What lenders typically weigh
For this situation, UK SME lenders typically weigh a small set of signals more heavily than others. The strength of each lever affects which lenders will look at the case and what terms you might expect:
- Monthly card volume
- Most providers want at least £2,500–£5,000 of monthly card sales; larger advances need £10k+ monthly card revenue.
- Card-sale consistency
- Lenders look at trailing 3–12 months of receipts. Strong consistent volume unlocks larger and cheaper advances; volatile volume reduces both.
- Card processor identity
- Some MCA providers integrate exclusively with specific processors (Shopify Capital, Square Loans, PayPal Working Capital, SumUp Cash Advance). Others work across most processors.
- Sector and merchant category
- Some lenders exclude adult, gambling and certain regulated merchant categories. Mainstream retail, hospitality and personal services are well-supported.
- Existing MCA stacking
- An existing MCA being repaid is usually allowable but reduces the size of a new advance. Multiple stacked MCAs become a blocker.
Finance types that usually fit this situation
UK lenders that often look at this situation
The lenders below publish criteria consistent with this situation. Final approval is always subject to lender underwriting.
Liberis
Business Cash Advance
- Amount
- £500–£1m; flexi up to £2m via partners
- Speed
- Minutes via partner
- Security / PG
- Not clearly disclosed
- Data confidence
- Medium
YouLend
Sales-based funding
- Amount
- Up to 2x monthly revenue
- Speed
- Offer <24h; funding ~48h
- Security / PG
- Not disclosed
- Data confidence
- Medium
PayPal
Working Capital
- Amount
- Not disclosed
- Speed
- Online eligibility
- Security / PG
- No traditional collateral disclosed
- Data confidence
- High
Square
Square Loans
- Amount
- £100–£250k
- Speed
- 1–2 business days
- Security / PG
- Not disclosed
- Data confidence
- Medium
SumUp
Cash Advance
- Amount
- £500–£100k
- Speed
- In-app offer
- Security / PG
- Not disclosed
- Data confidence
- Medium
Shopify
Shopify Capital
- Amount
- £400–£2m cash advances; £200–£1m loans
- Speed
- Not disclosed
- Security / PG
- Not disclosed
- Data confidence
- Medium
Capify
Small business loan
- Amount
- £5k–£1m
- Speed
- Not clearly disclosed
- Security / PG
- Unsecured marketed
- Data confidence
- High
If you can't qualify yet
If MCA isn't accessible because of low card volume or unsupported processor, look at alternative working capital routes. B2B businesses use invoice finance. Ecommerce businesses use revenue-based finance from Wayflyer or Outfund. Service businesses with steady revenue use unsecured loans from iwoca, Funding Circle or Kriya. Building up at least £5,000 monthly card volume on a supported processor is usually the quickest route to MCA eligibility — give it 3–6 months of consistent activity before reapplying. Don't stack multiple existing MCAs simultaneously because that itself becomes a stronger blocker than not having one.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need a long trading history for MCA?
- No — platform-native MCAs will look at merchants with just 3 months on the platform. Card-processor-agnostic MCAs typically want 6+ months of consistent card revenue.
- How much can I borrow on MCA?
- Typical UK advances range from 1–2 times monthly card revenue, capped by each lender's product limit (typically £100k–£1m). Stronger merchants with longer history unlock the upper end.
- Will an MCA appear on my credit file?
- Some MCA providers report to commercial credit bureaux; others don't. Personal guarantees create a contingent liability but typically don't show unless called upon. Confirm with the lender at application.
- What if my card sales drop after the advance?
- Repayments flex with daily card sales, so quieter days pay down less. The total amount repayable stays the same — slower sales just extend the time to repay rather than triggering a default.
- Can I get an MCA with bad credit?
- Often yes if card sales are strong, because underwriting weights sales data more than credit history. Specialist MCA providers explicitly cover non-prime cases.