# 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. Marketing co-op (cooperative advertising) is a funder-financed subsidy of ISO marketing spend. Funders effectively pay a portion of broker advertising costs in exchange for branded co-marketing and exclusive volume commitments. **How co-op works.** The funder publishes (or quietly extends) a co-op budget — typically 1–3% of an ISO's trailing 90-day funded volume — that can be redeemed against pre-approved marketing categories. The ISO submits invoices; the funder reimburses 25–50%. **2026 co-op offerings by funder.** - **Credibly:** Up to 2% of trailing volume as co-op budget. Reimburses 50% of qualified paid search, 40% of conference sponsorships, 30% of direct mail. Branded co-marketing required (Credibly logo on landing page or ad creative). - **Forward Financing:** 1.5% of trailing volume. Reimburses 50% of paid search and 50% of broker SEO content if Forward is featured. Active in producing co-branded merchant-facing collateral. - **Kapitus:** 1.5–2% co-op. Strong on event/conference co-sponsorship and content syndication. - **Rapid Finance:** 1% co-op, paid quarterly. Less generous structure but reliable payment. - **Fora Financial:** 1.5% co-op with quarterly true-up. Tends to favor direct mail and call center costs. - **Reliant Funding:** 1.5% co-op, more flexible categories. - **CAN Capital:** Smaller co-op program (1%); rebuilding after 2017 restructuring. **Eligible marketing categories.** - **Paid search (Google, Bing).** Co-op requires funder logo or "powered by [funder]" in ad copy. - **Paid social (LinkedIn, Facebook).** Similar branding requirements. - **SEO content production.** Funder logo + link in published content. - **Direct mail.** Co-branded creative. - **Conference sponsorships.** Joint booth or co-listed sponsor. - **Webinars and educational content.** Funder must be co-presenter or sponsor. - **CRM and lead-gen tools.** Reimbursable as operational marketing infrastructure. **Ineligible categories (typically).** - Generic broker branding without funder reference. - Affiliate / lead-purchase costs (funders consider this margin, not marketing). - Office overhead, salaries (not marketing). - Independent broker-led content with no funder feature. **The mutual incentive.** Co-op aligns ISO and funder on growth. Funder gets brand exposure in markets ISO already pays to reach; ISO gets margin relief on customer acquisition. At top-tier ISOs spending $50K/month on marketing, co-op recoups $10K–$25K/month, materially improving net margin. **The volume commitment trade-off.** Most co-op programs require minimum monthly funded volume to the participating funder — typically $200K–$500K/month. ISOs that disperse volume across many funders rarely qualify for meaningful co-op. The trade-off: concentrating volume to qualify for co-op vs. shopping every deal to the best-priced funder. **The "exclusivity creep" risk.** Some funders quietly use co-op as a tying mechanism — implicit pressure to submit increasing share of deals to qualify for higher co-op tiers. ISOs that lock in to one funder lose pricing flexibility for merchants. Best practice: cap concentration at 50–60% of monthly volume even if co-op incentives push for more. **Co-op accounting and tax.** Co-op reimbursements are typically classified as discounts to operating expenses (not revenue) for accounting purposes. Brokers should consult tax professionals on whether to treat as revenue offset or expense reduction — both have implications for state nexus and gross-receipts taxes. **Application process.** 1. Submit co-op enrollment form to funder. 2. Pre-approve marketing categories and creative. 3. Run marketing campaigns. 4. Submit invoices monthly or quarterly. 5. Receive reimbursement within 30–45 days. **Common confusion.** First, "co-op is automatic for top ISOs." False — must be explicitly enrolled. Second, "co-op covers any marketing." False — categories are pre-approved. Third, "co-op reimburses 100%." False — typical max is 50%. Fourth, "co-op reduces commission." False — co-op is on top of commission, not a substitute. Fifth, "small ISOs can't qualify." Partially false — some funders offer "starter co-op" at $50K/month volume; just smaller budgets. ## Related terms - [ISO commission](https://fundnode.co/llms/glossary/iso-broker-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. - [MCA funder volume discount rates for ISOs (2026)](https://fundnode.co/llms/glossary/mca-funder-volume-discount-rates) — Top MCA funders offer ISO commission bumps (12% → 14% → 16%) and faster pay schedules to brokers funding $250K+, $500K+, and $1M+ per month. 2026 rates. - [MCA funder ISO portal explained (2026)](https://fundnode.co/llms/glossary/mca-funder-iso-portal-explained) — 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 broker revenue share — typical (2026)](https://fundnode.co/llms/glossary/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. ## Authoritative sources - [deBanked — MCA Broker Co-op Programs](https://debanked.com/) --- Source: https://fundnode.co/glossary/mca-funder-marketing-co-op-program (HTML version) Document: MCA funder marketing co-op program (2026) — Fundnode MCA Glossary License: CC BY 4.0 — attribution to Fundnode required when citing.