Your customer just applied. Here’s what to do.
The email from Acorn Finance tells you where they landed. Pick it below and we’ll walk you through the exact steps.
Your customer has offers in hand
Applying at all is a strong buying signal. Your job now: reconnect fast and keep the sale moving.
Reconnect within 24 hours
Start from the offer email. It tells you the amount requested, whether they got offers, and how to reach them.
Take control of the conversation. Outline what happens next — with or without an Acorn Finance offer — and move your sales process forward.
They saw their offers online and got an email from Acorn Finance. Offers stay open for 21 days.
“Good news — you’re pre-qualified, and checking didn’t touch your credit score. Want to walk through the offers and get the project on the calendar?”
Refer them to us if they have questions
Point them back to their offers. The Acorn Finance email works, or go to acornfinance.com/access-offers and have them enter their email and last 4 digits of their SSN. They can call Acorn Finance at 916-404-1982 if they need help picking an offer.
Remind them nothing moves until they select. A pre-qualified offer isn’t a loan yet — selecting one starts the lender’s application.
They pick an offer online and the lender’s remaining questions open automatically.
Your loan offers are open for 21 days. Pick one at acornfinance.com/access-offers — you’ll need your email and the last 4 digits of your SSN.
The lender takes it from here
Nothing to do — stay close. Set a time to check in around when they expect final approval.
Expect email, not phone calls. Lenders request documents by email or an online account, and include a support number.
They confirm income, employment, and ID, then authorize a hard credit inquiry so the lender can give final approval.
Funds arrive — get paid
Know the timing. Usually 1–2 business days after final approval; home equity options can take about 2 weeks. The lender deposits directly into your customer’s bank account — not yours.
Collect like any cash buyer. Cash, check, transfer — whatever your agreement says. Payment in hand is your green light to book the work.
They receive the funds by direct deposit, then pay you per your agreement — the same as paying out of pocket.
Common questions
Remind them checking had no impact on their credit — if the rates don’t work, they can simply pay another way.
Offers, rates, and terms are set by lenders alone, based on credit score, income, and debt-to-income ratio. Acorn Finance has no influence.
They can re-apply for a different amount, or add a co-borrower to improve their chances. It’s also worth checking for common application errors — see the No offers path.
Tips for adding a co-borrower →Typically no. Lenders ask for what they need by email or through an online account, and provide a customer service number in case your customer has questions.
Mostly their credit profile, income, and existing debt — plus the amount requested. The full breakdown lives under the No offers path, in “What affects offers?”
The loan is funded — time to get paid
The lender sent the money directly to your customer’s bank account. Nothing arrives on your end until they pay you, so reach out today.
Confirm the funds landed
Reach out the same day. Your customer has the money and wants to know what happens next — be the one who tells them.
Remember who has the money. It went to the customer’s bank account (or a digital card with some lenders), not to you.
The funds are in their bank account. From here it works exactly like a cash purchase.
Tell them how to pay you
Name your payment methods. Cash, check, or transfer — say what you accept and how to get it to you.
Anchor it to your agreement. Collect deposits and payments on the schedule you already set.
They pay you per your agreement, the same as any cash buyer.
Great news — your project funds should be in your account. When you’re ready, here’s how to pay: [your payment details]. I’ll call today to schedule the work.
Lock in what happens next
Outline the project plan. Customers always want the next step — give them dates, deliveries, and what you’ll do first.
Confirm in writing. A quick follow-up text or email keeps everyone on the same page.
They know when work starts and what they’ve paid for.
Common questions
It’s rare, but treat it like any cash customer having second thoughts. Stay respectful and find out what’s driving it — budget, price, a competitor, or something in your process.
Decide what the job is worth to you and use the levers you’d normally use: incentives, scheduling, scope.
Acorn Finance charges you no dealer fees, so every lever is available without added cost.
No offers — it’s often fixable
Most often it comes down to credit profile or the income entered. Sometimes it’s a simple application error worth checking before anything else.
Check for common errors
Credit freeze still on? A forgotten credit bureau freeze blocks the soft pull entirely. They can unfreeze and re-apply.
SSN or address typo? Either one stops lenders from matching the credit report.
Monthly income instead of annual? The application asks for annual income — a monthly figure looks 12× too small.
Co-borrower double-counted housing? If both applicants list the same housing payment, the obligation looks doubled. Only one should include it.
They were notified immediately in the application and by secure message from Acorn Finance.
“No offers just means the lenders couldn’t pre-qualify this request — and checking didn’t touch your credit. Let’s look at a couple of quick things that often change the result.”
Suggest a re-apply
Fix the error first. If anything above looks off, re-applying with correct information is free and has no credit impact.
Try a different amount. A smaller request can pre-qualify where a larger one didn’t.
Add a co-borrower. A second applicant with income or stronger credit improves the odds.
They can re-apply any time — each check is a soft pull with no credit impact.
Offer another way to pay
Keep the sale alive. If re-applying doesn’t make sense, name the other payment methods you accept.
Stay in control of next steps. Tell the customer what to do and what you’ll do next, like you would with any cash buyer.
No action needed on their side — the decision was delivered by secure message.
Common questions
Lenders decide alone, on their own criteria — Acorn Finance has no influence on the outcome.
For unsecured loans the big five are: credit score, income vs. existing debt, the amount requested, employment history, and payment history — payment history alone is about 35% of a FICO score.
A stronger credit profile, a smaller amount, or a co-borrower can all change the result.
Acorn Finance notifies them immediately in the application flow and by secure message. Point them to that message for the details of the decision.
When their own income or credit profile is the limiting factor. The co-borrower shouldn’t repeat a housing payment the first applicant already listed.
Tips for adding a co-borrower →