Merchant cash advance (MCA) and specialty lenders live and die by unit economics. Margin is a game of inches: a few basis points saved on collections, an hour gained on time-to-fund, a small reduction in returns—each compound across a portfolio. That’s why zero-cost ACH receivables and always-on RTP funding are so powerful together. With Liftoff, you can pull payments for $0(ACH and, where approved, debit pulls) and push funds instantly via RTP—no banking “cutoff” windows, no weekend blackout periods.
This article breaks down what “zero-cost receivables” actually means for MCA and lenders, how the model shifts costs away from inbound pulls to rails you control, and why Liftoff’s compliance, risk, and developer ergonomics make it the best platform to run at scale.
What “Zero-Cost Receivables” Means (and What It Doesn’t)
When we say zero-cost receivables, we’re talking about the inbound side of your payments: the ACH debits (and, where enabled, debit card pulls) you use to collect from merchants or borrowers. With Liftoff, those pulls are priced at $0—not “$0 for 500 a month,” but structured so your meaningful collection volume is truly free to receive.
So where are the costs? You decide:
· Outbound funding rails you opt into—e.g., RTP when you want instant, 24/7/365 funding; ACH credits for standard or Same-Day settlement.
· Platform plan (optional) if you prefer predictable OPEX for advanced tooling (webhooks, reports, dunning, risk, etc.).
· True exceptions—e.g., pass-through fees only when returns occur (NSF, R01/R02, etc.).
This flips the legacy model. Instead of paying a per-item fee every single time you collect, you now collect for free and pay modestly when you fund or when genuine exceptions occur. For MCA and lenders, where collections often outnumber disbursements, that shift is a material improvement to CAC payback and lifetime margin.
Why This Matters Specifically for MCA & Lenders
· You collect frequently. Daily and weekly pulls add up; removing inbound per-item costs compounds across the year.
· Speed to cash wins deals. RTP lets you beat competitors with instant funding—even nights, weekends, and holidays.
· Return rate discipline is everything. Liftoff’s return analytics, configurable retries, and SEC-code-correct authorizations help you stay under NACHA thresholds.
· Diversification reduces risk. Many lenders use Liftoff as a backup ACH as well— especially for higher-risk cohorts or times when bank cutoffs would otherwise slow you down.
Compliance You Can Show Your Underwriters
Zero-cost inbound doesn’t change the rules—it makes compliance non-negotiable. Liftoff bakes in:
· SEC-code-correct flows (WEB/TEL/PPD/CCD) with audit-ready authorization language and evidence capture.
· KYC/KYB & OFAC screening appropriate to your program and jurisdiction.
· Bank verification options (micro-deposits, instant account validation, balance/owner checks) to reduce returns up-front.
· Dunning automations to schedule reminders, structure retries and keep consumer/ business notices compliant.
Your ops and risk teams get the artifacts they need in one place; your counsel gets a defensible posture for reviews.
RTP Funding: From “Nice to Have” to Table Stakes
Card rails can be fast but expensive. Wires are fast but expensive and closed on weekends. Traditional ACH is cheap but not instant. RTP changes that: it’s bank-to-bank, real time, 24/7/365—and with Liftoff you can trigger it by API or from the portal. That’s a real competitive edge in MCA and lending:
· Close on Saturdays. Fund instantly when others wait until Monday morning.
· Delight renewals. Instant top-ups improve retention and share of wallet.
· Operationally simple. Role-based controls, limits, dual-control approvals, and web hooks keep you safe and in sync.
Combine RTP funding with $0 inbound collections and your unit economics usually get better on both ends of the transaction.
A Simple ROI Picture (Typical MCA/Lender Mix)
Assume 40,000 inbound ACH pulls/month and 1,200 fundings/month.
· Legacy inbound pricing (e.g., $0.20/pull):
40,000 × $0.20 = $8,000/month just to receive money.
· Liftoff (zero-cost inbound + RTP):
Inbound pulls: $0
RTP: 1,200 × $0.95 ≈ $1,140
Same-Day ACH uplift (200 uses × $0.20): $40
Platform: $0–$299 depending on features
Total: ~$1,180–$1,479 vs. $8,000 → 80%+ reduction on this slice.
Even if your RTP rate differs or you lean harder on Same-Day ACH, removing inbound fees typically dwarfs incremental outbound costs.
Real-World Flow: From Deal to Daily Pulls
1. Onboard & verify: - KYB on the business, KYC on principals if required, ownership + OFAC checks, bank verification (IAV or micro-deposits), and authorization captured with the correct SEC code.
2. Fund instantly (RTP): - Push initial proceeds immediately—no cutoffs, no weekends blocked—using role permissions and limits your ops team controls.
3. Collect for $0: - Schedule ACH pulls (daily/weekly) with proper notice. Collections price at $0 (and we can enable $0 debit pulls where approved).
4. Manage returns: - If a return occurs, it’s a true exception. Configure reason-based retries and dunning sequences; monitor rolling rates to stay under NACHA thresholds.
5. Renew quickly: - With RTP and portfolio data in one place, renewal decisions accelerate—and merchants feel the difference.
Why Liftoff Is the Best Platform for MCA & Lenders
· True zero-cost inbound at volumes that matter—no “teaser tiers.”
· RTP that actually works at lender scale (24/7/365, dual-control, limits, web hooks).
· Compliance you can hand to legal (SEC codes, KYC/KYB, OFAC, audit artifacts).
· Risk tools tuned for ACH (return analytics, configurable retries, balance checks).
· Developer-first (clean APIs, sane web hooks, sandbox, examples) and operator-friendly (portal with role-based controls, exports, BI-ready).
· Flexible pricing models so your effective blended cost goes down as you grow.
Implementation: Fast, Safe, and Boring (The Way It Should Be)
· Kickoff: Map flows (funding vs. collections cadence), agree on auth language and SEC codes, review underwriting requirements.
· Integrate: Drop in Liftoff’s API for disbursements and collections, set webhooks for state changes, test in sandbox.
· Pilot: Start with a slice of the portfolio or a high-intent segment; watch returns, time-to[1]fund, and net processing cost.
· Scale: Expand to full portfolio, enable weekend RTP for competitive wins, roll out dunning templates and retries.
· Optimize: Review monthly with our team—fine-tune thresholds, speed tiers, and renewal triggers.
Time to value is short. Most lenders begin realizing savings the same week they switch inbound to $0.
The Strategic Play: Backup ACH + RTP as a Differentiator
Beyond the near-term savings, many MCA and lending firms adopt Liftoff as a backup ACH provider. That redundancy matters when a bank partner changes risk appetite or a vendor experiences downtime. Meanwhile, RTP becomes your marketable differentiator: “We fund instantly—even on weekends.” It wins deals, increases renewal rates, and improves portfolio NPS.
FAQs
Is zero-cost inbound really unlimited?
We size thresholds to your actual volume so your core collections run at $0. As you grow, we expand those thresholds—our goal is to keep your effective cost trending down.
Where do you charge fees if inbound is $0?
Costs shift to outbound rails you choose (RTP, ACH credits, optional Same-Day uplift), any elected platform plan, and pass-throughs only when returns occur. You control the mix.
Can you support higher-risk industries?
Often, yes—with appropriate underwriting, return-rate history, compliance controls, and bank verification. Many lenders use Liftoff as a backup ACH specifically to manage higher-risk cohorts.
Do I have to use RTP?
No. You can rely on standard ACH credits and still benefit from zero-cost inbound. That said, RTP creates tangible business impact (faster closes, weekend funding), so most lenders enable it.
How do you help keep returns low?
SEC-correct authorization, KYC/KYB/OFAC, bank ownership/balance checks, and configurable dunning/retries. You’ll also get return-reason analytics and alerts to stay under NACHA thresholds.
How long does integration take?
Most teams stand up a working pilot in days. Our API and web hooks are straightforward, and your finance team can operate from the portal on day one.
The Bottom Line
For MCA and lenders, zero-cost ACH receivables is a simple lever with outsized impact. Stop paying to get paid—collect for $0—and use RTP to fund in real time, even on weekends. Pair that with Liftoff’s compliance posture, return-rate discipline, and lender-friendly APIs, and you’ll improve unit economics and customer experience in the same move.
Ready to see your numbers?
We’ll run an ROI model using your portfolio mix and show exactly how much you’ll save (and how much faster you can fund). Talk to a Liftoff Payments Specialist today.