Merchant Cash Advance Guides for UK Businesses
Understand what a merchant cash advance is, how the costs work, when it's the right funding option, and how it stacks up against revolving credit and other UK SME funding structures.
Where would you like to start?
See how merchant cash advances stack up against term loans, business overdrafts, and revolving credit facilities.
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What factor rates actually mean, how to calculate effective APR, and why repayment speed matters.
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What lenders look at, typical eligibility criteria, and what you will and won't need to apply, including debentures and personal guarantees.
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See how Juice structures a revolving credit facility for UK SMEs — pricing, terms, repayment options, and how to apply.
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Frequently asked questions about Merchant Cash Advance
Answer: A lump sum paid upfront, repaid by taking a percentage of daily card sales until a pre-agreed total is collected. Not technically a loan.
A business loan has a fixed interest rate, fixed schedule, fixed end date. An MCA uses a factor rate, repays through daily holdback, ends when the total is collected.
Repayments are usually taken automatically as an agreed percentage of daily or weekly card sales. When sales are strong, you repay more. When sales are lower, you repay less. That means repayments move with your revenue instead of staying fixed each month.
A merchant cash advance is repaid as a percentage of card sales, so repayments rise and fall with revenue. A business loan usually has fixed monthly repayments and may offer a lower overall cost, but often comes with stricter eligibility checks and less flexible repayment terms. See the full business loan guide here.
With Juice, most businesses receive a credit decision within 24 hours of connecting their financial accounts via open banking. Once approved, funds can be drawn down immediately — no waiting for a manual underwriting process.
Yes. A revolving credit facility is one of the most flexible forms of inventory funding. You draw down to pay supplier invoices, repay as customer revenue comes in, and reuse the facility for the next order cycle — without reapplying each time.
Juice Flex is a revolving credit facility built for UK SMEs (£50k–£1M). You only pay interest on what you draw, and there are no early repayment penalties.
It depends on the product. Traditional stock loans have fixed terms with set repayment schedules. A revolving credit facility works differently — there is no fixed term and no expiry date.
Juice Flex is a revolving facility: you draw when you need to, repay when revenue arrives, and the facility stays open for the next cycle. There is no minimum loan period and no early repayment penalties.
Inventory financing is funding that helps businesses purchase stock before receiving payment from customers. It bridges the timing gap between paying suppliers and collecting revenue — common in e-commerce, retail, wholesale, and manufacturing.
A revolving credit facility is one of the most flexible forms: draw down to pay your supplier, repay when customers pay, and reuse the facility for the next order cycle without reapplying.
More Control Over Your Capital
A Juice Flex revolving credit facility gives you a pre-approved limit to draw from when you need it, and repay when your cash flow allows. No holdback on your card takings. No factor rate. A flexible facility that moves with your business.