Merchant Cash Advance
A merchant cash advance (MCA) gives you a lump sum today, repaid automatically as a small, fixed percentage of your future card takings. Busy days repay more, quiet days repay less — so repayments move with your trading.
From application to funded.
- 01
Share your card history
Provider decisions are driven mainly by your card-machine takings, so we start with your last 12 months of merchant statements.
- 02
Agree a total & a percentage
You’re offered an advance amount, a fixed total to repay, and the percentage of daily card sales used to repay it.
- 03
Receive your funds
The advance is paid into your business account once you accept.
- 04
Repay as you trade
A small share of each day’s card sales goes towards the advance automatically, until the agreed total is repaid. No fixed monthly bill.
An honest fit check.
Ideal for
- Restaurants, cafés, bars and hospitality
- Retail and salons with strong card takings
- Seasonal businesses with uneven months
- Businesses that want repayments linked to sales, not the calendar
Consider an alternative if
- Low or mostly cash takings — a term loan may be more suitable
- If you want the lowest total cost over a long period, compare against a term loan
- If cash flow is tied up in invoices, look at invoice finance
What it costs — explained.
No hidden extras. Every cost is shown in your offer before you sign anything.
- Fixed fee / factor rate
- Instead of interest, you agree a fixed total to repay upfront (often expressed as a “factor rate”). You know the full cost from day one — it doesn’t grow over time.
- Repayment percentage
- A set percentage of daily card sales goes to the provider. This affects how quickly you repay, not how much.
- No APR comparison
- Because there’s no fixed term, an MCA isn’t directly comparable to a loan APR. We’ll walk you through the total cost so you can compare fairly.
- Broker fee
- None. We may receive a commission from the provider, which never changes the terms you’re offered.
What lenders look at.
- Your monthly card-machine takings and their consistency
- How long you’ve been taking card payments
- Your business bank statements
- Your sector and trading history
Documents you’ll upload.
All documents are uploaded securely in your CP0 account and only viewed by our underwriters.
What happens if I have a quiet month?
You repay less, because repayments are a percentage of what you actually take. The total amount you repay stays the same — it just takes a little longer.
Is a merchant cash advance a loan?
Technically it’s a purchase of a portion of your future card sales rather than a loan, which is why there’s no APR or fixed term.
Do I need to change card machine provider?
Not always. Some providers work alongside your existing terminal; others require their own. We’ll tell you before you choose.
What documents do I need?
12 months of business bank statements and 12 months of card-machine / merchant statements, plus photo ID, proof of address and proof of business.