Cash advances for UK cash and carries.
Funded against your card takings. Built for operators serving independent retailers, hospitality, and trade customers at the till.
MCA fits the till side, not the accounts book.
Cash & carry revenue often splits between member account terms (BACS) and till-paid card trade. MCA only sits against the card-paid till takings. If you're predominantly account-based, invoice finance is the right tool, not MCA, and we'll redirect you to Funding Flow honestly rather than force-fit an advance.
What MCA means for a cash & carry.
Cash & carry is counter-based by definition, trade customers come in, fill trolleys, pay at the till. Payment is increasingly card despite the sector name. Members with account facilities may pay on account, but the majority of trades run through card or cash. Card volume in cash & carries is typically high with larger average ticket (£150 to £800) vs retail. MCA uses: depot stock buy, refrigeration and chilled-line investment, EPOS refresh, depot refurbishment, new category launch (e.g. foodservice pack sizes for hospitality customers), delivery fleet expansion.
Sound familiar?
Seasonal stock buy, Christmas, BBQ season, Ramadan.
£30k to £150k of seasonal stock ahead of peak trade buying weeks. Supplier terms are tight.
MCA covers the buy. Peak trade card takings repay fast, cash & carry peaks can see 2-3x normal card volume.
Chiller / freezer infrastructure upgrade.
Commercial chilled rooms, multi-deck display, freezer runs, £40k to £150k of refrigeration kit.
For named kit, asset finance usually wins on cost. MCA for the working capital around the install. We'll compare both.
New category or department launch.
Foodservice range, beers and wines, non-food, £25k to £80k of stock + fit-out to enter a new category.
MCA funds the launch. New category draws new trade customers; card flow grows alongside repayment.
Here's what it actually costs.
An independent cash & carry borrows £50,000 for Christmas stock and a chilled-foods expansion. Monthly card takings: £120,000. £50,000. Average monthly card takings £120,000. Fixed cost 1.22. 10% daily repayment % on card sales, total cost £11,000.
These figures are illustrative. If a term loan or asset finance fits your situation better, we'll tell you.
Open the fixed cost calculator →Work out the real cost.
New businesses typically start at a higher daily % and a shorter term.
Illustrative only, not a quote.
- Advance£50,000
- vs card takings42%
- Fixed cost1.22
- Daily repayment£395
- Avg monthly£12,000
- Est. term5.1 months
Illustrative. The fixed cost is set on day one; daily repayment varies with takings. Term capped at 18 months.
Illustrative only, not a quote. Every figure here is subject to the funder. Funders advance anywhere from 100% up to 150% of monthly card takings, so 150% is not guaranteed, and the fixed cost is not guaranteed either. Your actual advance, fixed cost and terms depend on the funder and your business profile.
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£45,000 funded chilled-foods refit and Christmas stock, repaid in 4 months.
Illustrative composite. Single-depot cash & carry serving 300+ independent retail and hospitality members. £110k/mo card takings. MCA at 1.21 factor, 11% daily repayment. Chilled expansion completed November, Christmas trade drove record card takings, advance repaid by end of February.
Illustrative composite scenarioCash & carries, quick answers.
Only card takings count. Member account BACS payments don't drive MCA. If your business is 80%+ account-based, MCA capacity will be limited relative to total revenue. Consider invoice finance in parallel.
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