How do you compare offers for a merchant cash advance side by side?

Owners holding offers: line them up the same way.

Compare offers on the same lines: cash you receive after fees, total payback, pull size and how often it runs, estimated term, and every fee. Then divide the cost by the cash you receive. The biggest offer does not always cost the least per dollar in hand.

By the Afterfirst Editorial Team · Last updated September 24, 2026

Which lines should you compare across offers?

Put each offer in its own column and fill in these lines. Leave a blank if an offer does not show a line, then ask for it.

Line	Where it shows up	Why it matters
Cash you receive	Funding or disbursement amount	Fees and payoffs come out first
Total payback	Purchased amount or total repayment	The full amount collected
Cost	Total payback minus cash received	The dollar price of the advance
Pull size and schedule	Daily or weekly payment	What the account must cover
Estimated term	Estimate based on expected sales	How long the pull runs
Other fees	Fee list in the contract	Costs outside the payback
Early payoff terms	Prepayment section	Whether paying early saves money
Reconciliation	Adjustment section	Whether the pull can follow real sales

Some states list many of these lines as required disclosures. New York's law lists an estimated annual percentage rate among them (see Sources).

How do you work out the cost per dollar?

Subtract the cash you receive from the total payback. Then divide that cost by the cash you receive. Do this for each offer.

Offers that deduct fees at funding

When fees come out of the funding, the cash you receive is lower. Use that lower figure.

Payoffs inside the offer

If an offer pays off an old advance, subtract the payoff too. Only what lands in your account counts.

Estimated APR on a disclosure

Some disclosures show an estimated APR. It depends on assumed sales, so it can differ from what you end up paying. Our factor rate and APR guide explains why.

When two offers look the same

If the cost per dollar is close, compare pull size and early payoff terms next.

The pull against a slow week

Check each offer's pull against your slowest recent week. A cheaper offer with a pull you cannot carry is not cheaper.

FAQ

What is the true cost of an offer?

It is total payback minus the cash you receive. Divide by the cash received to compare offers of different sizes. Fees outside the payback add to it.

Does collecting several offers hurt my credit?

Each funder that quotes sets its own steps, and they are not the same. Before you sign, ask how any credit review works.

How long do I have to decide on an offer?

Each funder sets its own window, and offers can expire. Ask when yours ends. Take the time to line them up before signing.

How do I compare offers if I already have an advance?

Add the new pull to the one you already pay. Compare that combined total across offers. An offer that pays off the old advance may leave less cash.

Should I pick the offer with the smallest factor rate?

Not by that alone. Fees, the cash you receive and the term change the real cost. Use cost per dollar received.

Next step

Owners can apply once and get offers laid out on the same lines. Brokers can send files through the partner program.

Apply once

Sources

New York Financial Services Law section 803: the New York list that includes an estimated annual percentage rate, as cited above the cost-per-dollar steps for comparing offers; fetched 2026-09-24.
California DFPI, Commercial Financing Disclosures: California's SB 1235 page, the second example of a state disclosure behind the compare offers line list; fetched 2026-09-24.

Send one file.
See what fits.

Start a merchant cash advance application, or write to the desk. Afterfirst MCA is not a lender.