Cash advances for UK food trucks.
For street-food traders, mobile catering operators, and event vendors. Funded against your mobile card reader takings. Built for traders running festivals, markets, and pitch sites with weather-dependent revenue.
A note on the lender panel for street food
Street food and mobile catering is a more volatile MCA fit because revenue is weather-dependent and pitch-dependent. Lender appetite is real but narrower than fixed-site hospitality. We typically need at least 12 months of trading history with a clear festival/event circuit rhythm.
What MCA means for a food truck.
Street food traders earn through mobile card readers (SumUp, Square, Zettle, Stripe Reader) at festivals, markets, events, and regular pitch sites. Card mix is 90%+ at most events. Revenue is concentrated in the May-September festival circuit, with shoulder activity around Christmas markets, weddings, and corporate events. Common uses: truck/trailer build or refit, generator upgrade, refrigeration, ingredient stock for festival circuit, pitch deposits for premier events, marketing for private bookings, second truck or trailer expansion.
Sound familiar?
Festival pitch deposits before season opens.
Premier festivals (Glastonbury, Wilderness, Boomtown) charge £3k to £15k pitch fees, payable months in advance. Several festivals = £20k to £80k tied up before any revenue lands.
MCA pre-funds pitch deposits. Repaid through festival circuit card takings May-September. Sized so the season's revenue comfortably services the daily repayment %.
Truck or trailer build/refit.
New conversion £25k to £90k. Refit/refresh £8k to £30k. Generator, fridge, fryer, sink. All needs paying upfront. Asset finance often used but MCA covers the wraparound.
MCA covers refit and working capital. Asset finance for the truck specifically often cheaper. We'll quote both, MCA wins where you're combining several smaller works rather than one big asset purchase.
Off-season cashflow gap.
October to March is much quieter. Christmas markets help but don't replace summer revenue. Fixed costs continue (storage, insurance, maintenance, kit replacement).
Short-term MCA bridges October to April. Repaid through the next summer's circuit. Sized small enough that the next season's revenue easily covers the daily %.
Here's what it actually costs.
An established festival food trader borrows £20,000 for premier festival pitch deposits and truck refit. Monthly card revenue averaged across the year: £14,000 (with summer peaks of £35k and winter troughs of £2k). £20,000. Average monthly card takings £14,000. Fixed cost 1.28. 13% daily repayment % on card sales, total cost £5,600.
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£20,000
- vs card takings143%
- Fixed cost1.28
- Daily repayment£60
- Avg monthly£1,820
- Est. term14.1 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.
Works with Dojo · Square · Zettle · SumUp · Stripe Terminal · PDQ · Yeti Pay · Teya · Barclaycard
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Specialist lenders familiar with street food understand the cycle. Daily repayment % draws heavily through the summer circuit and lightly off-season. We size advances against full-year revenue, not peak-season alone.
Funding options for food trucks
Food trucks live on cashless payments, with mobile terminals running every shift. A merchant cash advance (MCA), also called a PDQ cash advance or card machine loan, turns festival and event card flow into working capital for kit, refit, or a second truck. Repayments scale with card sales. Advances from £10,000 to £1,000,000. See PDQ cash advance →
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