London · Greater London
Merchant Cash Advance in London
An upfront cash sum is repaid automatically as a fixed percentage of your future card takings allowing variable repayments as per earnings on card. For limited companies, LLPs and 4+ partner partnerships in London and across the Greater London.
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At a glance
Merchant Cash Advance in London: at a glance
Typical terms: Typically 3–12 months (repaid as you trade)
around 2 working days
- Limited companies, LLPs and 4+ partner partnerships
- Often 6+ months trading
- Card takings
- 1
Tell us what you need
3 taps: purpose, amount, business type. Takes 60 seconds, won’t affect your credit score.
- 2
We match you to lenders
Apply just once. We check your profile against lender criteria and approach only those likely to consider it.
- 3
Compare any offers
Compare the rate, fees, security and any personal guarantee side by side before final decision.
Lenders we work with
Local insight
How London companies use merchant cash advance
Walk down almost any high street from Camden to Clapham and the tills are card terminals. For London cafés, restaurants, salons and independent shops that take most of their revenue by card, a merchant cash advance links repayments to what actually comes through the machine. The company receives a lump sum, typically between £5,000 and £300,000, and repays a fixed agreed total through a small percentage of daily card takings. A wet February means smaller deductions; a sunny August means the advance clears faster. There is no fixed monthly instalment, which suits businesses whose trade swings with tourism, weather and events. It is not a cheap form of finance, so we explain the total repayable, and any director guarantee the provider asks for, before anything is signed. London hospitality and retail companies can start with a quick eligibility check.
Typical examples
Where it helps in London
- 01
Kitchen refurbishment for a Borough restaurant
A restaurant near Borough Market funds new extraction and cooking equipment, with repayments taken as a share of daily card sales rather than a set monthly amount.
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Second site for a coffee chain
A small group of coffee shops in Hackney uses an advance against its card takings to fit out a third branch.
- 03
Stock for a busy retail season
An independent fashion boutique in Marylebone buys autumn stock early and repays through card sales as the season’s trade comes in.
The process
How it works
- 01
Share your card takings
Tell us your average monthly card sales and which card terminal provider you use.
- 02
We compare providers
We compare offers on the advance amount, the factor rate and the percentage of takings each provider would deduct.
- 03
Agree the total repayable
The factor rate sets the total you repay upfront. For example, a factor of 1.2 on £10,000 means £12,000 repayable (an illustration, not a quote).
- 04
Repay as you trade
An agreed percentage of each card transaction goes to the provider, usually through your card terminal or a daily split, until the total is repaid.
Calculator
Run the numbers
Total repayable
£60,000
- Cost of the advance
- £10,000
- Repaid per month (at these takings)
- £7,200
- Estimated time to repay
- about 9 months
The cost is fixed up front by the factor rate. Repayments rise and fall with your card takings, so quieter months mean smaller payments and a longer term.
Check eligibility for this amountIllustrative only. Actual rates, fees and terms depend on your circumstances and the lender. This is not an offer of finance.
Local insight
Card takings and merchant cash advances in London
Visitors keep London's tills busy. The capital received 20.9 million international visits in 2024, with spending of £17.3 billion, alongside 189 million domestic day visits. London had 27,880 hospitality enterprises in 2024, and the sector accounted for 458,700 jobs in 2023, 7.2% of all jobs in the capital. Trade in cafés, restaurants, bars and shops often swings with tourist seasons, weather and events.
Source: GLA Economics, GLA Economics
Almost all of that trade now goes through card terminals. Debit cards made up 54% of all UK payments in 2025 and contactless 39%, while cash was just 8%. A merchant cash advance uses this: the provider pays a lump sum, and the business repays a fixed agreed amount through a percentage of future card takings. It is not a loan in the usual sense. The cost is a fixed fee set by a factor rate, so repayments fall in a quiet week and rise in a busy one, but the total does not change.
Source: UK Finance
Because providers base offers on card-terminal history, the product typically suits London businesses with steady card sales over several months, rather than those with irregular or mostly online income.
Merchant Cash Advance in London: questions
Can a London restaurant get a merchant cash advance if takings dropped last winter?
Possibly. Providers look at several months of card-terminal data and expect seasonal variation, particularly in hospitality. A normal January dip is usually understood, but a sustained fall in takings may reduce the amount offered or lead to a decline. The provider makes the final decision.
Do London businesses need to change card terminal to get an advance?
Not always. Some providers can take repayments through your existing card processor, while others ask you to switch or add a split-payment arrangement. Switching can change your card processing fees and contract terms, so it is worth comparing these carefully before you commit.
Our London shop depends on summer tourists. How does that affect an advance?
Because repayments are a percentage of card takings, they rise in busy summer months and fall in quieter ones, so the advance usually clears faster during peak season. The total repayable stays the same. Providers will want to see at least a full year of takings if your trade is strongly seasonal.
Can a London group with several sites use takings from all of them?
Often, yes, if the sites trade through the same limited company and card processing accounts. Providers may assess each site's takings and take a share from each. If sites are run through separate companies, each one may need its own agreement, and a guarantee from the parent company or directors may be requested.
Do delivery app sales count towards a merchant cash advance in London?
Usually not in the standard product, because repayments come from card-terminal takings. Some providers offer variations that look at income paid through delivery platforms or online payment providers. If a large share of your sales comes through apps, tell providers upfront, as it affects how much they will offer.
More finance in London
Merchant Cash Advance in other cities
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For UK limited companies, LLPs and partnerships of 4+ partners
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- For UK limited companies, LLPs and partnerships of 4+ partners
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