If your business takes a large share of its income through card payments and needs funding that moves with your trade rather than against it, Regal Business Finance can help you find a merchant cash advance that actually fits not just the first offer that lands in your inbox. We’re a commercial finance introducer based in Oldham, not a lender. We connect UK Limited Companies to the right merchant cash advance provider from our panel, so you’re not stuck approaching lenders one by one, filling in the same form repeatedly, and working through the small print alone. One conversation with us, and we take care of matching you with a suitable provider.
we introduce your company to the right UK lenders quickly and efficiently.
A merchant cash advance is a type of business funding where a provider gives you a lump sum based on your card takings, and you repay it as a percentage of future card sales rather than through fixed monthly instalments. Strictly speaking, it isn’t classed as a loan you’re selling a portion of tomorrow’s card income for cash today, and repayment happens automatically through your card terminal as sales come in.
Get working capital quickly without the lengthy approval process of traditional finance.
Repayments are linked to your card sales, making them easier to manage during seasonal or unpredictable trading.
This type of funding suits companies where most income runs through a card machine or online checkout cafés, restaurants, salons, retailers, and similar trades. Repayments rise and fall with your card sales, so a quiet month doesn't leave you scrambling to find a fixed sum, and a strong month simply clears the balance faster.
Because approval is based on trading performance rather than assets or a clean credit history, it's often accessible to companies that a high street bank would turn away.
It won't suit a company that's only just started trading, though
most providers want to see at least six months of card sales history before they'll make an offer.
Oldham's town centre and surrounding retail parks are home to a steady mix of independent cafés, restaurants, salons, and retailers exactly the kind of card-driven businesses this funding is built for, and we also introduce companies across the wider Greater Manchester area, including Manchester, Rochdale, Bury, and Stockport, to suitable providers.
| Merchant Cash Advance | Business Loan | |
|---|---|---|
| Repayment | A percentage of daily card sales | Fixed amount, every month |
| Typical cost | Factor rate 1.1–1.5 (roughly 30–100% APR equivalent) | [X]–[X]% APR |
| Card machine needed | Yes | No |
| Typical amount | £10,000 – £2,000,000 | £[X],000 – £[X] million+ |
| Term length | 3–18 months | [X] months – [X] years |
| Decision speed | Often same day to 48 hours | [X] |
| Regulation | Lighter regulatory oversight than a business loan | FCA regulated |
| Best suited to | Card-driven companies with variable sales | Companies wanting the lowest total cost and a predictable bill |
For most companies, a business loan works out cheaper overall once the full cost is compared. A merchant cash advance earns its place when speed and flexible repayments matter more than minimising total cost. If your revenue doesn't move through a card terminal, our unsecured business loans may be a better starting point.
Lenders typically advance somewhere between 60% and 80% of the asset's value, depending on what's offered and its condition.
Providers price merchant cash advances using a factor rate rather than a standard interest rate, typically between 1.1 and 1.5.
You multiply the amount advanced by the factor rate to get your total repayment fixed from the outset, regardless of how quickly you clear it.
For example, an advance of £10,000 at a factor rate of 1.3 means a total repayment of £13,000, whether that takes ten weeks or ten months.
Because the total is set upfront rather than calculated as daily interest, paying it off early doesn't reduce what you owe a key difference from how a standard loan works.
We'll always set out the total cost in cash terms, not just the factor rate, before you commit to anything
there are no arrangement or admin charges on top of what's agreed with your provider.
Contacting merchant cash advance direct lenders individually means separate forms, separate conversations, and no easy way to compare what's actually on offer. Coming through us means sending your details once, and we put your application in front of suitable providers across our panel bringing back genuine terms to compare rather than a single take-it-or-leave-it quote.
We're not tied to any one provider, so there's no reason for us to steer you toward one over a better-fitting option elsewhere.
One point of contact, start to finish.
To be considered for a merchant cash advance through Regal Business Finance, you'll generally need:
To be a UK-registered Limited Company
At least six months' trading history taking card payments, in person or online
Reasonably consistent monthly card sales, since this largely determines what you can access
Advances typically start from around £10,000, with no fixed ceiling for companies with stronger turnover
Provider criteria varies, so if your company is newer to trading or has had a difficult year, it's still worth speaking to us directly.
From enquiry to funding, designed to be as fast and straightforward as a secured loan allows.
Tell us roughly what your card sales look like and what you're trying to achieve. Takes a couple of minutes.
Usually your last six to twelve months of merchant statements and proof of ID.
Matching your application against our panel and talking you through the offers, including the total repayable amount.
Once you're happy and paperwork is signed with your chosen provider, funds typically land within [X] working days.
The total repayment amount is fixed once agreed - paying it off early won't reduce the total cost.
Repayments come directly out of your card sales, so it's worth factoring this into your day-to-day cash flow planning.
Merchant cash advances sit outside the regulatory framework that covers standard business loans.
Some providers require your card transactions to run through a nominated terminal for the length of the agreement - we'll flag this clearly if it applies to any offer you receive.
We'll always explain exactly what you're agreeing to before you go ahead - no pressure, no jargon.
If a merchant cash advance isn't quite right for your company, we also introduce UK Limited Companies to:
Frequently Asked Questions Business Finance UK
Yes it's a widely used, established form of business funding across the UK, particularly among card-heavy trades like hospitality and retail. Terms vary between providers, which is why comparing across a panel through an introducer is worth doing rather than accepting the first offer you find.
A term loan has a fixed monthly payment regardless of how trade is going. A merchant cash advance repays itself as a percentage of your card sales, so what comes out changes with what you're taking though it typically costs more overall once properly compared, which is why we'll show you both.
Get in touch and tell us roughly what your card turnover looks like. We'll ask for recent merchant statements and proof of ID, approach suitable providers on our panel, and bring back real offers to compare.
Cost is set upfront as a factor rate, typically 1.1–1.5, giving you a fixed total to repay rather than a separate interest rate. We don't add arrangement, legal, or admin fees on top of what's agreed with your provider.
Not usually. Providers weigh trading history more heavily than credit score, which is part of why approval rates tend to be high compared with more traditional lending.
Get a free, no-obligation quote from Regal Business Finance today.
At Regal Business Finance, we specialise in fast funding introductions for UK Limited Companies connecting your business to the right lenders quickly and simply.
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