How to use these prompts: Paste into ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini. Fill in the [BRACKET] variables with your real numbers. The more specific your inputs, the more useful the AI's analysis. Use multiple prompts in sequence to build a complete picture of your funding situation.
Calculating & Understanding MCA Costs
Use these to cut through factor rate confusion and understand true cost of capital.
Cost Analysis
Calculate True Annual Cost of an MCA Offer
I received an MCA offer for my restaurant. Please calculate the true cost and APR equivalent.
Advance amount: $[ADVANCE_AMOUNT]
Factor rate: [FACTOR_RATE] (e.g., 1.35)
Repayment term: [TERM_DAYS] business days
My average daily revenue: $[DAILY_REVENUE]
Calculate:
1. Total payback amount
2. Total cost of the advance
3. Daily payment amount
4. Approximate APR equivalent
5. What percentage of my daily revenue will this payment consume?
6. Is this advance sustainable given my daily revenue?
Comparison
Compare Two MCA Offers Side by Side
I have two MCA offers for my restaurant. Compare them objectively.
Offer A:
- Advance: $[OFFER_A_ADVANCE]
- Factor rate: [OFFER_A_RATE]
- Term: [OFFER_A_TERM] business days
Offer B:
- Advance: $[OFFER_B_ADVANCE]
- Factor rate: [OFFER_B_RATE]
- Term: [OFFER_B_TERM] business days
My average monthly deposits: $[MONTHLY_DEPOSITS]
Show me: total cost, daily payment, cost as % of monthly revenue, and which is better for my situation with explanation.
Application Preparation
Prepare your application documents and address potential issues before submitting.
LOE Writing
Write an NSF Explanation Letter
Write a professional Letter of Explanation for NSFs on my restaurant bank statements. I need to attach this to an MCA application.
Context:
- Restaurant type: [RESTAURANT_TYPE] (e.g., casual dining, fast casual, pizzeria)
- Location: [CITY, STATE]
- Number of NSFs: [NSF_COUNT] in [MONTH/YEAR]
- Reason: [REASON] (e.g., a large equipment repair that hit the same week as a slow week)
- What has changed since: [IMPROVEMENT] (e.g., established a $3,000 minimum balance rule)
Write a 2–3 paragraph letter explaining the circumstances professionally and demonstrating that the issue was isolated and resolved.
Document Prep
Review My Application Profile for Weaknesses
I'm preparing to apply for an MCA for my restaurant. Review my profile and identify potential issues an underwriter might flag.
My profile:
- Monthly deposits (avg 3 months): $[AVG_DEPOSITS]
- Month 1: $[MONTH1], Month 2: $[MONTH2], Month 3: $[MONTH3]
- NSFs in the period: [NSF_COUNT]
- Average daily balance: $[AVG_BALANCE]
- Existing MCA positions: [EXISTING_POSITIONS]
- Time in business: [YEARS] years
- Credit score (owner): [CREDIT_SCORE]
What are my 3 biggest weaknesses? What documents should I prepare to address them? What amount should I realistically expect to qualify for?
Cash Flow Analysis
Analyze your restaurant's cash flow and model the impact of an MCA advance.
Cash Flow Model
Model 90-Day Cash Flow With MCA Payment
Model my restaurant's cash flow for the next 90 days if I take an MCA advance. I want to see if the daily payment is sustainable.
My monthly revenue:
- Current month: $[CURRENT_MONTH_REV]
- Next month (expected): $[NEXT_MONTH_REV]
- Month 3 (expected): $[MONTH3_REV]
Monthly expenses:
- Food/beverage cost: $[FOOD_COST]
- Labor: $[LABOR]
- Rent: $[RENT]
- Other fixed costs: $[OTHER_FIXED]
- Variable costs: $[VARIABLE]
MCA advance I'm considering:
- Daily payment: $[DAILY_PAYMENT]
- Term: [TERM_DAYS] business days
Show a monthly cash flow projection including the MCA payment, and flag any months where I might be tight.
Seasonal Planning
Identify My Best Application Window
My restaurant is [TYPE] in [CITY]. Help me identify the best time of year to apply for an MCA based on seasonal revenue patterns.
My monthly revenue pattern (approximate):
January: $[JAN], February: $[FEB], March: $[MAR], April: $[APR]
May: $[MAY], June: $[JUN], July: $[JUL], August: $[AUG]
September: $[SEP], October: $[OCT], November: $[NOV], December: $[DEC]
Given that MCA offers are based on my most recent 3 months of bank statements, which 3-month window would produce the largest advance at the best rate? What months should I avoid applying in?
Capital Deployment Planning
Get the most return from your advance by planning how to deploy it.
ROI Analysis
Calculate ROI on Capital Investment for Restaurant
I'm taking an MCA advance of $[ADVANCE] at a total cost of $[TOTAL_COST] to invest in [INVESTMENT_TYPE] for my restaurant. Calculate whether this is a good financial decision.
Investment details:
- What I'm buying/investing in: [DESCRIPTION]
- Expected revenue increase per month: $[REVENUE_INCREASE]
- Expected cost savings per month: $[COST_SAVINGS]
- How long until the investment generates returns: [MONTHS]
MCA cost: $[TOTAL_COST] over [TERM_MONTHS] months
Is the ROI positive after the cost of capital? How many months until I break even? What's the net gain over 12 months?
Use Case Ranking
Rank My Capital Use Cases by ROI
I have $[ADVANCE_AMOUNT] in working capital for my restaurant. Help me rank these potential uses by likely ROI and strategic value:
1. [USE_CASE_1] — estimated cost $[COST_1]
2. [USE_CASE_2] — estimated cost $[COST_2]
3. [USE_CASE_3] — estimated cost $[COST_3]
4. [USE_CASE_4] — estimated cost $[COST_4]
My restaurant does $[MONTHLY_REV]/month in revenue with approximately [MARGIN]% net margin. The capital costs me approximately $[MONTHLY_CAPITAL_COST]/month in MCA payments.
Which uses have the highest probability of generating a return that exceeds the capital cost? Which should I prioritize? Which should I avoid?
Renewal & Payoff Decisions
Decide whether to renew, pay off, or refinance your existing advance.
Renewal Decision
Should I Renew My MCA Early?
My MCA funder has offered me an early renewal. Analyze whether this is in my financial interest.
Current advance:
- Original advance: $[ORIGINAL_ADVANCE]
- Factor rate: [FACTOR_RATE]
- Remaining balance: $[REMAINING_BALANCE]
- Days remaining: [DAYS_REMAINING]
Renewal offer:
- New advance: $[NEW_ADVANCE]
- New factor rate: [NEW_RATE]
- New term: [NEW_TERM] days
The funder will pay off my remaining balance with the new advance.
Calculate: How much will I pay in "double dipping" (paying off my existing balance at a premium then paying factor on the full new advance)? What is the effective additional cost of the early renewal vs. waiting until fully paid? Is this renewal a good deal for me?
Ready to Apply With the Right Numbers?
Use the calculator to finalize your advance amount, then apply.