Re:Square’s IPO Terms Put Valuation Below Latest Funding Round
by 7Figures2Commas on Saturday November 07, 2015 @02:09AM
(#10524030)
I consult in this space. A few points:
1. Square provides merchant cash advance. This is not a loan.
2. Payment processors like Square have knowledge of a company's credit card receipts but cannot determine a company's cash flow unless they obtain additional documentation from the merchant. Calculating cash flow requires not just incomings but outgoings of cash. Payment processors obviously don't have the latter.
3. Merchant cash advance is a last-resort financing option for small businesses. Despite your implied suggestion that merchant cash advance providers have underwriting advantages over banks, there's a reason merchant cash advance is frequently the most expensive form of small business financing.
1. Square provides merchant cash advance. This is not a loan.
2. Payment processors like Square have knowledge of a company's credit card receipts but cannot determine a company's cash flow unless they obtain additional documentation from the merchant. Calculating cash flow requires not just incomings but outgoings of cash. Payment processors obviously don't have the latter.
3. Merchant cash advance is a last-resort financing option for small businesses. Despite your implied suggestion that merchant cash advance providers have underwriting advantages over banks, there's a reason merchant cash advance is frequently the most expensive form of small business financing.