A $12,000 walk-in in the slowest month
A 70-seat neighborhood restaurant doing $95,000 a month in card sales, $68,000 in a slow January. The walk-in compressor fails; replacement is $12,400 installed. The HVAC company wants payment on completion.
| Average monthly card sales | $95,000 |
|---|---|
| January card sales | $68,000 |
| Replacement, installed | $12,400 |
| Cash on hand after payroll | $3,100 |
| Gap to cover | $9,300 |
| Advance | $12,500 |
|---|---|
| Factor rate | 1.24 (≈ 106% APR-equivalent over 105 business days) |
| Total payback | $15,500 |
| Remittance | 8% of daily card settlements until delivered |
| Cost of the bridge | $3,000 |
The bridge, day by day
- Friday night
The walk-in fails
$12,400 to replace, installed
- Day 3
Funded
$12,500 advance lands
- Day 4
Walk-in replaced
Paid on completion
- January–February
Remittance follows the register
8% of card sales; slow days remit less
- Month 5
Remittance complete
$15,500 delivered
| Option | Amount | Factor rate | Total payback | Cost | APR-equivalent | Term |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advance sized to the gap8% of daily card settlements | $12,500 | 1.24 | $15,500 | $3,000 | ≈ 106% | 105 business days |
| Equipment lease on the walk-inCheaper over three years; two weeks to approve | $12,400 | — | — | ≈ $2,600 | ≈ 13% APR | 36 months |
APR-equivalent is the annual rate a loan would need to cost the same on this payment schedule, so a factor rate can be compared with a loan's APR. Your terms depend on deposits, time in business and open positions; every option you receive is quoted as total payback in dollars.
What the numbers say. Remitting as a share of card sales means January's slow days remit less and the busy spring finishes it. An equipment lease on the walk-in would be cheaper over three years, but takes two weeks to approve — the restaurant does not have two weeks without refrigeration.