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Merchant Cash Advance Calculator (And How it Works)

 

2024 Buyers Guide: How Does a Merchant Cash Advance Work?


According to Wikipedia:
A merchant cash advance was originally structured as a lump-sum payment to a business in exchange for an agreed-upon percentage of future credit card and/or debit card sales. … The term “cash advance” may be used to describe purchases of future credit card sales receivables or short-term business loans.



Use our Merchant Cash Advance Calculator to understand how it works and estimate your payments. Make informed decisions for your business financing needs.

Merchant Cash Advance Calculator (Annual Percentage Rate Loan)

Cash advances, or MCA, are ideal for small business owners and their companies seeking business funding. Although technically not a loan, these financing options provide rapid deployment of business financing for any business with uneven revenue or seasonal businesses. The business funding for merchants is a lump sum or advance funds deposit based on the merchant’s monthly credit card sales and cash flow. This is reflected in your merchant account credit card processing accounting software statement from the merchant credit card processor.

How to Calculate a Merchant Cash Advance

Since the amount to be repaid is more than the amount borrowed, how do you calculate the repayment amount? This factor will vary among lenders, but you should be quoted as a percentage to help you estimate the total amount to be repaid. For example, if you agree to pay the amount borrowed plus 15%, then you can multiply the amount borrowed by 1.15. You will then need to take into consideration any fees associated with the cash advance terms.

To estimate how long it will take to pay back the cash advance, take the amount borrowed, and multiply it by the factor rate. Borrow $100K with a factor rate of 1.17. Multiply $100K by 1.17 = $117,000. Assume a 9% holdback. Divide your monthly sales ($100K) by 22 (days in the month). Take that number and multiply by the holdback. $100K / 22 = $4545 (average daily sale). Multiply that number of $4545 X 9% = $409. That is approximately what you’ll pay daily. Divide $117,000 (total amount owed) by $409 = 286 (payments to equal $117K) Assuming 22 days in the month, take 286 and divide by 22, and this equals 13 or the approximate number of months to repay the loan.

Step-by-Step Process: How to Calculate Loan Amount

To calculate the amount of your loan and payments, you will need to have numbers for the following items:

    – Amount of cash advance you will receive
    – Factor rate (converted to a decimal)
    – Fees (may be referred to as administrative cost, origination fee, or closing fee)
    – Average daily/monthly credit card sales
    – Percentage to be withheld from daily sales

With this information, you will be able to calculate approximate daily payments, how long it will take you to repay the loan, and the total amount you can expect to pay.

    1. To determine how much your payment will be, multiply your average daily credit card sales amount and multiply it by the percentage to be withheld from daily sales.
    2. Calculate the total amount of the loan by taking the amount of cash advance you will receive and multiplying it by the factor rate.
    3. To see how long you will repay the loan, take the total amount (from Step 2) and divide it by the daily payment (from Step 1).

The loan amount or capital for merchants is a percentage of your monthly credit card transactions. This includes debit card sales and your daily credit card sales. To calculate your total borrowing amount, multiply your credit and debit card annual revenue by 10 to 13 percent.

Here is an example. Let’s assume your company generates $200,000 a year in annual revenue. Take 10 to 13 percent of that number. That means you’ll receive between $20,000 and $26,000 as the borrowing amount.

$200,000 x .10 = $20,000

$200,000 x .13 = $26,000

What can you expect to pay?

The factor rate is based on the risk to the MCA provider. One major difference between an annual interest rate and a factor rate is that the factor rate is not expressed in percentages like interest rates. The factor rates are shown as a decimal figure. They range from about 1.1 to 1.5 based on the risk. Again using the example above, we’ll use the $20,000 cash advance amount. Your total repayment is between:

$20,000 x 1.1 = $22,000

$20,000  x 1.5 = $30,000

Fixed Payments vs. Variable Payments

We know your sales fluctuate from day to day. Therefore, it’s not a fixed amount of money paid back each day but a percentage of your sales. This percentage is commonly referred to as the “hold back.” It is the % of future card sales. As a result, it makes it hard to calculate the total cost of a merchant cash advance. Use the annual percentage rate calculator below to get an estimate of what you will expect to pay on a merchant cash advance.

Evaluating and Comparing Cash Advance Offers

When evaluating and comparing cash advance offers, you want to look at the average daily payment amount, the estimated length of time it will take to pay it off, and the actual total costs when all is said and done. Compare these numbers with your estimated future sales and then compare lenders to determine which offer is the best option for you.

 

When to Consider a Merchant Cash Advance

A merchant cash advance may be a good option if you need cash quickly and know you can pay it back quickly, for example, by making payroll or purchasing inventory that will be sold right away. If this sounds like a good fit for your business, start exploring different merchant cash advance options that work with your sales and budget.

The key terms to remember are:

  • Advanced Amount
  • Payback Amount
  • % of Future Card Sales (Hold back)
  • Projected Monthly Card Sales
  • Daily Payment
  • Daily Interest Rate
  • APR (translated for the factor rate)
  • Total Financing Cost

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Whether it’s business loans for cash flow, business cash loans for bad credit, or quick cash loans for business, getting money to keep your small business moving along seems like a smart thing to do.


Business Cash Advance vs. Loan

Business Finance 101

Most small businesses get turned down when they apply for a business loan from a bank or credit union while seeking a traditional bank loan. The reason lies within the current state of our banking industry. Those companies that are approved by a traditional lender or institution must typically repay the loan with very restrictive terms and loan covenants. The loan will almost always be a secured business loan. The lender will require strong business credit with a high business credit score as well as a personal credit score.

If your cash flow fluctuates a lot, as it often does, making those payments can be a significant burden. This fluctuation almost always puts you in the high risk business loan category. As a result, the risk eliminates the chances of an SBA loan. The MCA may be the answer when you need extra cash flow for your business and need flexibility in paying it back.

One month, making the payment might be easy; the next, it might be downright impossible. If you need cash to keep your business moving along for any reason but also need flexibility while repaying the money, an alternative lender like Sunwise Capital may be the answer.

The merchant cash advance from Sunwise Capital keeps individual needs in mind. These advances are fast, easy, and flexible; you can use the money for virtually anything.

When Traditional Bank Loans Don’t Help for Rapid Cash Business Loans

For decades, small businesses in need of a cash advance only had one viable option: apply for a business loan from the bank and hope for the best. Today, banks have mostly moved away from giving loans to small businesses. Unfortunately, the process is more of a hassle than it’s often worth. Plus, the requirements are too often prohibitive. It will be a secured loan using your available collateral or assets.

To be approved by a bank, you typically need considerable assets and some collateral. Banks often also require a personal guarantee – from all the principals. They also primarily base their decision on your FICO credit score, which prevents many businesses from getting financed.


Merchant Cash Advance: When a Business Loan Won’t Cut It

Small business owners typically turn to traditional business loans when they need cash for their operations. However, they are overwhelmingly turned down for such loans. Even when they are approved, they often struggle to make monthly payments.

If this sounds familiar, you’ll quickly see why our merchant advance options are so useful. Cash advance companies offering these financing options have skyrocketed in popularity lately.

In fact, Sunwise Capital, as an online lender, provides loan options with a one-page loan application and minimal additional paperwork. Our standard processes make getting a merchant advance as quick and convenient as can be.

The Solution? Merchant Cash Advance for Companies with Bad Credit

At Sunwise Capital, a top merchant advance company, we created a loan designed to fit your business with small, flexible payments. It’s very simple. A percentage of your daily or weekly revenue is used to make your regular payments.

Cash advances can save the day when you’re tight on cash. Whether you need a cash infusion for payroll, to expand your operations, to pay insurance or taxes, or for anything else, merchant loans are excellent solutions.

The way it works is simple. As an example, when you apply, Sunwise Capital carefully assesses your company’s cash flow and other factors to determine how much you qualify. You get presented with several merchant advance options with various terms. After selecting the one that’s right for you, your cash advance can be funded within hours.


Business Cash Advances
No Assets    No Collateral 
Unsecured Business Loan Bad Credit OK

 

If you’ve held off on taking out a small business loan or equipment loan because you’re not sure your company can afford the repayments, you’ll love our merchant advances. If you’ve held off on taking out a cash advance or a personal loan due to bad credit, then you’ll love our bad credit advance. Your daily revenue determines your repayments. On the days when your sales and income are higher, you will make a larger payment.

On the days when your daily sales and revenue are lower, you will make a smaller payment. The repayment is manageable, and the payments are automatically ACH’d from your account. The days of worrying about having a late payment are over.

Unlike some business cash advance lenders, Sunwise Capital, as one of the best online lenders, does not require any collateral or assets to process advances, and there is no maturity date looming overhead. Obtaining a merchant advance is one of the easiest, fastest ways to get cash for your small business. There is no long-winded, stressful application process. The funds typically get deposited in just a day or two. The term loan amounts range from $10,000 to $500,000.

As a lender, since we focus on small business financing, we can bring you the most competitive rates and terms, even if you have a damaged credit score.


Repayments adjust based on your company’s daily cash flow. These flexible payments will smooth out your cash flow and reduce the struggle to make them.

The sooner you apply, the sooner you can get the money you need.

  • Imagine the time to fund same day or the next business day
  • Making variable daily payments or weekly payments (qualified borrowers based on factors including your monthly revenue, business credit, personal credit, and months in business) that fit your cash flow
  • Automatic payments for no hassle and no worries
  • No personal collateral, assets, or traditional guarantee
  • No set date to mature means total flexibility on your terms
  • Based on your business cash flow and overall performance
  • Best for last – No penalty to pay off the loan at any time!

 

Working with an MCA provider company like Sunwise Capital means we evaluate the overall picture of your business. Not just your credit score.

We’re more interested in the health of your business than strictly your personal credit score. We use a sophisticated cash flow model to advance funds. If you have poor credit or bad credit, no problem.

Once you are approved, Sunwise Capital can typically fund your cash advance the same day or the next business day compared to weeks or months from the bank.

Unlike regular bank business loans, which usually have large, set-in-stone monthly payments, you pay back your business merchant cash advance through daily withdrawals from your account.

The amount withdrawn is based on your revenue for that day, so you will never worry about being overwhelmed with a huge payment.

This flexible repayment simplifies the process and helps you smooth out your cash flow challenges.

Cash Advance for Any Reason

  • Growth & Expansion
  • New Hires & Payroll
  • Advertising & Marketing
  • Equipment & Inventory (an alternative to equipment financing)
  • Renovation & Upgrades

 

You’ll have several hurdles to clear when applying for a traditional bank business loan. Especially if you are looking for startup business loans. First, you must meet all their general qualifications, including personal credit scores, assets, collateral, and time in business.

Assuming you make that cut, then there are the 20+ documents they require including:

  • Past three years’ personal income tax returns
  • Past three years’ business tax returns
  • P&L
  • Balance Sheet
  • Business plan
  • Accounts receivables
  • Accounts payables
  • You get the idea.

 

Banks like you to have assets or collateral in a 3:1 ratio. This ratio means for every $1 you borrow, you must secure it with three dollars in cash or assets.

Let’s assume you need $100,000 for expansion. According to the bank, you need $300,000 in collateral. Guess what?

 

Here’s the joke.

If you have $300K sitting in your bank account, you do not need to borrow $100K, right?

The next big hurdle is that all your business partners must qualify for the loan. All your partners will need a FICO score of 680, if not 720 or better, to qualify for the business loan, and they will all be responsible for posting collateral.

Your next obstacle is the reason for requesting the loan. This reason for borrowing must be on the bank or lender’s list of approved reasons. If it’s not, you’re out of luck.

One thing that sets Sunwise Capital apart as a merchant cash advance provider is that we don’t need to approve your reason. It can be for any legitimate business reason.

That’s right, once approved, you can use the cash advance for any business purpose. Need money for marketing or advertising? No problem. How about new hires or tax payments? It’s OK with us.

At Sunwise Capital, we base your approval on other factors. There are over 200 in our matrix that help us determine the approval of your advance.

These factors include the health of your business, cash flow, web presence, time in business, type of business, etc.

At Sunwise Capital, we aim to connect small businesses with the cash they need as quickly and easily as possible.

Here is what we need:

  • 1 Page Application
  • Past three months’ business bank statements
  • That’s it – minutes to approve – hours to fund
  • Funding is same day or as little as one business day

 

If you are looking for the best company to provide the money for your small business, you can’t do better than Sunwise Capital. Our services are designed to be streamlined and easy. Thinking of invoice financing or invoice factoring? Talk to us – we can help.

The entire application process is quick and painless. You don’t even have to leave the office. We fund most advances within the same or the next business day and offer advance amounts ranging from $10,000 to $500,000. The entire process is online.

Don’t wait until it’s too late.

Apply for a merchant cash advance from Sunwise Capital today.




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Mark Kane

Mark J. Kane is a successful entrepreneur and small business owner. He spent 17 years in the investment banking industry. As CEO of Sunwise Capital, he understands the challenges of building a business through equity, debt, and off-balance sheet financing.

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