How Dojo Business Funding works
If you take card payments with Dojo, Dojo can see exactly how much you turn over. That single fact is what makes this product work. Instead of assessing you the way a bank would — accounts, projections, weeks of underwriting — funding is offered against the card takings Dojo already processes for you.
Dojo provides the advance through its funding partner, YouLend — a specialist that Dojo says has funded over 20,000 UK businesses. You're offered a lump sum. You accept, the money lands (usually within a couple of business days of approval), and from then on a fixed, agreed percentage of every card sale is automatically set aside to repay it. You never write a cheque or make a manual payment — it comes out of takings as they happen.
The mental model we give clients: it's like borrowing against next quarter's card sales, and repaying a little bit of it every time the card machine beeps.
How repayment actually works
This is the part people find genuinely different from a loan. There is no fixed monthly repayment. Instead:
- A set percentage — say 10–15% — of each day's card takings is used to repay the advance.
- On a busy day, more is repaid (because your takings are higher).
- On a quiet day, less is repaid.
- If you take nothing on card that day, nothing is repaid that day.
- Most advances are repaid within six to nine months; the maximum term is 12 months.
For seasonal businesses — beach cafés, Christmas-heavy retail, festival traders — this is the whole appeal. Your repayment shrinks automatically in the quiet months instead of becoming a fixed drain when you can least afford it.
How much can you borrow?
Advances are typically around 0.8 to 1 times your average monthly card turnover, though this varies with your trading history and how consistent your takings are. A business processing £20,000 a month on card is in a very different bracket to one doing £150,000.
Amounts range from a few thousand pounds for smaller venues up to very large sums for high-volume businesses. Rather than guess, we look at your actual card takings and tell you the realistic figure. Ask us what you could borrow →
What does it cost?
The cost is expressed as a factor rate, not an APR. You agree a single total up front — for example, borrow £25,000 and repay £27,500 in total. That £2,500 is the entire cost, fixed on day one. It does not compound, and it does not grow if repayment takes a little longer because sales dipped.
Whether that's good value depends on what you'd do with the money and the alternative. For bridging a fit-out, buying stock at a discount, or covering a seasonal dip, the speed and flexible repayment often justify it. For long-term capital, a conventional loan may be cheaper — and we'll tell you honestly which side of that line you're on.
Eligibility — who qualifies?
Eligibility leans on your card takings rather than credit score alone, which is why many businesses that struggle with bank lending still qualify — and only a soft credit search is run, so applying leaves no mark on your credit file. As a rule of thumb you'll usually need:
- A few months of card payment history (so there's a takings pattern to lend against)
- A reasonably consistent monthly card turnover
- To be taking card payments through Dojo — funding is offered to Dojo customers and assessed on card transaction history, business performance and credit information
Is it a loan?
No, not in the traditional sense — and the distinction is legally and practically meaningful. A merchant cash advance is a purchase of a portion of your future card sales at a discount, not a fixed-term credit agreement with interest. In plain terms: there's no APR, no fixed monthly repayment, and the cost is a single agreed fee rather than accruing interest.
That structure is why it's fast and flexible — but it also means you should weigh the total cost against a traditional loan for anything long-term. That comparison is exactly the kind of thing we do for clients before they sign anything.
What businesses use it for
- Refurbishment & fit-outs — refresh a restaurant or shop without draining working capital
- Stock & equipment — buy in bulk at a discount, or replace a critical piece of kit fast
- Seasonal cashflow — bridge a quiet stretch, with repayments that shrink while you're quiet
- Expansion — a second site, more covers, more staff ahead of a busy season
- Tax or supplier bills — smooth a lumpy outgoing without a rigid repayment schedule
The honest pros & cons
We're consultants, not a sales desk, so here's the balanced view.
| Strengths | Things to weigh |
|---|---|
| Repayments flex with sales — quiet months cost less | Total cost can be higher than a bank loan for long-term capital |
| Fast — often funded within ~48 hours of approval | You need consistent card takings to qualify and to repay comfortably |
| One fixed fee, no compounding interest, no APR shock | A slice of daily takings goes to repayment, so plan around it |
| Approval based on takings, not just credit score | Best for a defined, return-generating use — not open-ended borrowing |
Dojo Business Funding FAQs
How does Dojo business funding work?
It's a merchant cash advance: a lump sum up front, repaid automatically as a fixed percentage of your daily card takings. Repay more on busy days, less on quiet ones — the total cost is agreed up front.
Is it a loan?
Not traditionally. It's an advance against future card sales rather than a fixed-term loan with an APR. There's no compounding interest and no fixed monthly repayment — you agree one total cost on day one.
Am I eligible?
Eligibility is based mainly on card takings rather than credit score alone, and only a soft credit search is run. You'll usually need a few months of card history and consistent monthly turnover. Funding is offered to Dojo customers — if you're switching, we review your existing statements first and tell you what you're likely to qualify for.
How much can I borrow?
Typically 0.8 to 1 times your average monthly card turnover, though it varies with trading history. Amounts range from a few thousand pounds up to large sums for high-volume businesses. We'll confirm your realistic figure from your actual takings.
How fast is it?
Fast — often funded within a couple of working days of approval, because the decision is based on card takings Dojo can already see rather than lengthy underwriting.