Glossary of Terms
Master the language of business funding. Key terminology explained in plain English.
Terms
ACH (Automated Clearing House) Banking
An electronic network used for financial transactions, including direct deposits and withdrawals. In MCA, ACH is commonly used for daily or weekly repayment deductions from a merchant's bank account.
APR (Annual Percentage Rate)
The annualized cost of borrowing money, expressed as a percentage. While MCAs don't technically have an APR (they use factor rates), the effective APR helps compare the true cost of an MCA to traditional loans.
Application Fee
A fee charged by some lenders when you apply for funding. This fee may or may not be refundable if the application is denied.
Terms
Bank Statement
A record of all transactions in a business bank account over a specific period. Lenders use bank statements to analyze cash flow, revenue patterns, and financial health when evaluating funding applications.
Broker
An intermediary who connects merchants with lenders. Brokers typically charge fees or receive commissions, which can increase the total cost of funding.
Buy Rate
The rate at which a broker purchases a funding opportunity from a lender. The difference between the buy rate and the rate offered to the merchant is the broker's markup.
Terms
Cash Cushion
The number of days a business can operate using its current cash reserves, calculated by dividing available cash by average daily expenses. A higher cash cushion indicates better financial stability.
Collections
The process of pursuing payment from borrowers who have defaulted on their obligations. In MCA, collections may involve daily ACH attempts or legal action.
Confirmation Call
A verification call made by the lender to confirm business details, ownership, and funding terms before disbursing funds. This helps prevent fraud and ensures the merchant understands the agreement.
Terms
Daily Payment
A repayment schedule where the merchant makes payments every business day. Daily payments are common in MCA and help lenders recover funds quickly.
Debit Distribution
The breakdown of withdrawals and expenses from a business bank account, categorized by type (e.g., loan repayments, operating expenses, owner withdrawals).
Default
Failure to meet the repayment obligations of a funding agreement. Defaults can result in collections, legal action, and negative impacts on credit and future funding eligibility.
Deposit Details
The breakdown of deposits into a business bank account, categorized by source (e.g., customer payments, loans, transfers). Helps lenders identify true revenue vs. phantom revenue.
Terms
Effective APR
The annualized percentage rate that represents the true cost of an MCA, accounting for the factor rate, repayment schedule, and fees. Used to compare MCAs with traditional loans.
Ending Balance
The account balance at the end of a specified period (day, month, etc.). Lenders analyze ending balances to assess cash flow stability and risk.
Terms
Factor Rate
A multiplier used in MCA to determine the total repayment amount. For example, a $10,000 advance with a 1.3 factor rate means the merchant repays $13,000. Factor rates typically range from 1.1 to 1.5.
Fundability
A measure of how likely a business is to qualify for funding. Factors include cash flow, credit score, industry risk, loan burden, and existing obligations.
Funding Readiness
An assessment of a business's preparedness to secure funding, based on financial health, credit profile, and operational stability.
Terms
Gross Deposit
The total amount of all deposits into a business bank account, including revenue, loans, transfers, and other inflows. Used by lenders to assess cash flow volume.
Gross Revenue
Total business income before deducting expenses, taxes, or other costs. In MCA underwriting, gross revenue helps determine funding eligibility and amounts.
Terms
Industry Risk
A classification system (T1-T4) that categorizes businesses by industry stability and seasonality. T1 industries are low-risk and stable, while T4 industries have high volatility.
Terms
Lender Type
Categories of funding providers, including Direct Lenders (fund directly), Brokers (intermediaries), ISOs (Independent Sales Organizations), and Collections (entities pursuing defaulted accounts).
Loan Burden
The percentage of monthly revenue that goes toward loan repayments. A loan burden above 25% is considered high risk and may limit funding eligibility.
Loan Stacking
The practice of taking multiple loans or MCAs simultaneously, often from different lenders. Stacking increases risk and can lead to cash flow problems and default.
Terms
MCA (Merchant Cash Advance)
A form of business funding where a merchant receives a lump sum in exchange for a percentage of future credit card sales or daily ACH withdrawals. MCAs are not loans but purchase agreements.
Monthly Revenue
The total income a business generates in a calendar month. Lenders use monthly revenue to assess funding capacity and repayment ability.
Terms
Negative Balance
When a bank account balance falls below zero. Frequent negative balances indicate cash flow problems and increase funding risk.
NSF (Non-Sufficient Funds)
A failed transaction due to insufficient funds in the account. NSF occurrences are red flags for lenders and can result in fees and declined funding applications.
Terms
Paper
A credit rating system (A, B, C, D) used by lenders to categorize merchant creditworthiness. A-rated paper is the best, while D-rated paper indicates high risk.
Phantom Revenue
Non-business income that appears as deposits, such as loan proceeds, personal transfers, or refunds. Lenders exclude phantom revenue when calculating true business revenue.
Purchase Price
In MCA, the total amount the merchant must repay, calculated by multiplying the advance amount by the factor rate. For example, a $10,000 advance with a 1.3 factor rate has a purchase price of $13,000.
Terms
Repayment Schedule
The frequency and timing of payments (Daily, Weekly, Bi-weekly, Monthly, or Irregular). Daily and weekly schedules are common in MCA.
Repayment Timeframe
The expected duration to fully repay an advance, typically 3-18 months for MCAs. Shorter timeframes mean higher daily payments but lower total cost.
Terms
Soft Pull
A credit check that doesn't impact credit scores. Used for pre-qualification and initial assessments. Hard pulls, used for final approval, do affect credit scores.
Stacking Alert
A warning that indicates multiple active loans or MCAs. Stacking increases default risk and can limit future funding eligibility.
Terms
True Deposit
Actual business revenue deposits, excluding loans, transfers, and other non-revenue sources. Lenders use true deposits to assess real business performance.
True Revenue
Genuine business income from operations, excluding phantom revenue sources. True revenue is the primary metric lenders use to evaluate funding capacity.
Terms
Weekly Payment
A repayment schedule where payments are deducted once per week. Weekly payments are common in MCA and provide a balance between recovery speed and merchant cash flow.
Withdrawals
All money leaving a business bank account, including expenses, loan repayments, and owner withdrawals. Lenders analyze withdrawal patterns to assess cash flow management.
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