Calculator
Compare Your Revenue-Based Financing Options
Put every term on one screen: total payback, cost in dollars, the amount leaving your account each day or week, and what share of revenue it consumes.
The short answer
To compare revenue-based financing options, put total payback and the periodic remittance side by side across every term on offer. They move in opposite directions: a shorter term costs fewer total dollars but takes far more out of the account each day, while a longer term costs more in total and leaves a much lighter debit. The periodic amount is what a slow month has to absorb, so size against your slowest month rather than your average one.
| Term | Factor | Total payback | Cost | Per day | Share of revenue | Est. APR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 mo | 1.15× | $86,250 | $11,250 | $1,369 | 47.9% | 113% |
| 6 mo | 1.20× | $90,000 | $15,000 | $714 | 25.0% | 75% |
| 9 mo | 1.25× | $93,750 | $18,750 | $496 | 17.4% | 62% |
| 12 mo | 1.30× | $97,500 | $22,500 | $387 | 13.5% | 55% |
| 18 mo | 1.38× | $103,500 | $28,500 | $274 | 9.6% | 45% |
Read the two middle columns against each other
The 3-month option costs the fewest dollars — $11,250 — and takes $1,369 out of the account every day. The 18-month option costs $28,500, which is $17,250 more in total, and takes $274 — about 5.0× less per day.
Fewer total dollars is not the same thing as cheaper capital. On an annualized basis the shortest option is the most expensive one in the table, and it is the periodic debit — not the factor — that a slow month has to absorb. Size against the slow month.
The tier above is the part most worth understanding, because it is the part you can change. Term length is not really a menu item — it is an underwriting output. On these same inputs, a typical file would see the 12-month option cost $33,750 against $22,500 here — a difference of $11,250 driven by deposit consistency, credit and open positions rather than by anything you pick from a list. Two clean months of statements move you between these tiers more reliably than negotiating does.
Planning estimates only, built on published market bands — not an offer, and not a rate card. Nothing here is a quote from Express Capital. A real structure is an underwriting output: it depends on your deposits, credit, time in business and any existing positions, and it is normal for it to land outside these bands. The comfort colours are general affordability guidance, not an underwriting rule — the right figure depends on your margin.
Key takeaways
- Total dollars and the periodic debit move in opposite directions across a term menu — read both columns, never one.
- Fewer total dollars is not cheaper capital: on an annualized basis the shortest option is the most expensive one on the table.
- In a revenue-share structure the multiple is fixed at signing, so the holdback changes only the speed, never the amount owed.
- A fixed remittance does not flex when revenue falls; a revenue-share remittance does, at the cost of a longer obligation.
- Size the remittance against your slowest recent month, not your average.
- Which menu you are shown is itself an underwriting output — two clean months of statements move you between tiers more reliably than negotiating does.
Two structures wear the same name
Revenue-based financing describes two different things, and the difference is the single most important thing to understand before signing either. In a fixed-remittance structure a set amount leaves the account every business day or week and the term is fixed at signing. In a revenue-share structure a percentage of collected revenue is remitted, the multiple is fixed, and the term floats with sales. The tool models both because they fail in completely different ways.
The trade the table is built to show
Inside one approval menu, a shorter term carries a smaller multiple and therefore fewer total dollars. That is real. What it hides is the other column: the shortest option on a typical menu takes several times more out of the account every single day than the longest one. Merchants are routinely shown the total-dollars column on its own, decide the short term is the cheaper one, and then meet the daily debit afterwards.
Why the annualized figure is in the last column, not the first
An estimated APR is the right instrument for comparing two facilities of similar length, and a poor one for judging whether a short facility is expensive — annualizing a cost repaid in four months mathematically inflates the percentage while the actual dollars are lower. It is shown because you should be able to see it, and it is last because leading on it produces worse decisions than leading on dollars and debit.
Where the holdback dial does and does not help
In a revenue-share structure the multiple is set at signing, so moving the holdback does not change a single dollar of what is owed. A higher holdback clears the obligation sooner and reads as a higher annualized cost. A lower one stretches the term and leaves the filing in place longer. There is no dollar saving hiding in that dial — only a choice about how fast the money leaves.
Express Capital Funding · Direct lender
See what your revenue supports
We underwrite in-house and fund from our own balance sheet. $250,000+ in yearly revenue, 1+ year in business, and a 580+ credit score is the gate — a decision the same day, funding in as little as 24–48 hours.
4.8★ from 590 reviews · A+ BBB accredited · $250M+ funded
Express Capital Funding · Direct lender
See what your revenue supports
We underwrite in-house and fund from our own balance sheet. $250,000+ in yearly revenue, 1+ year in business, and a 580+ credit score is the gate — a decision the same day, funding in as little as 24–48 hours.
4.8★ from 590 reviews · A+ BBB accredited · $250M+ funded
Frequently asked questions
Does a shorter term cost less?
In total dollars, inside one approval menu, usually yes. On an annualized basis it is the more expensive option, and the daily or weekly amount leaving your account is several times higher. Both things are true at once, which is why the tool shows the columns together.
Can I choose my term?
Only within what you are approved for. Term length is an underwriting output, not a menu item you pick freely — the structure that comes back reflects your deposits, credit, time in business and any existing positions. Across different risk profiles the pattern actually inverts: the strongest files tend to see both the longest terms and the smallest multiples.
What happens to a revenue-share structure if sales drop?
The remittance falls with collections and the term extends, so a slow month becomes a longer obligation rather than a missed payment. The same total is still owed. That flexibility is the structural advantage of the format, and the longer encumbrance is its cost.
Does paying it off early save money?
Not automatically. A multiple is a fixed sum owed, so unless the agreement contains an explicit early-payoff schedule, clearing it early does not reduce the total. Ask whether one exists and get the answer in writing before you assume it does.
What do I need to qualify?
As a general band: $15,000+ per month in revenue, 12+ months in business, and a 500+ credit profile. Where you land inside a menu is driven mostly by how consistent your deposits are and how many positions are already open.
Keep reading
These calculators are planning tools using standard industry conventions. They are estimates, not quotes, and are not an offer or commitment to lend. Actual terms depend on a review of your business.
← All calculators