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.
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.
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.