Card takings in.
Cash out in 24 hours.
A merchant cash advance (MCA), also called a PDQ cash advance or card machine loan, lets UK businesses borrow against daily card takings. Restaurants and pubs, retailers and salons, gyms and garden centres, and many more sectors across the UK.
- Repay from card sales
- No asset security
- Decision in 24 hours
What is a merchant cash advance?
A merchant cash advance (MCA), also called a PDQ cash advance, card machine loan or business cash advance, gives you a lump sum of working capital today, repaid as a percentage of your future card sales. There's no fixed monthly payment. When you're busy, you repay faster. When you're quiet, you repay slower. The repayment mechanic adjusts to your business, not the other way round. We're an independent commercial finance broker, comparing a panel of UK MCA lenders to find your best fit.
Why operators choose us.
Works with your existing setup
Dojo, Square, Zettle, SumUp, Stripe Terminal, PDQ, Yeti Pay, Teya, Barclaycard and more. No need to switch.
Flexible repayments
Small % of each card sale auto-repays. Slow week? You pay back slower.
No asset security
Unsecured against business assets. Most lenders require a director PG.
Your cash and bank transactions stay yours
Repayment comes from card takings only. Cash in the till, bank transfers, direct debits, and non-card transactions are not touched. You keep 100% of them.
Honest fixed costs
Plain-English costs on every quote, total repayable, not jargon. Fixed cost shown alongside in smaller type.
Apply 24/7
60-second online. Decisions in 24 hours.
Works with your existing setup.
Card terminals: Dojo, Square, Zettle, SumUp, Stripe Terminal, PDQ, Yeti Pay, Teya, Barclaycard, and more. Even your delivery platform takings from Just Eat, Deliveroo and Uber Eats count toward your assessment. No switching processors, no locked contracts, no hidden fees.
Mixed revenue: For businesses with significant bank-settled income (subscriptions, direct debits, account-pay, remittances), we also offer revenue-based advances that include non-card income in the assessment.
Built for these businesses.
A snapshot of the sectors we fund most. We support many more. Every sector has its own page with the lender mechanics, the typical deal shape, and the questions we hear most.
Three steps. No paperwork mountain.
Apply
60 seconds online. Tell us your sector, monthly card takings, and what you need to fund.
Decision
Within 24 hours. We compare lenders on our panel and come back with options, fixed cost, total repayable, and estimated term laid out in plain English.
Funded
Funds in your account once you accept. Repayment starts automatically with your next card transactions.
Here's what it actually costs.
A coffee shop borrows £10,000 to refit ahead of summer. Average monthly card takings £20,000. Fixed cost 1.25. 10% daily repayment % on card sales.
These figures are illustrative. If a term loan or asset finance fits your situation better, we'll tell you.
Open the fixed cost calculator →Work out the real cost.
New businesses typically start at a higher daily % and a shorter term.
£45,000 is the maximum advance for your card takings (150% of monthly card takings).
Illustrative only, not a quote.
- Advance£45,000
- vs card takings150%
- Fixed cost1.25
- Daily repayment£148
- Avg monthly£4,500
- Est. term12.5 months
Illustrative. The fixed cost is set on day one; daily repayment varies with takings. Term capped at 18 months.
Illustrative only, not a quote. Every figure here is subject to the funder. Funders advance anywhere from 100% up to 150% of monthly card takings, so 150% is not guaranteed, and the fixed cost is not guaranteed either. Your actual advance, fixed cost and terms depend on the funder and your business profile.
Works with Dojo · Square · Zettle · SumUp · Stripe Terminal · PDQ · Yeti Pay · Teya · Barclaycard
*** THANK YOU ***
Apply with these numbersWe'll tell you when MCA isn't the right answer.
Most MCA brokers sell one product. We don't. Sometimes a term loan is cheaper. Sometimes asset finance fits better. Sometimes you don't need to borrow at all. Take 60 seconds with our quiz and we'll tell you straight.
Take the 60-second quiz→Worth reading.
What is a merchant cash advance?
The plain-English explanation. How MCA works, who it suits, and the trade-offs.
Read →How fixed costs are set
What lenders price into the rate, volume, trading duration, credit, sector, and realistic UK ranges.
Read →Is MCA right for you?
When MCA wins, when a term loan beats it, and when you shouldn't borrow at all.
Read →Quick answers.
Nothing. They are all names for the same product, a commercial finance advance repaid as a share of daily card sales. Merchant cash advance (MCA) is the formal industry term. PDQ cash advance is the term many hospitality and independent retail operators use, because PDQ is the long-standing UK name for a card terminal. Card machine loan is the informal term many business owners search for. All three refer to the same product.
Prefer PDQ or card machine language? See our PDQ cash advance page.
Ready when you are
Ready to apply?
60 seconds to apply. 1 working day to a decision. No obligation, no credit footprint for the initial check.
Up to 90% approval for qualifying businesses