary lists the lenders on active filings first.
Liens claiming receivables or all assets. MCA funders usually file against future receivables or all business assets. The collateral text on each filing shows it.
Filing services as secured party. Many funders file through agents such as Corporation Service Company. Treat those filings as a funder until the history shows otherwise.
Recent assignments. An assignment moves a lien to another company, which can mean a position was sold or refinanced.
What a clean search does and doesn't prove
Not every funder files a UCC-1, and filings can take days or weeks to appear. A clean search lowers the risk; the merchant's bank statements are still where you'll see daily or weekly debits from other funders.
Built for how funding teams work
API for your CRM
Call the checks when a submission arrives, from your CRM or underwriting system. See the API.
Dashboard for underwriters
Search by hand, re-run past searches and open any filing's full history, without writing code.
Records for your file
Every result names its official source and the date of the data, ready to print or store for audits.
Business records only
Clerkfield reports on businesses, not individuals, and is not a consumer reporting agency.
Where it works today
Business checks in 15 states and lien search in 10, including Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Kentucky, New Jersey and New Mexico for both. See coverage by state.
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No. Not every funder files a UCC-1, filings can take days or weeks to appear, and a lien is filed in the state where the business was formed. A clean search lowers the risk of stacking, but bank statements are still the best place to spot daily or weekly debits from other funders.
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No. Clerkfield reports on businesses, not individuals, and is not a consumer reporting agency. The owner check only confirms whether an applicant's name appears among the officers listed in the state's business records.
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Yes. Anyone who submits or reviews merchant files can run the same checks, so a deal arrives with the registry status and the lien picture already attached.
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Clerkfield is free while it's in beta, including business checks, lien search and the API. Paid plans will come later, and you'll hear about them well before anything changes.