What is a Direct Funder?

A direct funder is the company that provides the working capital when you apply for a Merchant Cash Advance (or any other form of business funding). When you’re dealing with a direct funder, you are speaking to the company making the funding offer without going through a middleman. These middlemen can be referred to as brokers, ISOs (Independent Sales Organizations), or referral partners, but they all essentially operate in the same way; they connect with your business, shop your request out to various funding companies, and collect a commission while your funds come from a different company.

Why work with a direct funder? The middlemen may not necessarily be providing you the best rates possible. Through a process called “upselling”, many of these middlemen are able to increase your cost of funds in order to earn a higher commission for themselves, without having to disclose this to you. [This is certainly not true in all cases, and there are hundreds of reputable brokers/ISOs/referral partners in this space. In fact, we partner with a number of them!]

Working directly with a reputable funder provides more transparency throughout the application process, and the opportunity to build a relationship with a trusted capital source. Establishing a payment history and relationship with a direct funder will also benefit you in the long run should you require more working capital. Direct funders are more likely to offer lower rates, longer terms, and higher funding amounts to companies they have previously worked with.

When you take out an Merchant Cash Advance with Elevate Funding, you will know exactly how much you’re paying back and exactly what kind of fees are being assessed. These are all explained in plain language on your offer sheet. And, after you receive your funds, our in-house customer service team is happy to assist should you need any further assistance or additional working capital.

If your business needs funding now and you’re interested in learning more about our Merchant Cash Advance products, please click here to send us an inquiry. One of our customer care representatives will get back in contact with you as soon as they’re available.