Merchant Cash Advance Calculator: find the true cost
Enter the advance, factor rate, fees and how long payback should take, and see the total cost in dollars, an estimated APR and every payment.
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Example numbers. Change them to match a quote you have.
Payback = amount x factor rate
Origination, underwriting and other fees taken out of the advance
Total cost
$18,500
You pay back $67,500 for $49,000 in hand
- Estimated APR
- 90%
- Daily payment
- $357
- Number of payments
- 189
- Cost per $1 received
- $0.38
For comparison: a bank loan of the same amount at 10.98% APR over 9 months costs about $2,315, for owners who qualify.
Find offers that beat thisYour amount carries into the quiz, already filled in.
An estimate, not an offer. An MCA has no fixed term; the APR assumes payback at the pace you entered.
What you still owe, month by month
The cash advance line shows the payback still to be collected. The loan line shows the principal still owed on a term loan of the same $50,000 over the same 9 months.
Change this to a loan quote you have.
| Same amount, same 9 months | Cash advance | Loan at 35.0% APR |
|---|---|---|
| Total paid back | $67,500 | $57,571 |
| Cost above the cash you received | $18,500 | $7,571 |
| Payment | $357 each business day | $6,397 a month |
| Estimated APR | 90% | 35.0% |
Payment schedule
189 payments of $357.14 at the pace you entered.
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How the math works
A merchant cash advance is a purchase of future receivables, collected by a split of sales or a fixed debit, subject to reconciliation. Its price is a factor rate, not interest. Here is what the calculator does with your numbers.
- Payback = advance x factor rate. A $50,000 advance at a 1.35 factor rate means $67,500 to pay back.
- Cash in hand = advance minus upfront fees. Fees taken out of the advance raise the true cost.
- Total cost = payback minus cash in hand.
- Payments: we count 252 business days or 52 weeks a year, and split the payback evenly over the time you entered.
- Estimated APR: the yearly rate at which those payments are worth exactly your cash in hand. That is how a loan with the same cash flow would be quoted.
A cash advance has no fixed term. If your sales slow and a split of sales collects less each day, payback takes longer and the estimated APR falls, but the dollar cost stays the same. If payback is faster, the APR rises.
The loan comparison starts at 35% APR, the lowest interest rate NerdWallet lists for OnDeck's online term loan. Change it to any loan quote you have.
Watch out
Ask for the total payback in dollars, the payment and how often it is taken, and every fee, in writing, before you sign. If a quote only gives you a factor rate, run it here first.
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Sources
- NerdWallet, Is a Merchant Cash Advance Right for Your Business? (factor rates, effective APRs, terms), accessed Oct 20, 2026
- Fundera, Is a Merchant Cash Advance (MCA) Worth It? (factor rates), accessed Oct 20, 2026
- NerdWallet, Best Small Business Loans (OnDeck online term loan, minimum interest rate), accessed Oct 20, 2026