Cash advances for UK gyms.
For gyms, fitness studios, and independent personal-training spaces. Funded against your card and membership takings. For operators who know exactly what January intake is worth.
What MCA means for a gym.
Card volume in gyms is split, direct debits (memberships, treated as bank flow not card flow), card sales (PT sessions, day passes, retail, joining fees), and digital memberships via Mindbody, Glofox, ClubReady etc. The MCA mechanic primarily looks at card takings, which means smaller gyms with mostly DD memberships borrow less than retail-led MCAs would suggest. We'll be honest about what's realistic.
Sound familiar?
January intake needs marketing budget.
Most signups happen Dec to Feb. You need £4k to £8k for ads, a campaign, maybe an open day.
MCA gets marketing live. New memberships ramp; repayment funds itself out of joining fees and PT sales.
Equipment is overdue an upgrade.
Cardio kit dated, free weights need expanding, that one squat rack is wobbling. £15k+ realistic.
MCA may not be cheapest here, asset finance often better for kit. We'll compare both honestly.
You want to add a studio class line or a recovery room.
Adding capacity needs fit-out spend before it generates revenue. £10k to £30k typical.
MCA fits if expected revenue ramps quickly post-launch. Otherwise consider a term loan with a defined repayment date.
Here's what it actually costs.
An independent strength gym borrows £8,000 to fund a January marketing push and add a new squat rack. Monthly card takings (PT + day passes + retail): £6,000. Memberships paid by direct debit are NOT card takings. £8,000. Average monthly card takings £6,000. Fixed cost 1.32. 18% daily repayment % on card sales, total cost £2,560.
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.
Higher monthly card takings would be needed to fit a £10,000 advance inside the 18-month term.
Illustrative only, not a quote.
- Advance£8,000
- vs card takings133%
- Fixed cost1.32
- Daily repayment£36
- Avg monthly£1,080
- Est. term9.8 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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£6,000 marketing advance funded January intake, repaid by May.
Illustrative composite. Single-site strength gym, mixed DD + card revenue. MCA at 1.30 factor, 17% daily repayment. Campaign delivered 32 new members; PT bookings doubled Feb-Apr; advance repaid in 4 months.
Illustrative composite scenarioGyms & fitness studios, quick answers.
DD revenue isn't card revenue, so it doesn't drive MCA capacity directly. Some lenders will look at total bank inflows as a secondary signal. If most of your revenue is DD, the MCA you can access will be modest, talk to us about whether a term loan via Funding Flow fits better.
Funding options for gyms & fitness studios
Gym memberships and day passes are almost all card-paid. A merchant cash advance (MCA), also known as a PDQ cash advance or card machine loan, turns card takings into working capital for equipment, refurbishment, or marketing. Repayments flex with daily card revenue. Advances from £10,000 to £1,000,000. See PDQ cash advance →
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