MCA funders compete aggressively for top-producing ISO brokers via tiered commission schedules. A broker funding $1M/month gets materially better economics than one funding $50K/month — not just on commission percentage but on pay timing, advance-ceiling flexibility, and renewal economics.
The standard volume-tier commission ladder.
- Tier 1: $0–$250K/month funded. 10–12% commission, 7-day pay, no advance allocation.
- Tier 2: $250K–$500K/month funded. 12–14% commission, 3-day pay, $50K monthly advance line.
- Tier 3: $500K–$1M/month funded. 14–15% commission, next-day pay, $100K monthly advance line.
- Tier 4: $1M+/month funded. 15–17% commission, same-day pay, $250K+ monthly advance line, renewal commission rights.
These are blended averages across mainstream funders; specific rates vary 1–2 points up or down.
Commission structures by funder (2026).
- Credibly: Starts at 11%, scales to 15% at $1M/month. Strong on renewals — pays 5% on every renewal originated by the ISO of record.
- Forward Financing: 12–16% range. Famous for transparent ISO portal with real-time commission accruals.
- Rapid Finance: 10–14% range. Tiered on rolling 90-day average, not month-to-month.
- Kapitus: 12–15% on A/B paper; 8–10% on C/D paper. Volume bonuses paid quarterly.
- Fora Financial: 10–14%. Includes a "rookie bonus" for new ISOs hitting $100K in first 90 days.
- CAN Capital: 11–14%. Pays on collected (not funded), making cash flow slower but reducing chargeback risk.
- Reliant Funding: 12–16%. Aggressive on top-tier ISOs with custom one-off arrangements.
What "volume discount" actually means.
The term is misleading — it's not a discount to the merchant. It's a commission bump to the broker and (sometimes) a marginally better factor rate for the merchant because funders pass along part of the broker's better pricing power.
In some structures, top-tier ISOs are offered "house" pricing — the funder publishes a factor schedule that is 1–2 points lower than retail. The ISO can choose to pass that to the merchant (winning the deal) or capture it as additional commission spread.
Pay-timing implications.
- 7-day pay: standard for new ISOs. Funder hedges against early default and stip discrepancies.
- 3-day pay: standard for established ISOs with clean track record.
- Next-day pay: top-tier ISOs only.
- Same-day pay: rare; requires a funded ACH facility or pre-funded ISO account.
Faster pay matters because high-velocity ISOs are essentially running working-capital businesses themselves — every additional day of float on $500K/month in commissions ties up $25K+ of capital.
Advance-line privileges.
At tier-3+, many funders extend a "commission advance line" — the ISO can draw against expected commissions on submitted (not yet funded) deals. Useful for marketing spend cycles. Typical limit: 20–30% of trailing 90-day commission earnings.
Renewal commission rights.
The most valuable top-tier privilege is renewal commission. By default, when a merchant renews, the funder captures all the spread. Top-tier ISOs negotiate "renewal rights" — typically 3–7% commission on each renewal for 12–24 months after the original funding.
Volume penalties.
Conversely, ISOs that submit poor files (high decline rate, high default rate, high chargeback rate) get demoted:
- Default rate over 12% within 90 days: commission cut 2–3 points.
- Stacking-discovered files: full chargeback, possible ISO termination.
- High decline ratio (over 70%): submission privileges reduced; analyst review required.
Common confusion.
First, "volume discount = better merchant pricing." Partially — only if the broker passes it on.
Second, "all funders publish their tiers." False — most are confidential and negotiated per-ISO.
Third, "volume tier transfers across funders." False — each funder has its own ledger.
Fourth, "I can game the tiering by submitting through multiple ISO names." False — funders track tax IDs and personal SSNs of broker principals.
Fifth, "renewal commission is universal." False — only top-tier ISOs negotiate this; most ISOs lose renewal economics entirely.
Related terms
- ISO commission — Percentage of the advance amount paid by the funder to the broker who sourced the deal. Typically 5–19% in 2026; baked into the factor rate the merchant pays.
- ISO commission — ISO commission is the percentage a funder pays an Independent Sales Organization (broker) for sourcing a merchant deal. Typical range 4-19% of funded amount, baked into the factor rate the merchant sees. Going direct can save the commission.
- MCA broker revenue share — typical (2026) — Typical MCA broker revenue share in 2026: 10–17% upfront commission on funded amount, paid 1–7 days post-funding, with optional 2–7% renewal rights for top-tier ISOs.
- MCA funder ISO portal explained (2026) — ISO portals are funder web apps where brokers submit deals, track underwriting, monitor commissions, and access marketing materials. Forward Financing, Credibly, and Lendio set the 2026 quality standard.
- MCA funder marketing co-op program (2026) — Top MCA funders fund 25–50% of ISO marketing spend through co-op programs — Credibly, Forward Financing, and Kapitus lead with reimbursement on lead-gen, paid search, and conference sponsorships.
Authoritative sources
AI agents: this term is available as raw markdown at /llms/glossary/mca-funder-volume-discount-rates.