Café Turnover Proof Pack (2026): The 9 Exports That Get You Approved Faster
Café turnover proof pack for café owners | Switchboard Finance
☕ POS + merchant + delivery payouts · turnover proof · 2026 ·
Business Owners Hub
Cafés don’t get stuck on “borrower quality” as often as you think — they get stuck because the file can’t prove revenue cleanly. This page is a turnover verification pack: exactly what to export, what to screenshot, what date ranges to use, and how to make the numbers line up so your application doesn’t bounce back as “pending.”
For the broader café finance context, start with Cash Flow vs Growth: The Café Owner’s Balancing Act with Low Doc Finance. If you’re funding equipment as part of the plan, the direct approval lane is Low Doc Asset Finance.
1) What this pack proves (and what it avoids)
The lender’s job is simple: “Can we validate your Turnover without guessing?” Cafés look messy on paper because revenue arrives through multiple lanes — POS takings, terminal settlements, delivery platforms, and sometimes bank transfers for events/catering.
When your proof is scattered (or the date ranges don’t match), the assessor has two options: request more items, or slow the file until someone can reconcile it. That’s the difference between a fast decision and a week of back-and-forth.
This pack is not an approval timeline, and it’s not a generic documents checklist. It’s the “one folder” that lets a credit team tick revenue off quickly — so the rest of the application can move.
2) The 9 exports (use these exact date ranges)
These exports are chosen for one reason: they create a clean audit trail from “sale happened” → “money settled” → “money hits the account.” If your café is busy, don’t overcomplicate it — consistency beats volume.
Use the same date window across all exports wherever possible. If you mix a 30-day POS export with a 90-day bank window, you force the assessor to interpret gaps — and interpretation slows files.
The goal is a tight 60–90 day snapshot (or 6 months if trading is seasonal), presented in a way that’s easy to verify.
- POS sales summary (daily totals) — export CSV/PDF
- POS payment mix (cash vs card vs online) — export
- Merchant/terminal settlement report (daily batches) — export
- Merchant fee summary (optional, but helpful if net deposits look “low”) — export
- Delivery platform payout statement (Uber Eats/DoorDash/Menulog etc.) — export
- Delivery weekly order summary (if payouts are bundled) — export
- Bank statements for the same window (PDF) — export
- Business account transaction CSV for the same window — export
- Top 10 supplier invoices (coffee, milk, bakery, packaging) for the same window — PDF exports
- Standard: 90 days (best for “fast verification”)
- Seasonal café: 6 months (best when quiet weeks distort 30–90 day averages)
- Newer setup: 60 days + screenshots (best when you don’t have a clean 90 yet)
3) The screenshot pack (what to capture so it doesn’t bounce)
Exports prove totals. Screenshots prove “this is the right account and the right settings.” They stop the classic follow-up questions like: “Is this the same terminal?”, “Are these gross or net totals?”, “Are refunds included?”
Keep screenshots minimal and intentional — the assessor should be able to verify the export context in under 60 seconds. Too many screenshots creates noise, and noise gets ignored.
Use this exact set (and label them clearly). It’s boring — and that’s the point.
- POS settings: business name + outlet + reporting timezone
- POS report filter: date range selector showing your chosen window
- Merchant account details: settlement account / last 4 digits
- Merchant report filter: same date window
- Delivery payout screen: payout schedule (e.g., weekly/fortnightly)
- Delivery payout filter: same date window
- Refund/chargeback screen (if applicable): proves why a day’s net is lower
- Bank account header: business account name + last 4 digits
4) The 10-minute reconciliation (the part that speeds everything up)
This is where most cafés accidentally slow their own file: POS shows gross sales, but deposits are net of fees, delayed by payout cycles, and split across providers. Without a simple bridge, “numbers don’t match” becomes an instant condition request.
You don’t need accounting perfection. You need a simple, repeatable method that produces a clean explanation. Think “credit-ready,” not “bookkeeper-ready.”
Use this table as your one-page reconciliation summary (save as PDF and add it to the folder as item 10).
| Line | What you add | Where it comes from | What it explains |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. POS gross sales | Total sales for the window | POS sales summary export | Top-of-funnel revenue proof |
| B. Less refunds | Refund/chargeback totals | POS + merchant refund screens | Why net is lower than gross |
| C. Less merchant fees | Fees for the window | Merchant fee summary (if available) | Why deposits don’t equal sales |
| D. Delivery payouts | Total payouts received | Delivery payout statements | Why deposits arrive “lumpy” |
| E. Bank deposits check | Net deposits received | Bank CSV filtered to POS/merchant/deivery deposits | Final confirmation of cash received |
If your deposits are delayed or split across platforms, pair this with: Café Card Settlements + Delivery Apps (2026): Turning 2–14 Day Payout Gaps into Predictable Cashflow. If the lender is reacting to messy conduct patterns, start here: Bank Statement Red Flags for Cafés (2026): The Patterns Lenders Hate.
5) The submission sequence (so the assessor can move fast)
A clean pack is only “fast” if it’s easy to consume. Don’t send 14 separate emails with attachments — send one folder and one short cover note that tells the assessor how to read it.
Your cover note should be 6 lines: date window, which POS, which merchant terminal, which delivery platforms, the one-page reconciliation summary, and the single point of contact. Short, direct, boring.
If you’re also financing equipment or fitout items, keep turnover proof separate from asset documents. That separation is what stops your file becoming a mixed-purpose mess.
- Date window: “90 days ending DD/MM/YYYY”
- POS: provider + outlet name
- Merchant: provider + settlement account last 4 digits
- Delivery: platforms + payout schedule (weekly/fortnightly)
- Reconciliation: “Item 10 explains POS vs deposits differences”
- Contact: name + phone + best time to call
If you’re bundling turnover proof with fitout/equipment, use the separate asset-lane checklist: Café Fitout + Equipment Finance Documents Checklist (2026).
Cafés get approved faster when turnover proof is presented as one clean trail: POS sales → merchant settlements → delivery payouts → bank deposits. The winning move is consistency: same date window, numbered exports, a small screenshot set, and a one-page reconciliation summary.
If you want a clean path from “proof” to “funding,” start with the broader café context, then decide whether this becomes an equipment lane via Low Doc Asset Finance.
FAQ
Mismatched date ranges and unclear links between POS totals and bank deposits. If the assessor can’t tie your exports together quickly, they pause and request more proof.
No — you need a credit-ready explanation. A simple one-page Reconciliation summary that explains fees, refunds and payout timing usually does the job.
Use a longer window (often 6 months) so quiet weeks don’t distort the story. The key is to keep the same window across POS, merchant and delivery exports.
It can be fine — the risk is verification. If payouts are lumpy or delayed, include payout statements and screenshots showing payout schedules so the deposits make sense.
Keep them separate. Turnover proof is about revenue validation; equipment/fitout docs are about asset and supplier evidence. Separation makes the file faster to assess.
Disclaimer: This content is general information only and isn’t financial, legal, or tax advice.
