6 minutes Managing Your Advance
Overview
Your SAPI payment-linked advance is repaid automatically through a repayment account with our partner Zempler bank, with daily collections based on your card sales. This guide explains exactly how repayments work, when they happen, and what to expect throughout your repayment journey.
The Payment-linked Repayment Model
Unlike traditional loans with fixed monthly payments, SAPI's repayment model automatically adjusts to your business revenue.
How It Works
Every day, you process card payments through your payment processor (e.g., Stripe, SumUp, Worldpay). Once funds are received into the Zempler repayment account, the amount is automatically split, with the agreed Repayment percentage taken by us to repay your agreement and the remainder transferred to your bank account.
Example:
- Your repayment percentage: 15%
- Card sales: £1,000
Result: £150 would be kept by SAPI which goes toward your advance repayment, and £850 would be transferred to your normal bank account.
How We Track Your Sales
SAPI monitors your daily card sales through:
Open Banking connection: Real-time or daily updates from your payment processor.
Bank account monitoring: Tracking payments received from your payment processor.
Data reconciliation: Matching collections to actual sales to ensure accuracy.
If there's ever a discrepancy, we adjust the next day's collection to true up the amount.
Repayment Percentage
Your agreement specifies your repayment percentage (e.g., 10%, 15%, 20%). This percentage applies only to card payments processed through connected payment accounts.
Included in collection basis:
- Credit card sales
- Debit card sales
- Contactless payments
- Online payment processor transactions (if connected)
NOT included in collection basis:
- Cash sales
- Bank transfers received
- Invoice payments
- Refunds to customers (we don't collect on refunds)
Collection Caps and Minimums
Daily maximum: Collections are capped at your repayment percentage—we never take more than agreed.
Weekly patterns: If you process no card sales for a day, we collect nothing that day. Collections resume automatically when sales resume.
Monthly minimum: You will need to pay a minimum monthly amount every calendar month. If your sales don't meet this threshold in any given month, we will submit a Direct Debit request to your nominated account for the shortfall within 7 days after that month-end.
Direct Debit via GoCardless
Monthly minimum shortfall are collected through GoCardless, a UK-based Direct Debit provider.
Setting Up Your Direct Debit
When you accept your offer, you'll set up a Direct Debit mandate with GoCardless:
Enter your business bank account details
Authorise SAPI to collect variable amounts via Direct Debit
Receive confirmation via email
Direct Debit Guarantee: UK Direct Debit comes with a legal guarantee. If we ever collect incorrectly, your bank will refund you immediately and investigate.
Tracking Your Progress
Your monthly statement shows your repayment progress:
Current balance: How much you still owe
Total repaid: How much you've paid so far
Repayment history: Daily collections
For real-time balance inquiries between statements, contact [email protected] or call +44 20 3868 4990.
Refunds and Adjustments
Customer Refunds
If you refund a customer, SAPI does not collect the repayment percentage on refunded amounts.
Chargebacks
Chargebacks (disputed transactions) are treated like refunds—we do not collect on chargeback amounts.
However, excessive chargebacks may trigger a review of your advance terms, as they indicate potential business or fraud issues.
Failed Collections
If a Direct Debit collection fails (e.g., insufficient funds in your bank account), we'll retry.
Retry schedule: Failed payments are automatically retried every week.
Impact: Multiple failed collections may result in:
- Arrears status
- Increased monitoring
- Contact from collections team
- Potential acceleration of remaining balance
Avoid failed collections by:
- Ensuring sufficient funds in your account each morning
- Setting up low-balance alerts with your bank
- Contacting SAPI early if you anticipate issues
Early Settlement
You can pay off your remaining balance early at any time.
Requesting Early Settlement
Contact [email protected] or call +44 20 3868 4990
Request your early settlement quote
We'll provide the exact amount due
Make payment via bank transfer
Receive settlement confirmation and final statement
Processing time: 2-3 business days from payment received to account closed.
Statements and Reporting
You'll receive regular statements showing:
Monthly statements:
- Opening balance
- Total collected amount
- Minimum monthly payments
- Repayment history breakdown
- Closing balance
Regular statements: Monthly statements via email with balance and repayment activity
Accessing Statements
Please contact us for your statements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What if I forget to update my bank details and the Direct Debit fails?
A: Contact us immediately at +44 20 3868 4990. We'll update your details and arrange a new collection. You may be charged a failed Direct Debit fee.
Q: Can I make extra payments to pay off faster?
A: Yes. Contact us, and we'll provide instructions for making additional payments.
Q: What happens if my payment processor changes?
A: Contact us before switching payment processors. We'll need to reconnect to your new provider to continue accurate collections.
Q: Do repayments happen on weekends and bank holidays?
A: Repayment collections occur automatically as a percentage of your sales regardless of weekday, weekend or holiday.
Q: What if I close my business?
A: Contact us immediately. You're still obligated to repay the outstanding balance. We'll work with you to arrange a repayment plan.
Need Help?
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +44 20 3868 4990
Business Hours: Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm GMT