Merchant Cash Advance

A merchant cash advance, also called a business cash advance, isn’t technically a loan. Instead, it’s a financing option that allows your business to get capital—quickly and easily—by utilizing future credit card sales.

Merchant cash advances can come with funding amounts as high as $5 million - making them a great alternative to traditional business loans. Even better, they’re much more accessible than other types of financing. Merchant cash advances for startups and younger businesses are a largely viable solution.

They offer access to fast, flexible financing without fixed-monthly payments. Instead, you’ll pay back your loan via a small percentage of future sales. This setup allows you can receive cash right away to put toward any new opportunity or business expense.

Merchant cash advances are ideal when you need funds now and don’t want to go through the hurdles of applying for more traditional forms of financing - such as business loans or SBA programs.

This type of financing is unsecured, so you’re not required to put up collateral. It also has the benefit of allowing you to keep your cash flow steady by making payments based on daily credit card sales, instead of a set schedule. In other words, your payments can adjust according to how well your business is performing.

Merchant cash advances are ideal for businesses with high credit card sales or seasonal revenue fluctuations. Funds from a merchant cash advance can be put towards a large range of expenses - including operating costs, growth opportunities, and more.

How does a merchant cash advance work?

A merchant cash advance provides a lump sum of cash in exchange for a percentage of your future sales. Instead of managing monthly payments, you’ll repay your loan with small, automatic deductions, from each sale you make.

Merchant cash advances offer fast financing - and you can use the funds for nearly any type of business expense.

What are the benefits of a merchant cash advance?

Some of the biggest benefits of a merchant cash advance include the resolution of short-term cash flow issues, flexibility when it comes to the funding of different expenses (such as covering unexpected costs or purchasing inventory) and speed. Additionally, you can get this type of funding even with bad credit.

Merchant cash advances are some of the fastest financing solutions available. Other types of business loans can take several weeks or months to process, however merchant cash advances tent to deliver cash almost immediately. They’re especially popular among businesses with seasonal lulls or frequent cash flow disruptions.

Can I get merchant cash funding with bad credit?

Yes! Having good credit makes it easier and cheaper to secure financing - but it’s still possible to get a merchant cash advance with bad credit. In fact, many online lenders maintain no minimum credit score requirements for merchant cash advances.

When you apply for a merchant cash advance, your business’s revenue, or sales, will matter more than your credit score. This can be especially helpful if your business is new or hasn’t built up enough credit. In fact, it’s also one of the reasons merchant cash advances are incredibly accessible financing solutions.

There may be some variations in credit score requirements depending on the type of lender you work with. Some lenders, like traditional banks or credit unions, place enormous emphasis on your credit score. However, other lenders - specifically online lenders, take a broader look at your credentials. They’re more likely to consider your revenue, prospects for growth, time in business, as well as other factors.

Who can apply for a merchant cash advance?

Merchant  cash advances are incredibly helpful for younger businesses, startups, and enterprises that haven’t built up enough credit history to apply for traditional business loans. They’re easily accessible and funding times work fast - making them a great choice for businesses that need quick capital.

They’re also a solid fit for businesses that experience occasional cash flow disruptions or seasonal drops in revenue. Merchant cash advances can help fill in the gap where your own funds fall short.

What is the difference between a loan and a merchant cash advance?

Merchant cash advances are oftentimes thought of as a type of business loan, however, the laws governing the two are significantly different. With merchant cash advances, the financing company is essentially purchasing a percentage of your future sales at a discount.

You will receive an advance on your future revenue, which you’ll then pay back via a portion of your future revenue stream. By contrast, small business loans entail a company lending you funds in exchange for fixed payments.

Business loans  can have repayment terms as long as 25 years, while merchant cash advances are designed to be short-term funding solutions. Although they don’t come with set repayment terms, most merchant cash advances are typically repaid within a year or less.

Merchant cash advances also tend to have much higher APR’s than traditional business loans. However, this is off-set by the fact that merchant cash advances are designed to be repaid quickly, which means you’ll spend less time in debt.

Is merchant cash funding a good idea?

Merchant cash advances are ideal for businesses that need capital quickly - but for one reason or another, business loans aren’t a good fit. Perhaps your business is fairly new, or a startup, with not a ton of credit history built up. You may be unable to wait for a traditional loan approval process. Or you may also not have enough assets built up to qualify as collateral for a traditional loan.

In either of these scenarios, a merchant cash advance can be a helpful resource for accessing capital. As long as your business is able to forfeit a percentage of daily credit card sales towards debt repayment, merchant cash advances can be a good idea.

What is an example of a merchant cash advance?

Merchant cash advances feature a lump-sum cash infusion that’s automatically repaid via your business’s daily credit card sales.

Say for example, you take out a merchant cash advance that deducts 15% of your daily revenue. If you bring in $5,000 in credit card sales one day, $750 will be automatically deducted towards repaying your debt.

If the next day your business only brings in $1,000, you’ll only shell out $150 towards debt repayment. This way, your payment schedule is tied to how well your business performs on any given day.

Can I get a same day merchant cash advance?

Yes! When you apply for a merchant cash advance with National Business Capital, you may be eligible to receive a merchant cash advance in as little as 24 hours or less.

National is a fintech marketplace that automatically connects you with a multitude of lenders, generating personalized financing offers based on your unique criteria and needs.

Simply browse your offers and select the best interest rates and terms available. If you have any questions, a dedicated Business Financing Advisor will step up to help along each step of the way.