Lead buyer guide
MCA leads: what each type costs and how funders build their own flow
Updated
MCA leads are business owners who may want a merchant cash advance, sold to funders, brokers and ISOs. In 2026 aged MCA leads cost cents to a few dollars, exclusive real-time leads about $25 to $200, and live transfers $40 to $150 or more. Speed and exclusivity decide whether they pay back.
Key takeaways
- MCA buyers compete on speed more than any other lending vertical, so shared leads get contested fast.
- Bank statement leads ("full submissions") cost the most and are the closest thing to a workable file.
- UCC leads show who already has an advance or secured loan, not who needs one today.
- Funders who own their outreach stop paying for the same owners every other ISO is calling.
What are MCA leads?
A merchant cash advance (MCA) lead is a business owner who has shown, or may have, a need for working capital repaid from future card or bank receipts. Vendors supply them as data records, web form inquiries, phone-qualified transfers or full submissions with bank statements attached.
MCA is a fast market. Owners who want an advance often want the money within days, and many apply to several funders at once. That makes freshness and exclusivity worth more here than in SBA or equipment lending.
How do the main MCA lead types compare?
| MCA lead type | Typical price | What you get | Main risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged leads | $0.05 to $5 per record | Old inquiries, 30+ days | Already worked by many shops |
| UCC leads | $0.20 to $5 per record | Businesses with a recent UCC-1 filing | Signal of existing debt, not of need |
| Shared real-time | $10 to $30 per lead | Fresh web inquiry | Sold to several ISOs at once |
| Exclusive real-time | $25 to $200 per lead | Fresh inquiry sold to you only | Exclusivity is hard to check |
| Live transfers | $40 to $150+ per call | Owner pre-screened and transferred live | Price, and screening depth varies |
| Bank statement submissions | $75 to $250 per file | Application plus recent statements | Highest cost, often shopped too |
For a deeper side-by-side, read aged vs live transfer vs exclusive MCA leads.
Are UCC leads good MCA leads?
A UCC-1 financing statement is a public filing a creditor makes to record a claim on a business's assets. MCA funders often file them, so a fresh UCC-1 can mean a business recently took an advance. Some shops buy these lists to pitch a second position or a consolidation.
The catch: every buyer of the same state filings sees the same names on the same day, and a filing tells you about existing debt rather than a current need. UCC data works best as one signal among several, not as a lead list on its own.
How do you work out if MCA leads are profitable?
Divide what you spent by the deals it funded. If 100 shared leads at $25 fund 3 deals, you paid about $833 per funded deal. If 25 live transfers at $125 fund 4, you paid about $781. Then compare that with your commission or margin per deal, and add the cost of the closers and dialer time the leads need.
Plug in your own prices and funded rates with the lead cost per funded deal calculator.
How do MCA funders get leads without buying them?
- ISO and referral partners. The classic channel, though partners send the same deals to several funders.
- Reactivating past applicants and renewals. Cheap and often overlooked.
- Outbound to a defined buy box. Email every business that fits your criteria (industry, revenue, time in business, state) from your own name, every 60 days, and follow up when a business shows a signal.
- Search and content. Slow to build, but leads arrive with no per-lead cost.
Outbound is the option that is exclusive by design: nobody else received your email, so a reply is a conversation only you are in. Tentt Finance runs that outreach for funders and brokers on a monthly retainer, and passes every interested owner to you with a mobile number.
Frequently asked questions
What are live transfer MCA leads?
Business owners who have been screened on the phone by an intake agent and transferred to your closer while still on the call. They cost more because the owner is engaged right now.
What are aged MCA leads?
Inquiries that are 30 days to a year or more old. They are cheap because many shops have already called them, so they suit teams with a dialer and time to work volume.
What are MCA leads with bank statements?
Leads that come with recent business bank statements, so you can review the file straight away. They are the most expensive type and are sometimes submitted to several funders.
How many MCA leads should I buy to test a vendor?
Enough to fund a few deals, so you can judge cost per funded deal. For shared leads at a 2 to 4 percent funded rate, that usually means 100 or more.
Does Tentt Finance sell MCA leads?
No. We run white-label outreach under your name to every business in your buy box. You approve the copy, and every reply is yours alone.
What is an MCA deal?
A merchant cash advance: a funder buys a share of a business's future card or bank receipts at a discount and is repaid from those receipts. It is not a loan, which is why the rules and pricing differ.
Where can I buy MCA leads?
From MCA lead vendors selling aged leads, UCC data, real-time leads, live transfers or bank statement files. Test small, ask about exclusivity, and compare vendors on cost per funded deal.
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