Merchant cash advance,
funded in 24 hours.
Borrow against your daily card takings and repay as a share of card sales, not a fixed monthly bill. From £10,000 to £1,000,000, a decision in 24 hours, no asset security. We compare 25+ UK lenders to find your best fit.
- Repaid from card sales
- No asset security
- Decision in 24 hours
What is a merchant cash advance?
A merchant cash advance (MCA), also called a PDQ cash advance, card machine loan or business cash advance, gives you a lump sum of working capital today, repaid as a percentage of your future card sales. There's no fixed monthly payment. When you're busy, you repay faster. When you're quiet, you repay slower. The repayment mechanic adjusts to your business, not the other way round. We're an independent commercial finance broker, comparing a panel of UK MCA lenders to find your best fit.
Work out the real cost.
New businesses typically start at a higher daily % and a shorter term.
£45,000 is the maximum advance for your card takings (150% of monthly card takings).
Illustrative only, not a quote.
- Advance£45,000
- vs card takings150%
- Fixed cost1.25
- Daily repayment£148
- Avg monthly£4,500
- Est. term12.5 months
Illustrative. The fixed cost is set on day one; daily repayment varies with takings. Term capped at 18 months.
Illustrative only, not a quote. Every figure here is subject to the funder. Funders advance anywhere from 100% up to 150% of monthly card takings, so 150% is not guaranteed, and the fixed cost is not guaranteed either. Your actual advance, fixed cost and terms depend on the funder and your business profile.
Works with Dojo · Square · Zettle · SumUp · Stripe Terminal · PDQ · Yeti Pay · Teya · Barclaycard
*** THANK YOU ***
Apply with these numbersThree steps. No paperwork mountain.
Apply
60 seconds online. Tell us your sector, monthly card takings and what you need to fund.
Decision
Within 24 hours. We compare lenders on our panel and come back with options, fixed cost, total repayable and estimated term laid out in plain English.
Funded
Funds in your account once you accept. Repayment starts automatically with your next card transactions.
What is a merchant cash advance?
A merchant cash advance is a lump sum of working capital repaid as a share of your future card sales. It is built for businesses that take most of their money through a card terminal, and it is arranged by a broker across a panel of funders rather than lent directly. Here is how it works.
How the repayment works
You take a lump sum of working capital today and repay it as a fixed percentage of your daily card takings, typically 10% to 22% of each day's card sales. Busy week, you repay faster. Quiet week, you repay slower. There is no fixed monthly payment to find, so the repayment moves with your business rather than against it.
What it costs
The cost is a single fixed cost agreed at the outset, usually between 1.10 and 1.50. Borrow £10,000 at a fixed cost of 1.25 and you repay £12,500 in total, set in pounds from day one. No compounding interest, no arrangement fees hidden in the background. We show the fixed cost, total repayable, daily repayment percentage and estimated term on every quote.
Who qualifies
Sole traders, limited companies and LLPs that have been trading at least 6 months and take a minimum of £10,000 a month through a card terminal. Underwriting weighs your card trading history more heavily than the director's personal credit score, so imperfect credit is considered rather than an automatic block.
How fast the money arrives
A decision typically comes back within 24 hours of applying. Once you accept an offer, funds usually land in your account within 24 to 72 hours. The initial check is a soft search that does not affect your credit file. A full credit check only happens before any offer is made.
Why operators choose us.
Works with your existing setup
Dojo, Square, Zettle, SumUp, Stripe Terminal, PDQ, Yeti Pay, Teya, Barclaycard and more. No need to switch.
Flexible repayments
A share of each card sale auto-repays. Slow week? You pay back slower.
No asset security
Unsecured against business assets. Most lenders require a director PG.
Your cash and bank transactions stay yours
Repayment comes from card takings only. Cash in the till, bank transfers, direct debits and non-card transactions are not touched. You keep 100% of them.
Honest fixed costs
Plain-English costs on every quote, total repayable, not jargon. Fixed cost shown alongside in smaller type.
Apply 24/7
60-second online. Decisions in 24 hours.
Works with your existing setup.
Card terminals: Dojo, Square, Zettle, SumUp, Stripe Terminal, PDQ, Yeti Pay, Teya, Barclaycard and more. Even your delivery platform takings from Just Eat, Deliveroo and Uber Eats count toward your assessment. No switching processors, no locked contracts, no hidden fees.
Mixed revenue: For businesses with significant bank-settled income (subscriptions, direct debits, account-pay, remittances), we also offer revenue-based advances that include non-card income in the assessment.
Built for these businesses.
A snapshot of the sectors we fund most. We support many more. Every sector has its own page with the lender mechanics, the typical deal shape, and the questions we hear most.
Merchant cash advance across the UK
We arrange merchant cash advances for card-taking businesses in every major UK town and city. Find your area for local trading context and the lenders that fund it.
We'll tell you when MCA isn't the right answer.
Most MCA brokers sell one product. We don't. Sometimes a term loan is cheaper. Sometimes asset finance fits better. Sometimes you don't need to borrow at all. Take 60 seconds with our quiz and we'll tell you straight.
Take the 60-second quiz→Quick answers.
Nothing. They are all names for the same product, a commercial finance advance repaid as a share of daily card sales. Merchant cash advance (MCA) is the formal industry term. PDQ cash advance is the term many hospitality and independent retail operators use, because PDQ is the long-standing UK name for a card terminal. Card machine loan is the informal term many business owners search for. All three refer to the same product.
Merchant Business Loans is a commercial finance broker, not a lender. A merchant cash advance is commercial finance arranged between businesses and is not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Figures shown are illustrative and not a quote. Prefer PDQ or card machine language? See our PDQ cash advance page.
Ready when you are
Ready to apply?
60 seconds to apply. 1 working day to a decision. No obligation, no credit footprint for the initial check.
Up to 90% pre-approved for qualifying businesses