A Merchant Cash Advance (MCA) or Business Cash Advance is a loan variety that lends money to companies and start-ups promptly and efficiently. Business financing options, along with short payment terms of generally 24 months and regular recompenses, paid on each working day, characterize the MCA. The system opposes the usual larger monthly payments of traditional bank loans and associated longer disbursements terms.

Overall, MCA may be used to describe short-term business loans and future receivables of credit card sales. This type of financing is available to businesses, having stable and continual credit card dealing, including restaurants, retail stores, pharmacies, etc.

How Does A Merchant Cash Advance Work?

The process of getting a merchant cash advance is generally a quick one. The foremost step is the identification check of the business that wants the loan. The documentation needed for it include:

• Government-issued identity proof
• Bank and credit card statement processing
• Business tax returns

Once the identification approval is processed and done with, it is only a matter of days before the business receives its borrowed amount. Subsequently, they receive a lump sum amount and pay it back through sales generation to customers.

To pay back the loan amount, the borrower offers a percentage of the sales, as specified in the contract, to the lender daily. It may also be done through the connected merchant account, calculated based on sales processed through debit and credit card. In this case, cheque and cash sales do not count in the daily quota.

The compensations can also be taken directly from the borrower's bank account through Automated Clearing House (ACH) payments. By this logic, small-scale businesses with low credit and debit sale rates can also qualify for MCA if they opt for ACH repayments.

Borrowable MCA amounts range from a few thousand dollars to over two hundred thousand dollars. Irrespective of the rented sum, the payback time is usually very brief. In most cases, it is about 18 months or so.

Pros of MCA:

MCA has several benefits, some of which include:

• An Effortless Application Process: MCA entails a quick application process, and money borrowing is possible in a day. It is also easy to qualify as, in this case, loan credit history is less significant than sales history.
• Flexibility: MCA allows numerous payment plans and methods and permits the borrowers to use the funds as they see fit. Since the payments depend on a percentage of daily transactions, the debtors do not have to pay back if they have low income. It results in cash flow issues that can lead the business to deeper debt.
• Absence of collateral: MCA loans are unsecured, meaning that it does not tie the borrowers to any collateral. For businesses with limited assets, this feature is a godsend.

Cons of MCA:

The disadvantage of MCA encompasses:

• Potential Cash Flow Problems: MCA requires a specific amount of the borrower's future sales dedicated to paying back the borrowed amount. This results in cash flow issued that can lead to a deeper debt for the business.
• Comparatively Higher Costs: The cost to get an MCA, as factor rates and not interest rates, is much higher than many other types of funding. Factor rates do not depend on a specific period, and thus, paying off in advance does not help save money.

What Exactly Is a Merchant Cash Advance?

A merchant cash advance is not exactly a borrowing, but instead, a money advance depending on the company's transactions by credit card. A tiny firm may seek an MCA to get the advances paid into their accounts very fast.

Merchant cash advance lenders uniquely analyze risks or creditworthiness as compared to banks. The MCA provider examines regular transactions by credit card to evaluate whether a firm will repay the cash timely. In essence, a small firm distributes a percentage of potential credit card transactions to obtain money quickly.

Charges on the MCA might be significantly greater than any other types of borrowing or, relying on the firm, might be too expensive. The firm must comprehend the aspects to take an appropriate judgment regarding returns.

What Is the Process of a Merchant Cash Advance?

Receiving the merchant cash advance is usually a straightforward procedure. Once the application is accepted, the firm might get the amount in several working days. Paperwork required throughout the filing procedure might include the following:

• Identification proof
• Reports from banks and credit card companies
• Tax returns for businesses

The issuer can collect a portion of revenue regularly for repayment of the loan. Debt pay-outs can be made from the linked bank accounts and computed depending on revenues collected via debit or credit card transactions. In such a situation, cheque or cash transactions do not contribute to a regular target.

Installments might also get deducted straight from the company's current accounts via ACH transfers. Firms with low debit and credit transaction percentages would also receive MCAs when they employ ACH settlements.

Advantages of Merchant Cash Advance Loans

• Handle Any Short-Term Financial Difficulties

• Take Advantage of a Fast Remedy for a Frequent Stock Issue

• Use Income Dependent Assessments to Fund Innovative Concepts

• Even if the company has poor credit, it may obtain the money required

While effective working capital management can reduce the occurrence of such situations, it is more than likely that businesses will still have need for funds, may it be to meet the recurring expenses, buy capital equipments or to expand the existing business.

Business owners has traditionally being dependent on business loans to meet such fund requirements, however, business loans are probably the worst type of liabilities that any entrepreneur would like to shoulder. They would require a collateral, a high rate of interest and fixed payment terms - business owners often risk losing their assets that they put as collateral in case they fail to make timely payments. With all these issues making business loans a negative option for entrepreneurs sets them on a hunt for a better finance option. Business cash advance is just that!

Business cash advance is one of the most popular financing methods for businesses. Cash advance providers would buy a predetermined number of Visa and Master card receipts from business owners and provide them with business cash advance in lieu of those receipts. The amount that the seller receives is not a loan and it is a cash advance paid against the Master and Visa card receipts and is paid back through the merchant account. The borrower need not repay the amount personally.

Unsecured business cash advances are available and the business owner would not require any collateral to get an unsecured cash advance. Also the borrower is not personally liable to repay the business cash advance. The business owner can sell his future credit card receipts at a discounted rate to avail a business cash advance. This is very much similar to Factoring, except for the fact that in factoring business-to-business invoices are discounted where as in this case your credit card receivables are factored.

There are no fixed payment schedules for a business cash advance and only the credit card sales receipts are used for repayment of a business cash advance. All other payments received through cash, check or other credit cards are left with the borrower. This ensures that he has sufficient funds to run his business while the cash advance also gets repaid through the Visa and Master card receipts.

Not only is Business cash advance an easier finance solution from repayment perspective but also it is easier to get. The general criteria required to qualify for a business cash advance are:

• The business must accept Visa or Master Card as a mode of payment
• The business must process a payment of $1500 or more in a month
• The business should have been there for at least 2 years.
• Credit card statement and bank statements for 3 month for seasonal business and 12 months statement for non-seasonal business should be available.

Most business cash advance companies would have similar conditions probably with some modifications here and there. These makes it easy for any business that accepts payments through credit cards to qualify for a business cash advance.

With this easy to get and easy to repay options, business cash advance has been the finance of choice for most business owners and especially small business owners are taking the maximum benefit of from business cash advance. If you are a small business owner, act now and get a business cash advance to take your business to the next level.

When unexpected emergencies or expenses arise, we may sometimes find it difficult to obtain the cash we need. This is particularly true for people living under a stringent budget every month. Some people are also highly dependent on their salary for survival. So when emergencies strike, they tend to loan money from friends and family members. The problem is - there is no guarantee that someone would lend them the money every time it's needed. So what can be the next option? You can opt to apply for cash advances.

Personal Cash Advances

This is one form of short-term loan which aims to offer loanable cash to people who are in dire need of it. It can be in the form of a payday loan which makes it payable within a short period of 14 days or up to the next payday. Some cash advance providers may offer longer repayment cycle especially for the non- first timers. The amount of cash you can borrow may vary depending on consumer practices of the state.

Advantages of Using Cash Advance Services

• Money can be obtained within 24-48 hours.

• No need to worry about stringent credit and background checking. As long as you can prove that you are employed or you have a steady income, then you can apply for it.

• Inquiries can be made via the web, on the phone or through e-mail. Most businesses offering this service accept initial inquiries online.

• No need to show or provide any collateral. You just have to ensure that you can pay the loaned amount on time.

• Even those without a bank account can avail. They can have their money through prepaid cards instead.

• For people who remain to be in good payment standing, applying loans for the second or third time would essentially be a breeze.

• Most companies also offer referral bonuses to people who can convince others to apply for a loan. Referral bonuses can be up to $500.

• These services are also linked to other money services. Being a good payor can automatically help you avail of other forms of loans.

Requirements

So, if you have finally made up your mind and plan to apply for cash advance soon, you need to fulfill the following basic requirements to qualify:

• Are you at least 21 years old? Some companies also offer short-term loans to those who are 18 years old. This will highly depend on your proof of income.

• Do you have a job? Submit your proof of income and make sure that the documents are authentic.

• Having a bank account can be an advantage, too. However, there are now establishments that use this as a secondary requirement.

How to Avail of Cash Advance

There are typically two ways to avail this service:

1. By directly going to money service establishments. These businesses are designed to offer quick cash loan through various means - cash advances, check encashing, payday loans, collateral-based loans, etc. There also those that encash digital money such as PayPal or Bitcoins. As they provide hassle-free loan application with minimal requirements, you may expect to pay staggering APRs or interest on your loan. Most of these services will also require borrowers to have an active or existing bank account.

2. Another option is with the use of charge card or credit card. Credit cards authorize owners or card users to withdraw cash directly from ATMs. Note that there is always a limit when it comes to withdrawing cash from credit cards. Most of cash advance providers impose an interest of 3-5% and will require users to pay the amount within 30 days. The advantage of using this method is that it is possible to withdraw cash in any state. On the other hand, cash advance services are only available in certain states.

Important Factors to Consider before Applying for Any Type of Loan

Cash advances, just like all other types of loans, are not 'free money.' They are accessible, but they need to be repaid, too. Before applying, you must understand the financial responsibilities you have. You need to understand that cash advances require massive interest and fee which must be paid within a very short period of two weeks. Note that both federal and state laws are applied in terms of requirements and of sanctions.

Each state has its own law concerning unpaid debts, bounced checks, or returned checks. Most establishments will initially contact you in case of insufficient funds in your account. If you still fail to pay for your loan, a collection agency may take over. This will also immensely hurt your chances of renewing your loan. Moreover, it can tarnish your credit score which will have an impact on your capacity to loan directly from a bank, purchase a home, etc.

If I had made this statement a few years back that you can deal with almost any sort of cash emergency; you would surely have negative opinion towards my statement however, there is a new option that can really help people in times in emergencies, and help save them money as well, this is called a Tax Refund Cash Advance! People used to be so worried whenever a medical emergency or anything like that occurred and they were short on funds. This happened because usually the monthly salaries were not enough and they still are not enough. Cash advances came into being to address all such issues so people do not have to worry even if their pays went out. Tax Refund Cash Advances were in a way that the borrower can take a small loan amount to address his urgency and return back the money along with the interest on his next pay day and get a tax refund for it!

There are simply numerous lenders you can easily find today and a few of them are the pioneers who launched this great idea some time back. You can easily locate them in several financial institutions and see what deals they have to offer regarding Tax Refund Cash Advances. It depends on your pay amount and credit history how much amount you get approved and what your interest rates will be. It is always wise to shop around good before making the final decision because you can always find something better. You can always search for reliable Tax Refund Cash Advance lenders over the web or by making a few calls through phone directories.

It is important that you end up with a reliable lender in order to avoid future complications. Sometimes un-reputable lenders can start fluctuating the interest rates or charge you with useless penalties. This is why it is also important that you go through all the paper work carefully so you can know each and every rule and regulation there is in the agreement. Get Tax Refund Cash Loans from a lender who offers flexible payback terms and has been in business for quite some time. You can find about a lender's reputation and all through reading reviews from people who have already done business with them.

Tax Refund Cash Advance should only be taken when the urgency is important because if you fail to pay on time some of the lenders might start creating problems for you. They make phone calls and keep on bugging you for payback. Also, they charge you with big penalties and even increase the interest rates with time. Finding a reliable cash advance lender is not that hard only if you look around good.

Tips on finding a good Tax Refund Cash Advance Lender:

• Ask friends and family for referrals
• Check online for testimonials
• Read articles related to cash advances for help
• Look on forums for referrals of lenders.

Everyone one of us can fall into unexpected situations where funds are needed to escape. Mostly a situation like this would not tell you before occurring and therefore you might get confused about what to do once the emergency stands in front of you. Today, the times and conditions both are rough and it is hard to make a comfortable living; a middle class person's pay is not enough to last for the entire month so it is hard to save anything out of it either. The monthly budgets are really tight and even if there are some savings; an emergency can ask more then that too.

Tax Refund Cash Advance are for getting rid of urgent financial needs such as medical, academic fee, house repairs, car repairs, a debt, a loan installment, and whatever you can think of. There was a time when urgencies left terrible outcomes and conditions once they were gone since many people did not had sufficient amount of money to deal with them while opting for bank loans mean waiting for more then a month at least. Tax Refund Cash Advances eliminated all such problems and provided people with urgent cash to take care of the problem and stop it from getting any worse.

Although compared to traditional loans, Tax Refund Cash Advance are not match when it comes to the amount of money but at the same time they are enough to contaminate the current urgency. They are not long term loans like bank loans and that is why the amount is kept limited so it can be paid back on the next payday; as the name of this loan suggests. Usually a Tax Refund Cash Advance will let you avail an amount from 500 dollars going up to 1500 or may be 2000 dollars. This also depends on how much your monthly pay is and whether you will pledge any collateral or not. If your monthly pay is good enough and you can pledge a valuable asset against the money; the amount can certainly raise more and the interest can be kept lower as well.

Thousands and millions of people today are taking help from Tax Refund Cash Advance and there are several lenders that you can easily find online and offline both. Always talk about the interest rates, late payment penalties, and any other questions that you have in mind before signing up for anything; after all, money cannot be taken without having a valid reason.

Many business owners are struggling to find working capital. Once readily accessible to most businesses, small business loans are harder and harder to come by. Thankfully, business cash advance providers have stepped up to fill the gap. Some business owners are skeptical, and hesitant to be open to the idea, but there are many benefits to the business cash advance program. While they both certainly have strengths and weaknesses, in this article, we hope to clearly explain how they work and what their benefits can be over traditional small business loans.

Who Qualifies?

Business cash advances are very easy to qualify for. Since they're based on revenue from credit card processing, the biggest qualifying factor is whether or not you accept credit cards as a form of payment, and how often you have sales to run. This makes most retail businesses and certain service-based businesses excellent candidates because they usually accept credit cards and the cardholders are physically present at the point of sale. Unfortunately, most home-based and internet-based businesses don't qualify. You have to process at least $5,000 per month in credit card sales, and underwriting also likes to see that you settle transactions at least 10 - 12 times every month. Personal credit is not a big factor; the only stipulation ist that the owner's FICO score is above 500 and there are no open bankruptcies.

Application Process

The application process is very simple. A one page application is filled out and signed by the business owner. The application contains basic administrative data about the business and the owner(s) and usually also lists a few trade references. The signature authorizes the cash advance provider to obtain a copies of the applicant's business and personal credit reports. Pre-approvals can be given within 24 hours of the application being submitted along with the business's 4 most recent credit card processing statements. At lease one, if not all, of the statements must be complete (i.e. all pages submitted) so underwriting can review them completely, looking at credit card processing activity, transaction count, average ticket size, batch frequency and rate analysis. The pre-approval will consist of a few different funding options based on the statements you submitted, along with a list of additional paperwork you'll need to submit prior to approval. This can vary slightly on a case by case basis, but here's a complete list of paperwork that's generally required:

• Signed, completed application.
• 4 most recent credit card processing statements. Seasonal businesses may have to submit more so underwriting can fully understand your seasonality.
• 3 most recent business bank statements. This should be the account where your credit card deposits go. If that account sweeps to another operating account, those statements may also be required.
• Business lease. Underwriting will need the pages listing the parties to the lease, the term and expiration date, the property address and the signatures.
• Proof of ownership. This can be a business licence or articles of organization.
• Driver's license or other state issued identification card.
• Voided check.
• Deals over a certain size may require year-to-date financial statements or the most recent tax returns.

Three Different Programs

Besides the main business cash advance program, there are two additional programs available:

• The Starter Program - The starter program is designed for those individuals and businesses who don't qualify for the traditional program. The two most common reasons someone would be declined for the traditional program is because of poor personal credit or because they process less than $5,000 per month. For the starter program, underwriting still requires that there are no open bankruptcies and that you settle transactions at least 10 - 12 times per month.
• The Gold or Platinum Programs - For a long time, individuals and businesses with stellar credit and healthy financials have turned down cash advance offers. The cost of the traditional program was too great for many of them, and there was little that could be done. Providers have developed Gold and Platinum programs for these kinds of businesses. The cost can be less than half compared to the traditional program, and they are often underwritten at 12 - 18 month deals, which is typically a longer term than the traditional program.

Between these two relatively recent developments in the industry, business cash advance providers have been able to boast approval ratings upwards of 90%, and at the same time gain market share among established, credit worthy businesses who normally would only consider traditional small business loans.

Cost

Business cash advances, admittedly, are most costly than traditional business loans. The main difference is that business loans accrue interest over time. The longer you take to pay them off, the more expensive they become. Business cash advances have a fixed cost. The transaction that takes place is actually the purchase and sale of your business's future credit card receivables. The business cash advance provider decides how much of your future receivables they are interested in purchasing (the "purchased amount" or total payback amount), and offer to purchase them at a discount rate, usually somewhere between 15% and 30%. How much they offer to purchase them for is called the "purchase price". It's also known as the "advance amount". At a 15% discount rate, a cash advance could purchase $10,000 by advancing you $8,500. No matter how long you take to pay it back, it will never cost you more than $10,000. The discount rate offered depends on a number of things, including time in business, credit score, process history, etc.

Payback

Since the transaction involved in a business cash advance is the purchase of future credit card receivables, they are paid back as you process credit cards. A small percentage of each credit card transaction gets paid to the cash advance provider to pay down the advance. This percentage is fixed, so it remains the same through the course of the advance, and it's agreed upon prior to funding. The result is an extremely flexible payback schedule. If you have a bad month, you might struggle to make the payment on your traditional business loan, but with a business cash advance, you'll just end up paying back less that month. You never have to worry about missing a payment, and the cash advance provider only gets paid when you get paid. Most business owners find comfort in this method of payback.

Events of Default

Defaulting on a business loan is serious, since most of them are secured or personally guaranteed. If you miss that monthly payment, the bank can put you in a tricky situation. If you put up any collateral, the bank has the right to take that asset and liquidate it, below market value if they have to, in order to reimburse themselves for the principal outstanding. If you signed personally for the loan, don't count on "limited liability" to protect yourself. The bank will have the right to take any of your personal assets including your home or your car.

For most business owners, this is the true beauty of the business cash advance. The fact that they are unsecured and never personally guaranteed justifies the higher cost. If you find yourself in the position where you can't pay it back because you have to close the doors, the business cash advance provider is out of luck. As long as you didn't provide any false or misleading information during the application process, there can be no recourse. Simply put, the asset in the purchase and sale agreement (your future credit card processing revenue) doesn't exist anymore.

Conclusion

These are only a few of the benefits of the business cash advance program.

It is sometimes said that there is never a 'cop' around when you need one; the same can also be said of money. For this reason, there is an industry devoted to giving cash advances to people in need, and credit card companies are a principal player in this crowd. However, there is no such thing as free money; you must be able to repay a cash advance at the risk of digging a deep hole of debt for yourself! Read on to learn about how to handle credit card cash advances.

An advance is an up front payment to a person who needs money to cover immediate needs, to be paid off later. One simple means of getting quick cash is to ask your employer for an advance on your next paycheck (if you can accept having that amount deducted from said paycheck); selling or pawning some item of value remains popular also. On the other hand, simply sliding your credit card into an ATM (devices which seem to outnumber street corners in many cities) and entering your PIN number is a quick and easy way of getting instant cash.

As with most ways of getting money in a hurry, credit card advances come with drawbacks. Among these are the facts that you usually have to pay a cash advance fee (you will notice when you go to the ATM that you are warned "You will be charged $X.XX for this service," or something to that effect, and asked to press "OK" to accept the charge) and that interest is often charged on advances from the date they are issued rather than from the end of the billing cycle.

If you need larger amounts of cash than are practical to get from an ATM, you can also get a cash advance check from a credit card company. This sort of cash advance can also be used to make payments to payees who do not accept credit cards in the conventional manner, such as landlords or utility companies (colleges are increasingly accepting credit cards for tuition - check with your college to find out its policy). However, you should consider other methods of paying debts such as these, as you may find that other methods may cost you less down the road in cash advance fees and finance charges.

Cash advances from a credit card company come with different terms and conditions depending on the company in question, the cardholder's record with the credit card company, etc. The terms that are associated with your account can be found on the back of your monthly statements. If you find that you are offered very favorable terms, then this just might be a good option for you; the key as always is to "look before you leap." I recommend you look very hard.

Since balance transfers usually come with lower rates than cash advances, it may be useful to immediately transfer the balance to a card with a low balance transfer rate if you get a cash advance from a card with high cash advance rates. As always, you should check the policies of the cards in questions to determine what fees and conditions are associated with balance transfers; sometimes your credit card company will categorize a balance transfer as an advance.

While cash advances can be used to fund investments, this is rarely a good idea, because it would have to be an incredible, "too good to be true" investment for you to be able to pay off both the exorbitant credit card interest fees and the taxes you will owe on the earnings.

A cash advance can sometimes be a lifesaver when you are in urgent need of money. Among the many options available, there are credit card companies are quite willing to offer money whenever you need it -- but for a price. Understanding the price you pay is always critical to making canny financial choices; the information provided here is meant to help you understand that price just a bit more.

What if you don't have some extra money on your hand and you need some extra cash immediately? Well there are solution to that you could ask some friends to loan you some money, or you could get some cash advance on your credit cards.

A credit card is a plastic card that is used by people in order to purchase something may it be in their groceries, buying tickets, or on gas station it serves as an alternative for bringing big amount of cash with you.

These plastic cards are made for people's convenience for they can bring it everywhere easily. There are many types of cards and they have their own advantages and disadvantages.

There is a card that you could get some cash advance on, usually most major companies and banks such as Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express offers the ability to get one.

This is very helpful for the card holders for if they will need some immediate cash they'll just have to cash advance using their credit card. Here are some tips and advices about advances on credit cards that might help you.

First you must know the necessary things that you need to know about you credit card such as how much is the limit of your advance and your credit limit. It is important to know both limits so that you won't go beyond it. Also you need to know your pin number especially when you will use it to get some cash advance on ATM machines.

If you want to get an advance you could just simply find an ATM machine and use your credit card to withdraw for you could use your card at almost any ATM. You will need to enter your pin also you might be required to pay some ATM fees.

If you don't want to use and ATM you could also use your cash advance check to get some cash from your credit card. For you will periodically get some check on your mail that is given by the card company and use it to get some cash advance.

If you don't have one you could always try calling the number at the back of your card and ask them for the check and they will send it to you. But there will be charges when you use your check. The way use the check is to make a check to yourself and cash it out in your local bank in your state.

But before you get carried away with the cash advance you should know your fee first. You should know how much interest they are going to give you when you do cash advance so that you won't get shocked when you see the bills.

Before getting this type of card or even using your cash advance then think first if you could handle the interest that they are going to give you. See if you could afford to pay for it if you are not sure then better not use your advance for it is more expensive than by just using your card to purchase something.