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Merchant Cash Advance Outlook for 2011

January 2, 2011
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Happy New Year! Over the past few weeks we spoke with many Merchant Cash Advance(MCA) industry professionals, read blogs, and scanned forums to find out what is predicted for 2011. Here is what we learned:

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The number of businesses facing tax liens will rise, making it increasingly difficult for them to obtain a traditional MCA. Their only resort may be “starter” or “decline” programs, which come with low capital and high costs.

Credit card processors(CCPs) will venture into funding their own clients. Over the past few years, CCPs were a necessary third party to a MCA transaction. The CCP would split the business’s batch to allow the MCA provider to collect on their purchased receivables. Their years as a third party have granted them incredible insight into the funding business. In the latter half of 2010, some CCPs tested the waters and funded businesses on their own. In 2011, we will begin to see the role of MCA provider and CCP gradually merge into solitary entities.

Resellers of MCA began to drift away from their dependence on funding providers in 2010. In 2011, there will be a surge in the number of resellers funding businesses on their own. The MCA industry will become largely decentralized and may give rise to new challenges.

Decentralization will lead to greater competition and create downward pressure on costs. Businesses stand to benefit by the likely trend of decreasing retrieval rates and factor rates.

Businesses hanging on by a thread are less likely to obtain funds in 2011. Bank loans were never meant as a means to stave off bankruptcy and neither is a MCA. Most detractors of the MCA industry were business owners on the verge of bankruptcy before obtaining capital. This is not a lifeline. Good businesses grow, bad businesses fail. That’s the way it has to work in order for the economy and capitalism to be functional.

The Federal Reserve’s 12 cent debit fee cap may negatively impact resellers that depend on merchant residuals.

The MCA industry will continue to use less expensive means of marketing. Expensive regional trade shows are becoming less popular and UCC hunting is on the rise.

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2011 is yet to be told. One thing is for sure, MCA providers are not unlike the businesses they fund. It’s a tumultuous economy and there is no guarantee that we’ll all still be standing in 2012. Remember those who have come before us (look at the bottom of this page). Much luck to all!

-AltFinanceDaily

P2P Merchant Cash Advance Model Already Exists

December 23, 2010
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Posted on December 23, 2010 at 6:02 PM

Just a few weeks ago, we covered a story on how the Merchant Cash Advance(MCA) industry was evolving towards the Peer 2 Peer Lending Model. Apparently we were very right. We envisioned a future live marketplace that resembles Prosper.com and today discovered the closest thing so far: the Colonial Funding Network(CFN). http://www.colonialmgmt.biz/ready.html. Our site authors have no connection to CFN and we hope this reivew is not received as a gimmicky advertisement.

So why is CFN a highly evolved Merchant Cash Advance marketplace?

• You(meaning anyone) can pick the business to fund

• You can put up the capital

• You can contribute just a part of the capital

• You can have control over the funding terms

• You don’t do the underwriting

• The pay back and setup is serviced by the market maker (Strategic Funding Source)

• Businesses have already been funded using this model

An excerpt from their site:

“Ready to be a player? Take advantage of our world class capabilities! Colonial Funding Network is the answer for you. You find the merchant, invest the cash, and Colonial Funding does the rest.

Colonial will handle every detail of fulfilling and managing your merchant cash advance. From providing underwriting data, to administration… including filings, bookkeeping,reporting and disbursements… we do it all. Through our state-of-the-art Merchant Funding web portal, you’ll have real-time information on your clients… anytime you want it!”

Sounds very much like P2P is already staking its claim in the Merchant Cash Advance world. I wonder how far it will go….

AltFinanceDaily

Most Small Business Owners Have Never Heard of a Merchant Cash Advance

November 5, 2010
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Sales representatives within the industry report on a whole that the Merchant Cash Advance program has to be explained from the ground up quite often with potential clients. Ranging from ‘not understanding how it works’ to ‘having never heard of it before’, all signs seem to indicate that there is a vast market still unaware of this powerful source of capital. New businesses are born every day, adding to the list of prospects that will eventually find out banks are not there to help them… We hope business owners can find some information here and as always, choose your funding source wisely.

Merchant Cash Advance and Startup Businesses

October 20, 2010
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dollar billsKudos to the entrepreneurs taking a chance in the worst economic period of modern times. Starting a business is already a truly challenging task in itself but before we shower you with praise for being the ultimate warrior of capitalism, let’s put everything into perspective.

Risk takers are a minority in today’s startup community. A persistently high rate of unemployment is breeding a culture of survivalists; Individuals that have been pushed to the limit via pay cuts, layoffs, and robo-signing foreclosing bankers. It’s resumé rejection, employer double talk, and anger at how Wall Street bankers continue to live. The new entrepreneurs are a resounding chorus of “If I can’t get a job, I’ll make my own job!” These people are going for it on 4th Down and Long and running it up the middle for a touchdown. It’s as if Charles Darwin spiked their Corn Flakes.

Startup survivalists are just as inspiring as their risk taking counterparts. Both groups have the drive and that’s essential. But you can’t forego some basic tools. Financing is a must. No capital, no business. Unless you are fortunate to start with deep pockets, you need access to cash.

New businesses are not likely to be offered credit terms by vendors, nor can you push back overhead expenses such as rent, until you’re generating revenue. If unforeseen demand overwhelms your capacity, a cash shortage can do irreparable damage to your success.

Rather than spew rhetoric about the importance of funds, and shortchange you with a bullet point list of vague sources whom in reality are so illiquid, they’re not actually viable, we’ll offer our real 2 cents.

Banks. For a startup? Not happening. Angel Investors and Venture Capitalists? Slim to no chance. Unless these private investors live in your community, they’re not going to invest in your business. More than 90% of startups fail. For an investor to take that much risk, they’re going to do some hands on management or want to follow you around and critique how you’re spending their money. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. It just means that one can’t reasonably expect a return on their investment without intimate knowledge of the demographics and community the business is situated in.

Looking for private investors over the internet? Don’t. Your pro forma financial statements, data research, and business plan won’t help. Do you know how many businesses fail to open even after they incorporate, sign a lease, purchase inventory, advertise, and make preliminary hires? An astounding number are eclipsed by failed health inspections, license/permit rejections, and building code violations. This reasserts that unless an investor is personally intimate with your progress, the odds are stacked against them.

Lastly, you need not pay to get approved for capital. We’ve spoken with many start ups over the last year and are flabbergasted by the amount of new businesses that are convinced they have to pay a $3,000 upfront fee to get approved for a loan. The ones that actually pay are quick to learn what town the lender is based in; It’s called Scam City.

Real Option? Merchant Cash Advance. A Merchant Cash Advance offers a business with a lump sum of capital upfront. In return, a piece of every sale the business makes will go towards paying it back plus a predetermined fee. There is no due date or set term for repayment. That means if sales are slow to get off the ground, then funds will be repaid slower and with no penalty.

A Merchant Cash Advance provider entrusts you with their capital because of the unique security the repayment method offers. The business itself must accept credit cards as a form of payment. The credit card processing company will automatically deduct the agreed percentage piece of each sale transacted and forward it to the Merchant Cash Advance provider on your behalf for repayment.

A startup can qualify with as little as 1 week in business. As long as you open, you can get funding. Credit can play a limited factor and the cost can be hefty, but the access to capital is unmatched. From the date you apply, funds can be received in as little as 5 days.

Purchase inventory, pay the rent, advertise, hire, or seize an opportunity. Whichever shortcoming you face, it can be overcome with a Merchant Cash Advance. Industry experts project that funding is on pace to reach over $600 Million for 2010 alone. With advances ranging from as small as $1,000 to as high as $500,000, there is proof that numerous deals are being made every day.

We’ve seen the same books, guides, and expert advice columns that you’ve seen and all of them seem to be a reprint of useless suggestions like the SBA and searching for angel investors online. These people earn a living writing. Whether or not the money expert column in your newspaper actually helps you, makes no difference to them. We have many years experience in the Merchant Cash Advance industry and we make careers out of funding you, not telling you about funding.

We try not to promote any one company over another. There is no harm in enlisting the service of a middleman or reseller for one of the direct funding sources. It may actually benefit you. If you are open for business, you can obtain a Merchant Cash Advance. If you have been in business for a long time, a Merchant Cash Advance is still a fantastic option.

It’s 4th Down and Long. You’re ambitious, focused, and ready. You are the ultimate warrior of capitalism. A Merchant Cash Advance will supply the cash. Grow, take risks, survive, and don’t be surprised if your Corn Flakes taste funny.

October Kicks Off Merchant Cash Advance Rush for Holiday Inventory Stock

October 15, 2010
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Every October, retailers eagerly plan their strategy to capitalize on the impending holiday consumerism. 2010 is much like last year or worse. The long lasting recession has caused wholesalers and distributors to eliminate much needed payment terms for inventory purchases. It has become extremely challenging for retailers to purchase the amount of inventory required for the holidays when Cash on Delivery is the only policy.

The profit on the sales will more than pay for the costs paid but if the cash isn’t there to buy the inventory in the first place, there’s a problem. Hence a major cash flow problem is inevitably created even for the most robust business.

That being said, Merchant Cash Advance companies will experience application overflow and marathon work hours. It is much like what accountants experience during tax season. The Merchant Cash Advance underwriting process tends to slow significantly in late November.

Business owners!: Poor credit, fair credit, good credit? There are options for all of you with a Merchant Cash Advance. From Starter Advances to Platinum programs. The next 4 weeks is a great time to look into and apply for funds before it may be too late!

We wish you all the best as the peak retail season approaches and as always, make sure you choose one of the reputable firms.

– AltFinanceDaily

Direct Merchant Cash Advance Funders / Lenders

October 10, 2010
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Many ISOs are dabbling with funding their own merchants these days. The industry is maturing into a whole new generation of Broker/Funding hybrids. A great $10,000 deal might be worth your own private investment. 😀

The Merchant Cash Advance Resource has been compiling a directory of actual funding sources and invite you to be listed on our site. There is no cost and this site merely serves as an impartial central hub for industry information. This site receives over 100 visitors every day from ISOs, Funders, Merchants, Financial Firms, Processors, etc. Your company will receive widespread positive exposure to all the right people. If your company has a blog, we will link the feed right to your profile.

To be added, you must be an actual direct funder capable of showing us 5 recent UCC filings as evidence of your advances. We will also seek to verify your status with other insiders in the industry. Hybrid firms are acceptable as long as you also provide your own capital to clients. To be added, please e-mail us at info@debanked.com.

If you enjoy our site and wish to share information, stories, or news about the Merchant Cash Advance industry, you can submit your articles here to share with others.

Catching Up With Marketplace Lending – A Timeline

April 20, 2017
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This story appeared in AltFinanceDaily’s Mar/Apr 2017 magazine issue. To receive copies in print, SUBSCRIBE FREE

2/17

  • Prospa, an online small business lender based in Australia, was valued at $235M (AUD) in a $25M capital raise
  • Square announced funding $248 million worth of business loans in Q4 2016

2/21 A Massachusetts state court vacated a merchant cash advance COJ

2/24 SoFi raised $500M in a financing round led by Silver Lake Partners that reportedly gave SoFi a $4.3B valuation

2/27 Prosper Marketplace closed a loan purchase agreement with a consortium of lenders for up to $5 billion of loans that has a provision that also enables the lenders to buy up to 35% of the company

2/28 BlueVine secured a warehouse line of up to $75M from Fortress

3/1 Lendio launched a new franchise program, allowing local offices around the country to become Lendio franchisees

3/3 Citing Madden v Midland, Colorado regulator brought a federal lawsuit against Marlette Funding for violating the state’s usury cap

3/5 Two trade associations, the Innovative Lending Platform Association (ILPA) and the Coalition for Responsible Business Finance (CRBF), joined forces. The merged company will continue to be known as ILPA

3/6 Upstart raised $32.5M

3/7

  • It’s reported that former CAN Capital CFO Aman Verjee is now the COO of 500 Startups
  • Kabbage priced a $525M securitization. It was oversubscribed

3/9 Citing Madden v Midland, Colorado regulator brought a federal lawsuit against Avant for violating the state’s usury cap

3/13

  • Melvin Chasen, the founder of Rewards Network (originally Transmedia Network, Inc.) passed away. He was 88.
  • The New York State Assembly rejected the Governor’s proposal to grant the Department of Financial Services (DFS) regulatory authority over any online lender doing business in the state

3/15

  • The New York State Senate also rejected the proposal to further regulate lending
  • The OCC published a manual on how it will evaluate charter applications from fintech companies
  • The New York DFS published a statement rejecting the OCC’s plans
  • The WSJ reported that Marlette Funding was cutting nearly 1/5th of its workforce

3/16 WebBank announced that it had a net income of $29.2M for 2016 and that it had a market valuation of $319.4M

3/20 Prosper Marketplace announced that it had originated $2.2B in loans in 2016, down from $3.7B in 2015, and had a net loss of $119M.

3/21 It’s reported that Kabbage will set up its European headquarters in Ireland

3/22 OnDeck expanded its credit facility with Deutsche Bank by $52M to a total of up to $214M

3/27 IOU Financial wins Gold Stevie Award for Best Use of Technology in Customer Service

3/30 In Advance Capital announced that they had secured access to an additional $50M

4/5

  • Budget passes in New York. Proposed lending legislation was not included in it.
  • Kabbage surpasses $3 billion funded to small businesses

See previous timelines:
12/16/16 – 2/16/17
9/27/16 – 12/16/16

Revenue Based Financing Continues to Spread at Global Pace

September 30, 2025
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uber eatsEarlier this month, Uber Eats joined the revenue-based financing movement by partnering with Pipe Capital.

Karl Hebert, Vice President of Global Commerce and Financial Services at Uber, said of it, “We are happy to team up with Pipe to bring working capital to Uber Eats. Restaurants are our partners at Uber, and the backbone of our communities, yet many struggle with access to capital.”

It’s an unsurprising step considering rival DoorDash rolled out a merchant cash advance program nearly four years ago, though Uber arguably began experimenting with MCAs nearly ten years ago. And Uber is hardly doing it just to do it. Uber, for example, rolled out Uber Eats Financing, a revenue based financing product in Mexico through a partnership with R2 this past January, which went so well that they also rolled it out in Chile months later.

In Chile with R2, the service is described as taking place entirely within the Uber Eats Manager App with a 5-minute application process and payments made automatically and deducted by a fixed percentage from sales made using the platform.

In the US with Pipe, it says that the Uber Eats App Manager will show capital offers from Pipe that are customized based on restaurant revenue, cash flow, and business performance.

Uber joins Amazon, Walmart, Shopify, Intuit, Stripe, DoorDash, PayPal, Square, GoDaddy, Wix, Squarespace and others in offering a revenue-based financing product.

Revenue-based financing as a product type is available in but not limited to the US, Canada, Mexico, Chile, UK, Germany, Ireland, Spain, South Africa, Nigeria, India, Hong Kong, Netherlands, Australia, Japan, Brazil, Singapore, and more.