At a Glance
Rating Breakdown
Performance Overview
Scores out of 5, based on our editorial analysis
About True Advance
True Advance is an Austin-based merchant cash advance provider founded in 2013 with a stated mission to bring pricing transparency to an industry that has historically been criticized for opaque fee structures, buried contract clauses, and undisclosed origination charges. The company was founded by three former fintech executives who had previously built lending technology for banks and were troubled by the lack of consumer protections in the MCA space. Their founding principle was simple: every cost should be visible before the merchant signs anything. True Advance was among the first MCA companies to voluntarily adopt the SMART Box disclosure standard created by the Innovative Lending Platform Association (ILPA), which presents pricing in a standardized format showing total cost of capital, effective APR estimate, average monthly payment, and cents-on-dollar cost. Factor rates range from 1.10 to 1.38, with the lowest rates available to businesses with 3+ years of history, monthly deposits above $30,000, and no existing MCA obligations. With over $800 million funded to date, True Advance has demonstrated that transparency can coexist with profitability in MCA. Their one-page pricing summary accompanies every offer and includes the advance amount, factor rate, total repayment amount, estimated effective APR, origination fee (which is always $0), and a complete day-by-day or week-by-week amortization schedule showing the declining balance after each payment. They charge zero origination fees, zero processing fees, and zero administrative fees, making the factor rate the only cost component. True Advance also offers an early payoff discount that rebates a portion of the unearned factor rate cost if the merchant repays ahead of schedule, a feature that fewer than 10% of MCA companies provide. They require at least 1 year in business, minimum monthly deposits of $15,000, and a personal credit score of 580 or higher. The company publishes quarterly transparency reports on their website showing average factor rates, approval rates, average advance size, default rates, and Net Promoter Score, holding themselves publicly accountable in a way that no other MCA funder does.
Key Features
One-Page Pricing Summary
Every offer comes with a single-page document showing: advance amount, factor rate, total repayment amount, estimated effective APR (calculated using the same methodology banks use for loans), the complete payment schedule with dates and declining balance, and a clear statement that there are no additional fees of any kind. This is not a marketing summary but the actual binding pricing terms. True Advance reports that merchants who compare their one-page summary against competitors' offers discover hidden fees or higher effective costs in the competing offers approximately 60% of the time.
SMART Box Disclosure
True Advance was among the first MCA companies to adopt the SMART Box standardized pricing format created by the Innovative Lending Platform Association. The SMART Box presents four key metrics in a uniform format: total cost of capital in dollars, annual percentage rate estimate, average monthly payment, and cents-on-dollar cost. Because fewer than 15% of MCA companies use this format, True Advance prints both their SMART Box and a plain-English comparison guide to help merchants convert competitors' non-standardized offers into equivalent terms.
No Hidden Fees
True Advance charges exactly zero origination fees, zero processing fees, zero administrative fees, zero wire transfer fees, and zero late payment fees. The factor rate is the sole cost component. This is verifiable in their contract, which explicitly states that no fees shall be charged beyond the factor rate spread. For comparison, many MCA providers deduct origination fees of 2-5% from the advance amount at funding, meaning a $50,000 advance only delivers $47,500-$49,000 in net proceeds while the factor rate still applies to the full $50,000.
Early Payoff Discount
True Advance offers a meaningful early payoff discount that rebates a portion of the unearned factor rate cost. The discount follows a declining schedule: repayment in the first 25% of the term earns a rebate of approximately 50% of the remaining factor rate cost, repayment between 25-50% of term earns roughly 35%, and repayment between 50-75% earns approximately 15%. For example, a $50,000 advance at a 1.22 factor rate (total repayment $61,000) repaid at the 30% mark might save approximately $3,850 off the remaining balance. Fewer than 10% of MCA companies offer any early payoff discount.
Published Performance Metrics
True Advance publishes quarterly transparency reports on their website showing average factor rates funded, approval rate percentage, average advance size, portfolio default rate, and Net Promoter Score. Their most recent report showed an average funded factor rate of 1.21, an approval rate of 62%, an average advance size of $78,000, a default rate of 8.4%, and an NPS of 71. No other MCA company publishes this level of operational data, which creates public accountability for maintaining competitive pricing and service quality.
How It Works
Apply in Minutes
Complete the short application and connect your business bank account for automated statement retrieval. No manual document uploads required.
Transparent Evaluation
True Advance evaluates your revenue and provides a decision within hours. You are notified of both approval and the specific reasons for any decline.
Review Clear Offer
Receive the one-page pricing summary with all costs disclosed. Compare using the SMART Box format and ask questions before committing.
Fund with Confidence
Accept the offer knowing exactly what you will repay. Funds arrive in 1-2 business days with no surprise deductions from the advance amount.
What They Do
- Merchant Cash Advance
- Revenue-Based Financing
- Working Capital
- Business Line of Credit
Debt Types They Take On
- Merchant Cash Advance
- Revenue-Based Financing
- Working Capital Advance
Fee & Cost Structure
Regulatory & Trust
Review Summary
Notable Case Studies
Auto Body Shop Expansion
An auto body shop owner in San Antonio compared offers from three MCA providers for $65,000 in capital to upgrade his paint booth. Provider A offered 1.25 factor rate with a 3% origination fee ($1,950 deducted). Provider B offered 1.22 factor rate with a 2% origination fee and a $500 processing fee. True Advance offered 1.18 factor rate with zero fees. The True Advance one-page summary made it immediately clear that their total cost was $11,700, compared to $18,200 from Provider A and $15,830 from Provider B.
Salon Chain Working Capital
A three-location hair salon chain in Austin needed $200,000 for renovation across all locations and hiring 6 additional stylists. The owner had a previous bad experience with an MCA provider that deducted a 4% origination fee, charged a $750 document preparation fee, and added an undisclosed $1,200 administrative fee, reducing the actual funded amount by $10,750 while the factor rate applied to the full $200,000.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Unmatched pricing transparency with a one-page summary that shows advance amount, factor rate, total repayment, estimated effective APR, and complete amortization schedule, making it easy to compare against any competing offer.
- Absolutely zero fees beyond the factor rate: no origination fee, no processing fee, no administrative charges, no wire fees, and no late fees, which means the full advance amount is deposited and the quoted cost is the real cost.
- Early payoff discount rebates up to 50% of the remaining factor rate cost for early repayment, which can save thousands of dollars and is a feature that fewer than 10% of MCA companies offer.
- Voluntary adoption of the SMART Box standardized disclosure format and publication of quarterly performance metrics including average factor rates, default rates, and NPS scores creates a level of public accountability unmatched in the MCA industry.
- Factor rates starting at 1.10 for the strongest applicants are among the lowest available in merchant cash advance, and even the average funded rate of 1.21 is well below the industry average of approximately 1.30-1.35.
Cons
- Minimum advance of $10,000 excludes micro-businesses that need small capital injections of $2,000-$8,000, forcing these smaller borrowers to work with providers that may not offer the same transparency.
- Requires at least 1 year in business and minimum monthly deposits of $15,000, which shuts out startups and very small businesses that may benefit most from transparent pricing because they are least equipped to decode opaque offers.
- The thorough underwriting process including automated bank analysis and manual review typically takes 24-48 hours, which is slower than same-day funders for merchants with urgent capital needs.
- True Advance does not fund second-position advances and requires that any existing MCA be fully paid off before funding, which means merchants who already have an active advance cannot access True Advance's superior pricing and transparency.
User Reviews (31)
horrible
What a joke. True Advance advertises like they're helping small businesses but they're just extracting money from desperate people. $10K at 1.24?? DO NOT DO IT.
meh
True Advance is just another MCA company. $150K at 1.35. They're all the same honestly. Fast money expensive money.
pretty good
fine
not bad
10/10
fast funding
They do what they say. $20K funded quick.
good people
Didn't think I'd get approved bc my credit is garbage but True Advance looked at my bank statements and said yes. Got $250K for my nail salon. Tanya was super helpful.
impressed
Good experience. Would use again.
my go-to now
Way better than the last MCA company I used. True Advance actually picks up the phone. Got $80K and the rate was 1.18.
mostly good
Worked out fine. $80K at 1.38. Nothing special but nothing bad either.
worked out great
Just got my second advance from them. Rate dropped from last time. True Advance is solid.
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Important Merchant Cash Advance Disclaimers
- A merchant cash advance is not a loan. It is a purchase of future receivables at a discount. Factor rates, not APRs, are used to express the cost of capital. Effective APRs on merchant cash advances can range from 40% to over 350% depending on the term and factor rate.
- Repayment is typically collected daily or weekly via automatic ACH debits or a percentage of credit card sales. This means your repayment amount fluctuates with revenue but withdrawals occur every business day, which can strain cash flow during slow periods.
- Most MCA agreements require a personal guarantee from the business owner. In the event of default, the MCA provider may pursue the owner's personal assets, including bank accounts and property.
- MCA providers commonly file UCC-1 liens against your business assets. This lien may prevent you from obtaining additional financing until the advance is fully repaid and the lien is released.
- Merchant cash advances are not regulated by federal lending laws such as the Truth in Lending Act (TILA). State regulations vary widely, and some states have limited consumer protections for MCA products.
- Stacking multiple merchant cash advances (taking a second advance before the first is repaid) significantly increases the risk of default and can lead to aggressive collection actions including confessions of judgment in some jurisdictions.
- Zogby does not provide merchant cash advances or business financing. We are an independent comparison service. We do not fund advances, process applications, or guarantee approval on your behalf.
This page is informational, not financial or legal advice. Talk to a qualified professional before making any big money decisions.
Editorial Independence
We make money from some companies on this page. That doesn't change our rankings -- the editorial team scores every product independently, and the business side has no say in what we recommend.