Is a merchant cash advance a loan?
No. A funder buys a fixed amount of your future card receipts at an agreed price. There's no interest rate and no fixed term; you remit a set percentage of each day's card takings until the agreed total is reached.
How much does it cost?
Each product is priced differently, and the offer states the total in writing before you sign. A merchant cash advance uses a factor rate: £30,000 at 1.25 means £37,500 to repay in total, fixed on day one. Loans quote a rate and a repayment schedule.
How quickly can funds arrive?
Decisions in as little as 3 hours once your application is complete, meaning statements and ID are in. Funds can land within 24 hours of signing. Where it slips, it's almost always because documents arrived late.
Will enquiring affect my credit score?
Our enquiry form doesn't run a credit search. A funder may run one at the offer stage with your consent, and we'll tell you before that happens.
Do I need to offer my home as security?
Not on the unsecured products we arrange. Most funders ask the director for a personal guarantee, which is standard across UK business finance, and we'll make sure you understand it before you sign.
Can you help if the bank has turned me down?
Often, yes. Banks weigh accounts, credit files and security. We weigh current trading. A decline on paperwork isn't a decline on trade.
What do you charge?
No application fee and nothing before funds are released. The cost is the total on your offer, agreed before you sign. Where a product is arranged with a partner funder, any commission comes from them and doesn't change what you repay.
Who actually provides the funding?
We do. UK Business Funding is a direct lender: we assess the business and we fund it. The legal name of the funding entity appears on your offer, so you always know exactly who you're dealing with.
What if I take most of my money by bank transfer, not card?
Then a merchant cash advance isn't the right fit, but a working capital facility or unsecured loan sized on bank turnover may be. Tell us how you take money and we'll point you to the right product.
Can I repay early?
On most products, yes. Some funders discount the remaining cost on early settlement; others don't. We tell you which applies before you choose, and the offer document states it.
Can I get a second advance while one is running?
Sometimes, if your takings comfortably support it, and we'll say so if they don't. Running several at once is how this product goes wrong, and we won't arrange a deal that does that.
I'm a sole trader. Can you help?
Options are limited. Lending to sole traders and partnerships below £25,000 is regulated consumer credit, which we don't offer. Tell us your situation and we'll be straight about whether anything fits.
How is my data handled?
Under UK GDPR. We use it to assess your enquiry and to assess your application; we never sell it. The full detail is in our privacy policy.
Which sectors can't you help?
A short list of sectors funders won't cover is on our restricted industries page. Borderline cases are considered individually.
See what your business could be offered
Two minutes to tell us about the business. A funding specialist calls you back, usually the same working day, with a straight answer.