Merchant cash advance
Merchant Cash Advance
£5k–£500k. Repay from card sales. Funds in 24–48 hours.
Unsecured funding repaid as a percentage of your daily card takings. No fixed monthly direct debit, no security — decisions in 24 hours based on your card acquirer data alone. Ideal for retail, hospitality, and any card-heavy trading business.
What is a Merchant Cash Advance?
A merchant cash advance is unsecured business finance repaid from your card sales rather than from your bank balance. The lender advances a lump sum, then takes a pre-agreed percentage (typically 8%–20%) of every card transaction until the agreed total is repaid.
Pricing uses a factor rate rather than APR — a 1.15x factor on £100,000 means you repay £115,000 regardless of how long it takes. The facility typically clears in 4–18 months, matched to your card turnover.
MCAs suit card-heavy businesses where trading can swing week to week: retail, hospitality, takeaways, salons, gyms. Because repayment flexes with sales, slower weeks automatically mean smaller deductions — protecting cash flow in a way fixed-term loans cannot.
Why Use Us for Merchant Cash Advance
Repay as you trade
Slow weeks mean small deductions. No fixed direct debit that fails on a quiet Tuesday. The facility scales to your trading rhythm.
24-hour decisions
The fastest unsecured product in UK business lending. Card acquirer data underwrites the deal — no valuations, no security.
Factor rate transparency
We show the true cost by comparing factor rates across 12+ MCA lenders. No hidden fees, no origination surprises.
Top-up and renew
Most MCA lenders allow top-ups once you've repaid 50%+ of the original advance. We sequence the renewal for you — no gap in funding.
Industries Where MCA Works
Why Use a Broker for Merchant Cash Advance?
Direct-sold MCAs routinely carry factor rates 10–15% higher than the panel best. The product is simple — but pricing varies widely. One broker application lets you compare apples to apples.
Going direct to a single lender
- — Single-lender factor rate, no benchmark
- — Aggressive repayment percentages
- — Unclear renewal economics
- — Hidden origination or platform fees
Using The Finance Brokers
- — Priced across 12+ MCA lenders
- — Factor rate and hold-back % compared
- — Renewal terms factored into the decision
- — No hidden fees — full cost visibility
How It Works
Share card turnover
Last 4–6 months of card acquirer statements. We gauge advance size and factor rate the panel will offer.
We benchmark the panel
Decisions back in 24 hours. Advance amount, factor rate, daily hold-back percentage, and estimated payoff window compared across lenders.
Funds in your account
Sign online, funds hit your business account within 24–48 hours. Repayment begins the next trading day automatically.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a merchant cash advance?
A merchant cash advance (MCA) is unsecured business funding repaid as a fixed percentage of your daily or weekly card takings. Rather than fixed monthly instalments, repayment flexes with your trading — busier days mean faster repayment, quieter days mean smaller deductions.
How is an MCA priced?
MCAs use a factor rate rather than an APR. A typical factor is 1.10x–1.35x — on a £100,000 advance at 1.15x, you repay £115,000 total. The effective annualised cost depends on how quickly your card turnover repays the facility, which is usually 4–18 months.
Which businesses qualify for a merchant cash advance?
Any business with steady card-payment turnover: retail, hospitality (restaurants, pubs, cafés), beauty salons, takeaways, gyms, taxi firms, and e-commerce that settle through a card acquirer. Most lenders require at least 6 months of trading history and £5,000+ monthly card revenue.
How much can I borrow on an MCA?
Most UK merchant cash advances are sized between £5,000 and £500,000, calibrated to your monthly card turnover — typically one to two months of card receipts. Established businesses with longer trading history and higher card throughput can sometimes access larger advances.
How quickly does an MCA fund?
Merchant cash advances are the fastest unsecured business product in the UK. Decisions typically land in 24 hours based on your card acquirer data, and funds reach the business account in 24–48 hours. No valuations, no security documents, minimal paperwork.
What's the difference between an MCA and a business loan?
An MCA has no fixed monthly repayment — it flexes with trading, so you never have a bad month where a direct debit can't clear. A traditional business loan has fixed monthly payments regardless of your revenue. MCAs suit trading-sensitive businesses; fixed-term loans suit stable cash-flow businesses.
Related Guides
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Secured vs Unsecured Business Loans: Which Is Right for You?
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Card-trading business needing fast capital?
Share last 4 months of card takings. We'll benchmark the UK MCA panel and bring back the tightest factor rate within 24 hours.