Part 1Build principles
- Build this as a long-form product and decision page within the site’s existing header, footer, navigation, design system and content width.
- Use the supplied written page verbatim. Preserve its headings and terminology; the section names in this guide identify content by subject and are not replacement headings.
- Keep the content in the order specified below, even if the supplied headings use different wording.
- Do not invent funding limits, factor rates, qualification thresholds, fees, policies, review data, phone numbers or legal terms. Use the supplied copy and the site’s existing global business data.
- Resolve CTA URLs, phone numbers, opening hours and internal product links from existing site settings or live components rather than hardcoding duplicates.
- Do not hide disadvantages, default information, eligibility conditions or contract checks in tabs, accordions, tooltips or an FAQ. All decision-critical content must be visible on the page.
- Use one H1. Use the supplied H2s and H3s in a logical hierarchy.
- Do not create an embedded application form unless one is included in the existing application flow. Page CTAs should open the established application route.
- Do not turn the page into a lender comparison, marketplace or list of other MCA providers.
Part 2Page shell and visual treatment
Use the site’s standard page template with:
- Existing global header and footer
- Full-width hero background with an inner constrained container
- Maximum main container width consistent with the site, ideally around 1120–1200px
- Prose columns no wider than approximately 720–780px
- Existing button, card, table, icon, testimonial and banner components wherever available
- Clear section spacing and restrained alternating backgrounds to distinguish major topics
- No floating pop-ups or page-specific navigation that obscures the content
- No text embedded in images
Part 3Page order and component map
A. Hero: offer and primary action
Build the opening as a responsive two-column hero.
Left column
Place:
- The page H1
- The opening two-sentence explanation of the offer and suitable business profile
- Primary application button
- Click-to-call phone link with the accompanying specialist wording
- The soft-credit-pull and no-obligation statement immediately below the CTA
The application button must use the site’s primary CTA style and lead to the existing MCA or general funding application.
Right column
Create a four-tile terms grid using the four offer values in the supplied copy:
- Funding amount
- Factor rates from
- Terms
- Time to fund
Each tile needs a short label and a prominent text value. Do not render the values as image text.
Place the paragraph explaining how an individual funding amount is determined directly under the tiles. Include the short timing clarification about decisions, funding after signing and incomplete statements in this same hero area.
Responsive behavior
- Desktop: copy on the left and terms grid on the right.
- Tablet/mobile: H1 and intro first, CTA and phone second, terms tiles below.
- Terms tiles become two columns on small screens and one column only when necessary.
- Keep the CTA visible in the first mobile viewport where practical, but do not add a sticky CTA bar.
B. MCA definition, mechanics, uses and suitable businesses
This section begins with the supplied explanation of what an MCA is and whether it is a loan.
Use a two-column composition:
- Main content column: definition and legal/practical distinction from a loan
- Supporting column: the five-step “how it works” sequence
Render the mechanics as an ordered list with visually distinct step numbers. Keep the line explaining what figures appear in the agreement directly after the list.
Below that, present:
- Business uses as a bulleted list, retaining each short use-case scenario
- The business-use-only restriction
- The suitable-business profile and industries as normal visible copy
Industry names may be displayed as a compact inline list or simple chips, but they must remain crawlable text rather than icons alone.
Use one approved, decorative image of a card terminal, register or business checkout environment if an appropriate site asset exists. Give it empty alt text when it adds no information. If no approved asset exists, use a restrained decorative icon treatment rather than importing an unrelated stock image.
C. Cost, worked example and calculator
Treat this as a major section with four distinct parts, all visible.
1. Factor-rate explanation
Use normal prose for the explanation of:
- What the factor rate multiplies
- How total payback is calculated
- The provider’s range
- What affects the offered factor
- The fact that it is fixed at signing
Keep any mathematical expression as real text.
2. Worked cost example
Place the supplied example in a highlighted card. Use a semantic table with the following row labels, matching the values in the copy:
- Advance
- Factor rate
- Total payback
- Dollar cost
- Estimated term
- Business days
- Daily payment
Place the weekly equivalent and slower-sales explanation immediately below the table.
On mobile, keep the example readable either as a two-column key/value table or stacked definition list. Do not shrink the text to fit.
3. APR, fees and early payoff
Keep the APR comparison in open prose directly after the example.
Render fees as a definition list, with the fee or policy as the term and its explanation as the definition. Include all supplied details about origination or underwriting charges, deductions from proceeds, ACH or processing fees, servicing fees and late fees.
Place the early-payoff and renewal policy in a separate bordered sub-block. Do not imply that early payoff reduces the total unless the supplied policy explicitly says it does.
4. Interactive calculator
Build a lightweight in-page calculator without an external embed or lead form.
Inputs
- Advance amount
- Factor rate
- Average monthly sales
- Holdback percentage
Use labelled numeric fields. Range controls may be added only if they remain synchronized with editable numeric fields.
Use the provider ranges stated in the copy for field guidance and validation. Set initial values from the worked example. Do not invent broader provider limits.
Outputs
Update the following immediately when an input changes:
- Total payback
- Estimated daily remittance
- Approximate number of days
Use these formulas:
totalPayback = advanceAmount × factorRate
monthlyRemittance = monthlySales × (holdbackPercentage ÷ 100)
estimatedDailyRemittance = monthlyRemittance ÷ remittanceDaysPerMonth
approximateDays = ceiling(totalPayback ÷ estimatedDailyRemittance)
Use 22 business remittance days per month unless the supplied copy states a different assumption. If it does, use the stated assumption so the calculator and worked example agree.
Formatting:
- Currency: localized US dollar formatting
- Factor rate: two decimal places
- Holdback: percentage
- Days: whole number
Requirements:
- Validate positive values and show errors next to the affected field.
- Recalculate without a page reload.
- Put output updates in an
aria-live="polite"region. - Include the supplied illustration-only disclaimer below the results.
- Do not submit or retain calculator values.
D. Repayment methods and cash-flow check
Create two equal-width labelled blocks:
- Sales-based holdback
- Fixed daily or weekly ACH
Each block must include its related example and collection details.
After the blocks, place:
- The consolidated line naming processor split, lockbox and ACH collection routes
- The reconciliation process and instructions
- The three-line affordability test
Style the affordability test as a visible callout, not a tooltip. It should make the comparison against average deposits and a slow week easy to scan.
On mobile, stack the two repayment blocks while preserving their order.
E. Qualification, credit and required documents
Break this section into four visible parts.
Requirements checklist
Use a two-column checklist:
- Required
- Not required
Use positive labels rather than relying only on green checks or red crosses. Include the note for newer businesses under the checklist.
Bad-credit explanation
Keep this as normal prose below the checklist. Do not visually minimize the decline reasons or the effect of a weaker file on pricing.
Credit-impact table
Use a semantic three-row table:
- At application
- During repayment
- After default
Include a proper header row and retain the line explaining when a full credit check may occur.
Document checklist
Use a compact checklist with every supplied document. Keep the statement about bank statements visible beneath or within the list.
F. Application process and mid-page CTA
Render the supplied application process as a five-step numbered stepper.
Each step should show:
- Step number
- Short step title from the supplied content
- Supporting timing or document detail
Place the advisor/accountant review note in a highlighted but neutral callout after the written-offer step or immediately below the stepper.
End this section with:
- Primary application button
- Click-to-call funding specialist link
- No-obligation language where supplied
Both actions must use the same live destinations as the hero.
G. Suitability, risks, pros and cons, and alternatives
This section contains the main decision content and should be visually substantial.
When it makes sense
Use prose followed by a highlighted margin example. Preserve all numbers in the supplied example and make the comparison between expected gross profit and finance cost easy to identify.
When to avoid it
Use a short, fully visible list. Do not place it in an accordion or low-contrast warning box.
Pros and cons
Build a two-column comparison:
- Advantages
- Drawbacks and what they mean
Each drawback must retain the accompanying explanation of how the provider handles or mitigates it. Do not shorten this to one-word labels.
Stack the columns on mobile, with advantages followed by drawbacks.
Product alternatives table
Use a semantic comparison table with these columns:
- Product
- Speed
- How the business qualifies
- Cost level
- How payment works
- Best for
Include the products covered in the supplied copy:
- Merchant cash advance
- Term loan
- Business line of credit
- SBA loan
- Invoice factoring
- Business credit card
- Revenue-based financing
Link the term-loan and line-of-credit product names to the site’s existing live pages. If a corresponding live destination does not exist, leave the product name as text rather than creating a dead link.
Wrap the table in an accessible horizontally scrollable container on narrow screens. Keep the first column visually distinct. Do not remove columns on mobile.
H. Contract checks, provider legitimacy, regulation and default
This is the final decision and safety section. Keep every part open and readable.
Before-signing checklist
Render each contract item as a checklist row with:
- Term or issue
- What good disclosure looks like
- Any provider-specific policy stated in the copy
Include every supplied item:
- Net cash after fees
- Purchased amount and factor rate
- Remittance amount and frequency
- Estimated term
- Reconciliation right
- Personal guarantee
- Confession of judgment
- UCC lien
- Early-payoff terms
- Restrictions on additional financing
- Whether the counterparty is a broker or direct funder
- Broker fee, where applicable
Glossary
Place the contract vocabulary in a bordered glossary box using a semantic definition list. Include purchase price, purchased amount, holdback or specified percentage, factor rate, remittance and estimated term.
Legitimacy and regulation
Keep the legitimate-provider markers, red flags, direct-funder statement and regulation explanation in normal visible copy. A simple two-column “legitimate markers / red flags” treatment is acceptable, but no content may be collapsed.
Do not add badges or regulatory claims not supplied by the client.
If the business cannot pay
Use a two-part block:
- What an MCA agreement may permit after default
- What this provider does first when sales fall
Make the “contact the funding team early” instruction prominent. Preserve the supplied statement concerning SBA refinancing exactly; do not broaden it into legal or financial advice.
I. Reviews
Use the site’s existing testimonial component or a static three-card grid.
Include:
- Visible rating platform
- Rating score
- Review count
- Two or three supplied quotes
- Business type, use of funds and funding speed where provided
- Link to the named review platform
Do not fabricate reviews, names, star ratings or counts. Do not use a carousel when there are only two or three quotes; keep all reviews visible.
Only add aggregate-rating structured data if the site already uses valid, supported markup for first-party pages and the visible rating data exactly matches it.
J. Closing CTA banner
Finish with a full-width, high-contrast CTA banner containing:
- Closing heading
- Primary application button
- Click-to-call phone number
- Specialist hours
- Soft-credit-pull and no-obligation statement
Use the same CTA label and destination as earlier page actions.
Part 4Responsive requirements
- Use a single-column reading order on mobile.
- Minimum touch target: 44×44px.
- Terms tiles: four across only where space permits; otherwise two across.
- Two-column content blocks stack in source order.
- Tables remain semantic and scroll horizontally inside their own containers.
- Do not reduce body copy below the site’s normal mobile type size.
- Phone numbers must use
tel:links. - Avoid fixed-height cards that could clip longer supplied copy.
Part 5Accessibility
- One H1 followed by properly nested H2s and H3s.
- Use native ordered lists, unordered lists, definition lists and tables.
- Give every table a visible or screen-reader-accessible caption.
- Add table header scopes.
- Do not communicate required/not required, pros/cons or warnings by color alone.
- Ensure calculator fields have persistent labels, input instructions and inline errors.
- Decorative imagery should have empty alt text.
- Maintain the site’s WCAG-compliant focus styles and color contrast.
- Avoid auto-advancing components.
Part 6SEO and page configuration
- New-page slug:
/merchant-cash-advance/ - If replacing an existing MCA page, retain its established URL and canonical instead.
- Use the SEO title and meta description supplied with the written page.
- If no title is supplied, use:
Merchant Cash Advance: Terms, Costs and How to Apply | [Brand] - Set a self-referencing canonical.
- Ensure the page is indexable and included in the XML sitemap.
- Use a visible breadcrumb only if breadcrumbs are part of the existing site pattern.
- Add
BreadcrumbListstructured data when a visible breadcrumb is present. - Use the site’s standard
WebPageand organization markup. Do not classify the MCA as a consumer loan in schema. - Do not add FAQ schema because the page does not require a separate FAQ section.
- Link naturally to the site’s term-loan and business-line-of-credit pages from the alternatives section.
Part 7Analytics
Use the site’s existing event conventions. Track at minimum:
- Application CTA clicks, with location: hero, application section or closing banner
- Phone-link clicks, with the same location value
- First successful calculator calculation
- Outbound review-platform link clicks
Do not create duplicate analytics libraries.
Part 8Final acceptance checks
Before publishing, confirm that:
- All supplied product numbers and policies appear exactly as written.
- Hero, application section and closing banner use the same live application route and phone data.
- The terms strip contains four text-based values.
- The worked example and calculator produce internally consistent figures.
- Cost, disadvantages, contract clauses and default information are not collapsed.
- Requirements, credit impact and documents use the specified checklist/table formats.
- The comparison table includes all seven funding products.
- Term-loan and line-of-credit links point to live internal pages.
- No competitor list, escape-from-debt guide or unrelated FAQ has been added.
- Reviews and rating data are genuine and visibly sourced.
- The page has one H1, a valid canonical, working mobile tables and no broken CTA links.