What is a Merchant Cash Advance?
A Merchant Cash Advance (MCA) is a lump sum of money (£1,000 to £1,000,000) given to your business, repaid automatically through a percentage of your daily card sales.
Rates checked: 27 August 2026
How Does It Work? (Simple Example)
Real Example: Restaurant Needs £50,000
You Receive
£50,000 in your bank account (1-2 days after approval)
Total Repayment Agreed
£50,000 × 1.1 factor rate = £55,000 total (£5,000 cost)
Daily Repayment
10% of each card transaction automatically deducted
Fully Repaid
Typically 10-14 months depending on your sales. No fixed monthly payments to worry about.
Key Features of MCAs
Advantages
- • Approval in 24-48 hours (vs 4-12 weeks for bank loans)
- • 90% approval rate (vs 62% for bank loans)
- • Personal guarantee often not required (varies by provider)
- • Flexible repayments match your sales
- • Bad credit acceptable
- • Funding range: £1,000 to £1,000,000
What It Costs
- Factor rate: 1.1x to 1.25x (depends on credit)
- Example: Borrow £50k = repay £55k (1.1x)
- Cost: £5k (10% of advance)
- Higher rates for: Poor credit, short trading history
- Lower rates for: Good credit, established business
Do You Qualify?
Minimum Requirements:
Note: Bank declined you? Not a problem. MCAs approve based on card sales, not credit history.
Common Questions (Quick Answers)
Is it a loan?
No. Legally it's a purchase of future receivables, not a loan. This is why approval rates are higher and credit checks matter less.
How much can I borrow?
£1,000 to £1,000,000, typically 1-2× your average monthly card sales. A restaurant doing £40k monthly could access £40k-£80k.
How long to get approved?
24-48 hours typically. We've had approvals in as little as 6 hours for straightforward cases. Funds arrive 1-2 days after approval.
What if I have bad credit?
You can still qualify. Bad credit may result in a higher factor rate (1.2-1.25x instead of 1.1x), but 90% of applicants get approved regardless of credit history.
See if an advance fits your business
Two fields, no credit check to get a quote, and a call back in minutes during opening hours.
Check Your MCA Eligibility
Find out how much you qualify for in under 60 seconds
Check Eligibility Now