MERCHANT CASH ADVANCE - FAQ (2024)

WHAT KIND OF MERCHANTS AND BUSINESS OWNERS CAN YOUR LAW FIRM HELP?

We represent small business owners from all over the country. Some for example are truckers, contractors, roofers, doctors, restaurants, gym owners, retailers, manufacturers and professionals. There is no “typical” client, since debt and high interest loans can effect any business and merchant owner.

DOES GRANT PHILLIPS LAW SETTLE MERCHANT CASH ADVANCE LOANS AND BUSINESS DEBT WITH ALL FUNDERS?

Yes, our law firm settles Merchant Cash Advance Loans with all Lenders including: Yellowstone, Everest (Ebf), Funding Circle, Can Capital, Kabbage, On Deck Financing, Lendini, Snap, Platinum, EIN Cap, Mantis, Pearl Beta, Green Capital, Capital Advanced Services, GTR Source, American Express, PayPal, Knight, Itria, 1st Global Systems, Bitty, Swift, Lendr, Wellen, Gibraltar, SRS, SPG Advance, Second Chance Funding, Forward Financing, National Capital, Landmark, Richmond, Alpha, Accel, ACH, Ace, Regal, Bluevine, One Park, Fundbox, Lending Club, Credibility, Lendio, Quarterspot, Fundation, Balboa, Credibly, Payability, National Funding, ML Factors, New Logic, Accord, Americas, BFS , CFG, Elevate, Fora, Fox, Fundworks, Fundzio, In Advance, GRP, Infinity, Jet, Kalamata, Lendfi, Max Advance, MFS Global, Merchant Cash Group, NextWave, Pledgecap and more!

ARE THERE ANY LAWS THAT GOVERN MERCHANT CASH ADVANCE LOANS?

There is currently no law that limits how much interest a merchant cash advance company can charge. Since merchant cash advances are not considered loans in the traditional legal sense, but rather a purchase of future credit card receivable revenues, legally they are considered purchases and thus there is no regulation associated with them, both on a State and Federal level. This means Merchant Cash Advance Funders don’t need to follow state usury laws, which are set by each State to limit how much interest companies can charge on traditional loans or credit cards, making this industry ripe for abuses and like the wild west. The one type of regulation these companies fall under is the Uniform Commercial Code “UCC.” However, this code was written to keep business transactions uniform, but it does not regulate interest rates or cap interest rates in anyway.

HOW CAN THE INTEREST RATES ON THESE MERCHANT CASH ADVANCE LOANS BE LEGAL?

Merchant Cash Advance funders charge excessively high fees that can be calculated as an interest rate. While most State Laws prevent the charging of interest in excess of 25% to 30%, a Merchant Cash Advance is well in excess of this. In fact, we have encountered funders that charge in excess of 500%! How can this be legal? Unfortunately, current State Usury Laws do not apply to Merchant Cash Lenders. They are not subject to state usury caps, arguing that the transaction with the borrowing merchant is not a loan, but rather a “cash advance against future revenues.” More specifically, the funders claim they are merely buying future credit card receivables from the small business owner. Why does this matter? There is a very small but significant difference between a purchase of future credit card revenues and a so called loan. Only a loan is subject to usuary laws. Thus, a Merchant Cash Advance interest rate is usually legal.

WHAT HAPPENS IF I DEFAULT ON MY MERCHANT CASH ADVANCE?

When a merchant defaults on their Merchant Cash Advance, there are multiple possible repercussions.

Your MCA Funder may choose to enforce all, or some of the following:

(1) File a UCC-1 Lien with an Information Subpoena and Restraining Notice with your creditors, in order to enforce its UCC-1 Lien filing.

These documents are designed to notify those creditors owing funds to the business that they are legally required to send those funds to the Merchant Cash Advance Funder rather than to the business.

(2) Additionally, a Merchant Cash Advance Funder may commence a lawsuit against the business and you personally, for “Breach of Contract” and “Unjust Enrichment.”

(3) Finally, an MCA Funder may also attempt to freeze or levy your bank accounts, including business and even personal bank accounts.

** Please note that your MCA Funder may try enforce its MCA Agreement through the above three tools; i.e. lawsuit, UCC Lien and or freezing a bank account, and each such action is independent of the other and one or all may be brought by the funder.

Therefore, an MCA Funder may choose to enforce all or some of the above enforcement mechanisms in the event of an MCA default.

* SOLUTIONS *

However, not every Merchant Cash Advance default is a breach of contract.

If your receivables have declined, for example, your non-payment and subsequent default may not be a breach of the Merchant Cash Advance Contract and you may not need to pay off the MCA.

For a thorough analysis of your legal rights and whether your default is a breach of contract and what may be done to defend your rights, call the Merchant Cash Advance Attorneys at:

Grant Phillips Law, PLLC 516.670.5165

TAKE BACK YOUR RECEIVABLES…

TAKE BACK
YOUR BUSINESS!

MERCHANT CASH ADVANCE - FAQ (2024)

FAQs

How does a merchant cash advance work? ›

What is a merchant cash advance? A merchant cash advance, or MCA, is an alternative type of business financing, and is not a traditional small-business loan. With an MCA, a company gives you an upfront sum of cash that you repay using a percentage of your debit and credit card sales, plus a fee.

What are the rules for cash advance? ›

When you take out a cash advance, you're borrowing money against your card's line of credit. You must repay this loan and the amount you transfer cannot exceed the current balance available on your credit card. The amount of the cash advance is then added to your credit card balance.

What are the risks of merchant cash advances? ›

Some merchant cash advances have APRs high as 200 percent of your total loan amount. This can result in costly loan payments. The APR equivalent is so much higher than traditional financing because a bank receives a monthly percentage on the balance your business owes, not the total amount of the loan.

What happens if you default on a merchant cash advance? ›

If you default on a merchant cash advance, there are several potential negative consequences: Heightened collection efforts: MCA providers may aggressively pursue collection efforts to recover the owed amount. This can include hiring collection agencies or taking legal action to enforce the repayment.

How do I get out of paying a merchant cash advance? ›

So if you're wondering how to get out of a merchant cash advance, here are some steps you can take.
  1. Renegotiate with MCA funder. ...
  2. Consolidate the Debt With a Term Loan. ...
  3. Apply for a Secured Loan. ...
  4. Settle the Debt. ...
  5. File for Bankruptcy. ...
  6. Explore MCA alternatives. ...
  7. Try to increase business profits. ...
  8. Make operational adjustments.
Mar 8, 2024

What is the difference between a loan and a merchant cash advance? ›

A merchant cash advance is not a loan. It functions as a cash advance based on future credit card sales. It involves receiving a lump sum in exchange for a percentage of daily credit card transactions, with fees and the remittance process differing from standard loans.

Do cash advances have to be paid back? ›

You might be able to pay back a cash advance as soon as it's posted to your account. However, you may need to repay more than you borrowed because many credit cards charge a cash advance fee. Interest can also start accruing daily, leading to a larger balance if you don't pay off the cash advance quickly.

What are the pros and cons of a cash advance? ›

Cash advance pros and cons
ProsCons
Immediate access to fundsLimited withdrawal amounts
Typically no credit check is requiredPotential impact on credit score
ConvenientHigh interest rates and fees

Is there a limit for cash advance? ›

What is a cash advance limit? The cash advance limit on your credit card is typically a percentage of your overall credit limit and represents the maximum amount of cash you can withdraw from an ATM or bank using your card. The withdrawal acts like a short-term loan against your card's cash advance limit.

Are MCA loans bad? ›

An MCA may be a convenient form of credit but the borrower ultimately pays for this convenience with extremely high interest, charges and fees. Complex contracts and difficulty in calculating the cost of borrowing compared with other finance can make it difficult to make an informed decision.

Can you write off a merchant cash advance? ›

According to Ask a Lender, a business owner with a merchant cash advance may be able to deduct the fees from his or her taxes as a business expense. As money is being deducted from the daily credit card receipts, a business owner can deduct the portion that represents the fees paid.

Can a merchant cash advance company freeze your bank account? ›

BANK ACCOUNT & PAYMENT PROCESSOR – LEVIES AND HOLDS

Lastly, a Merchant Cash Advance funder may also attempt to freeze or levy your bank accounts and or your payment processors.

How to lower MCA payments? ›

You have nothing to lose by asking the MCA lender to lower your payments. You specifically should request what is called a “reconciliation.” The lender then may review your current financial records and possibly lower your payments based upon reduced revenues, at least temporarily.

What is a standard merchant cash advance agreement? ›

The term Merchant Cash Advance (MCA), first used by Les Falke to label AdvanceMe's product, is now commonly used to describe a variety of small business financing options characterized by purchasing future sales revenue in exchange for short payment terms (generally under 24 months) and small regular payments ( ...

How are merchant cash advances repaid? ›

To repay the cash advance, a small percentage is calculated and is taken with each credit card sale over the repayment period. The agreed upon percentage is called a “holdback.” The lender withholds that amount each day, until the cash advance is paid back in full.

Can a merchant cash advance hurt your credit? ›

While merchant cash advances aren't directly reported to the credit bureaus, failing to repay an MCA can still hurt your credit in indirect ways: Defaults or late payments – If you fall behind on MCA payments, the provider may send the account to collections or file a lawsuit to recoup the money owed.

How does paying back a cash advance work? ›

You might be able to pay back a cash advance as soon as it's posted to your account. However, you may need to repay more than you borrowed because many credit cards charge a cash advance fee. Interest can also start accruing daily, leading to a larger balance if you don't pay off the cash advance quickly.

Do cash advances hurt credit score? ›

Using your credit card for a cash advance doesn't directly affect your credit score. Your credit report won't show that you used your credit card to get cash. However, the cash advance does increase your credit card balance and could hurt your credit score if it pushes your credit utilization ratio too high.

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