Merchant cash advances that flex with your takings.

A merchant cash advance gives your business a lump sum now, repaid automatically as a fixed percentage of your daily card takings until an agreed total is paid back. There is no set monthly repayment: busy weeks repay more and quiet weeks repay less, so the facility moves with your trade. The total you repay is agreed at the start as a factor rate, for example 1.25 times the advance, so you know the full cost before you accept. Funds are typically available within 24 to 48 hours.

Any genuine business purpose: stocking up before a busy season, a refit or new equipment, marketing, covering a quiet patch, a tax bill or seizing an opportunity that will not wait for a bank. Because approval is based on card turnover rather than a business plan, you do not need to justify the use in detail. Businesses that take most payments by card, such as cafés, restaurants, bars, salons, gyms and retail stores, get the most from the flexible repayment.

Providers look mainly at card turnover: typically at least $5,000 to $10,000 a month in card sales, six months or more of trading and a consistent pattern of transactions. Credit history matters less than with a bank loan, so businesses with past defaults or a short ABN history are often approved. Advances are usually sized at around one month of card takings, and can be renewed or topped up as the balance reduces.

Usually within 24 to 48 hours of applying. Because providers assess from your merchant terminal statements and bank statements rather than financials, there is little paperwork: identification, an ABN and six months of statements are typically enough. Once you accept the offer, funds are paid to your business account and repayments start flowing automatically from your card settlements.

Yes, you can settle at any time. Because the total repayable is fixed by the factor rate at the start, paying early does not usually reduce the total, although some providers offer a discount for early settlement, which your broker checks before you sign. If you expect to repay very quickly, a short-term loan or a line of credit may cost less, and we will tell you if so.

It is structured as the purchase of a share of your future card sales rather than a loan, which is why it uses a factor rate and why repayments flex with takings. No property security is required; most providers ask for a director’s guarantee only. It sits alongside other finance, so a business can hold an equipment loan or a line of credit and still use a cash advance for a short-term need.

A merchant cash advance is a lump sum repaid as a fixed percentage of daily card takings, so repayments flex with trade and are lighter in quiet weeks. It suits retailers with strong card sales who need funds fast and can be more expensive than a term loan, so it is best for short, high-return uses such as stock for a peak season.

A factor rate is the multiple of the advance you repay in total: at 1.25, you repay $1.25 for every $1 advanced, and that total is fixed from day one. To compare it with a loan, the total cost is converted to an annual rate based on how quickly it is likely to be repaid; a faster repayment means a higher equivalent rate. Lyft Money does that conversion for every quote so you can weigh the advance against a term loan or line of credit on the same basis and choose with confidence.

The holdback is agreed at the start, typically 10 to 20 per cent of daily card settlements. Some providers instead take a fixed daily or weekly direct debit sized to your average takings. A higher holdback clears the balance faster; a lower one keeps more cash in the till. Your broker helps you set a level that suits your margins and seasonality.

Trade finance pays suppliers for stock with 90 to 180 days to repay from sales, a line of credit funds deposits and top-ups, and a merchant cash advance repays from daily card takings. The right mix depends on your margins and how quickly stock turns, and a broker prices all three against your season.