How to apply for a merchant cash advance.

The Quick Apply form is genuinely 60 seconds. We ask for the business name, trading address, your role, monthly card takings, how much you want to borrow, and what for. That's it, no soft credit search, no document upload at this stage.

The form output goes straight to our underwriting team. We read it within working hours and come back with a clear next step, usually a request for the statements described in Step 2. If your situation is unusual or your numbers are outside the standard window, we'll call you instead of emailing.

The single biggest factor in your offer is your card data, so this is the step that actually moves the needle. Most lenders want 6 months of card processor statements, Dojo, Square, Zettle, Stripe, SumUp, Worldpay, PDQ, whatever you use. Some accept 3 months; a few prefer 12.

Alongside that, supply 3 months of business bank statements as PDF. We use a secure upload link, not email attachments. If you'd rather connect Open Banking for a one-click read, that option is offered too. The data never leaves our underwriting workflow.

We package the application and send it across our panel of UK MCA lenders. Each lender has slightly different appetite some prefer hospitality, some prefer e-commerce, some are friendlier on imperfect credit, others want a longer trading history. We pick the panel members most likely to fit your profile rather than blasting everyone.

Underwriting itself usually returns inside 4 to 24 hours. If a lender wants clarification, a missing statement page, an explanation for an unusual month, we handle the back-and-forth so you don't have to.

Quotes come back as a structured offer: advance amount, fixed cost, daily repayment %, predicted term, and any fees. We translate each one into a like-for-like comparison so you're not trying to weigh a 1.22 against a 1.27 in your head.

No quote is binding until you accept. If none of them fit - cost too high, term wrong, daily repayment % too aggressive - we'll say so plainly and either flag a different product (term loan via Funding Flow, asset finance, tax-bill funding) or close the file.

Once you accept a quote, the lender issues the agreement usually a 6-to-12 page contract covering the advance, the fixed cost, the daily repayment % mechanic, and the personal guarantee. We walk you through it before you sign.

Signing is electronic. The lender then runs final compliance checks (ID verification, sanctions screening, basic KYB) and releases funds via faster payments or BACS. Funds typically land within 24 hours of paperwork being complete, sometimes same day.

Repayment starts the next working day. The lender connects directly to your card processor (or to a split-pay arrangement) and takes the agreed daily repayment % of every settlement. There's nothing for you to action no monthly direct debit, no manual transfer.

You'll usually get a lender portal or weekly statement showing balance remaining, repayment to date, and an updated term forecast based on actual trading. If a quiet month slows repayment, the term simply extends, the lender doesn't take more than the agreed percentage.

The full list, ready to gather before you apply:

• Last 6 to 12 months of card statements, most lenders want 6.
• Last 6 to 12 months of business bank statementsPDF or Open Banking connection.
• Companies House registration, for Limited companies. Sole traders skip this.
• Director ID, passport or driving licence.
• Personal guarantee, most lenders require a director PG. The PG is “limited recourse” in most cases, capped at the unpaid balance, not unlimited.

For most owner-managed businesses, the gathering takes under an hour. The card statements are usually the only piece that requires logging into a portal.

The realistic end-to-end timing, assuming nothing unusual in the underwriting:

• Application, 60 seconds.
• Statement gathering, up to 24 hours.
• Lender review, 4 to 24 hours.
• Quote(s) returned, same day to next day.
• Acceptance + paperwork, 1 to 2 hours.
• Funding, usually within 24 hours of paperwork complete.
• Total, 2 to 5 days application to funds in your account.

Genuinely urgent cases (equipment failure, supplier deadline) can sometimes complete in 24 hours if statements are ready and you're available to sign immediately. We'll tell you up front whether that's realistic for your application.

Will applying affect my credit score? The initial application is no-obligation and does not run a hard search. The accepted lender will run a hard search at acceptance, that's a single search, not multiple.

Can I apply if I've been declined elsewhere? Yes. MCA underwriting weights card data more heavily than personal credit, so previous declines don't automatically rule you out.

Do I have to take a quote if I get one? No. Quotes are non-binding until you sign. Up to 90% of qualifying businesses find one that fits.

What if I want more than one lender to look at it? That's the default, we run a panel, not a single lender. You see the spread of offers, not just one option.