MCA Cost Calculator

The total you repay, the fixed fee, and how long the daily sweep takes to clear it

Alex Beardsley
Alex Beardsley
Updated September 2026

UK market range is roughly £1,000 to £1,000,000

UK factor rates run from about 1.10 to 1.50 (checked June 2026)

Use an average month, not your best one

Most UK advances take between 5% and 20% of card takings

Common questions

How is the cost of a merchant cash advance worked out?

By the factor rate. Multiply the advance by the factor rate to get the total you repay. A £30,000 advance at 1.20 means £36,000 back, so the fixed fee is £6,000, or 20% of the advance. The fee is agreed at the start and does not grow if you repay slowly.

What is a typical UK factor rate?

Published UK ranges run from about 1.10 to 1.50 (checked June 2026). Established businesses with strong card takings and clean director credit sit nearer 1.10 to 1.25. Newer or higher-risk businesses see 1.30 to 1.50. The big UK providers do not publish a rate card, so treat any single figure you see online as an example, not a price.

Why does the calculator show a rough annualised cost?

Because a fixed fee looks small until you compare it with an annual rate. A 20% fee repaid over eight months is closer to a 30% annual cost. The figure is the fee scaled to twelve months, not an APR, and it is there so you can set an advance against a term loan on something like equal footing.

What happens if my card sales drop?

The daily amount taken falls with your sales, so the advance takes longer to clear. The fee does not change. That flexibility is the reason people choose an advance over a fixed monthly loan, and it is also why the payback estimate above is only as good as the sales figure you type in.

Sources and assumptions

The calculator assumes a 30-day trading month and repayment as a fixed percentage of card sales. Your factor rate and repayment percentage are set by the lender. Ranges quoted come from:

  1. YouLend: merchant funding, repayment percentage and fixed fee
  2. 365 Finance: merchant cash advance
  3. Liberis: business cash advance partner pages
  4. British Business Bank: business finance explained

CapExpand Ltd (FRN 1060885) is an Appointed Representative of White Rose Finance Group Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 630772). We are a credit broker, not a lender. We do not provide financial advice.