Merchant cash advances are one of the most innovative products in alternative business finance. The concept has only existed for a few years, but it's already proving very popular with retail businesses and the leisure sector. Put simply, a merchant cash advance uses your card terminal to 'secure' lending - perfect for businesses without many assets, but who have a good volume of card transactions every month. Repayments are then taken as a proportion of your revenue, making it a quick and easy funding solution for many SMEs.