What is a Merchant Cash Advance (MCA)? Complete Business Financing Guide

A Merchant Cash Advance (MCA) is a type of business financing where companies receive immediate capital in exchange for a portion of future credit card sales or daily bank deposits. Unlike traditional business loans, an MCA provides quick access to working capital through a purchase of future receivables, making it an attractive option for businesses that need fast funding but may not qualify for conventional bank financing.

The MCA industry has grown significantly as an alternative to traditional business financing, serving businesses across various industries that need rapid access to capital. Merchant Cash Advances appeal to business owners who value speed and accessibility over cost, as MCAs typically cost more than traditional loans but offer faster approval and funding with less stringent qualification requirements.

How Does a Merchant Cash Advance Work?

The MCA process begins when a business applies for a specific advance amount, typically ranging from $5,000 to $2 million depending on the business's monthly sales volume and credit card processing history. MCA providers evaluate recent bank statements and payment processing records to determine advance amounts and establish repayment terms based on daily sales activity rather than credit scores or collateral.

Once approved, businesses receive a lump sum payment and agree to repay the advance plus fees through daily Automated Clearing House (ACH) withdrawals or credit card processing holdbacks. The repayment amount is calculated as a fixed percentage of daily sales, creating a flexible payment structure that automatically adjusts based on business revenue fluctuations.

The Daily Payment Structure

MCA repayments typically occur through automated daily withdrawals ranging from 10% to 20% of daily credit card sales or bank deposits. This percentage-based structure means higher sales days result in larger payments, while slower business days generate smaller payment amounts. The automatic adjustment helps businesses manage cash flow during revenue variations but can extend repayment periods during slow sales cycles.

The daily payment mechanism requires businesses to maintain consistent payment processing activity and regular deposit patterns. Companies with irregular sales cycles or project-based revenue may find the daily payment structure challenging during periods of low activity, as reduced payments extend the overall repayment timeline while fees continue to accrue.

MCA Component	Typical Range	How It Works	Impact on Business
Advance Amount	$5,000-$2,000,000	Based on monthly sales	Immediate working capital
Factor Rate	1.1-1.5	Multiplied by advance	Total repayment amount
Holdback Percentage	10%-20%	Daily sales percentage	Daily payment amount
Repayment Period	3-18 months	Based on sales volume	Payment timeline

Factor Rates vs. Interest Rates

Merchant Cash Advances use factor rates instead of traditional interest rates to determine the total cost of financing. Factor rates typically range from 1.1 to 1.5, meaning a business repays $1.10 to $1.50 for every dollar advanced. For example, a $100,000 MCA with a 1.3 factor rate requires total repayment of $130,000, regardless of how long the repayment process takes.

Factor rates create fixed total costs but variable repayment periods, making it difficult to calculate equivalent annual percentage rates (APRs) for comparison with traditional financing. The actual cost depends on how quickly the business repays the advance, with faster repayment resulting in higher equivalent APRs and slower repayment producing lower equivalent rates.

MCA Qualification Requirements

Merchant Cash Advance qualification focuses primarily on business cash flow and sales volume rather than credit scores or extensive financial documentation. Most MCA providers require minimum monthly sales of $10,000 to $15,000, at least 3-6 months of consistent business operation, and regular credit card processing activity or bank deposits that demonstrate repayment capacity.

Credit score requirements for MCAs are generally more flexible than traditional business financing, with many providers accepting personal credit scores as low as 400-500. While better credit scores may result in more favorable factor rates and terms, the primary qualification criteria focus on the business's ability to generate consistent daily sales that support the required payment percentage.

Documentation and Application Process

MCA applications typically require 3-6 months of business bank statements, recent credit card processing statements if applicable, and basic business information including legal structure and ownership details. The streamlined documentation requirements enable faster processing compared to traditional bank loans, with most providers offering approval decisions within 24-48 hours.

Business tax returns, detailed financial statements, and comprehensive business plans are generally not required for MCA approval, making them accessible to businesses with limited financial documentation or newer operations. However, larger advance amounts may require additional documentation for risk assessment and underwriting purposes.

Industry and Business Type Suitability

MCAs work particularly well for businesses with high credit card processing volume including restaurants, retail stores, salons, automotive services, and other consumer-facing businesses with regular daily transactions. These businesses can support the daily payment structure through consistent sales activity while benefiting from the flexible payment amounts that adjust with revenue fluctuations.

Service businesses with regular bank deposit patterns can also qualify for MCAs even without significant credit card processing activity. Professional services, contractors, and B2B companies may find MCAs accessible when traditional financing is unavailable, though the daily payment structure may be less suitable for businesses with irregular revenue patterns or extended payment cycles.

Advantages of Merchant Cash Advances

The primary advantage of Merchant Cash Advances is their speed and accessibility, providing businesses with immediate access to capital when traditional financing options are unavailable or too slow for urgent business needs. Emergency situations including equipment failures, inventory restocking, or unexpected opportunities often justify MCA costs when alternative funding sources cannot meet critical timing requirements.

MCA approval decisions are typically based on business performance rather than personal credit history or collateral requirements, making them accessible to businesses that might not qualify for conventional bank loans. This accessibility provides crucial financing options for businesses with credit challenges, limited operating history, or non-traditional business models that don't fit standard banking criteria.

Speed and Flexibility Benefits

MCA funding usually occurs within 24-72 hours of approval, making them among the fastest business financing options available. This speed advantage proves essential for businesses facing immediate crises, time-sensitive opportunities, or urgent operational needs that cannot wait for traditional loan processing timelines that may take weeks or months.

The flexible payment structure automatically adjusts to business performance, providing smaller payments during slow periods and larger payments during busy times. This built-in flexibility helps businesses manage seasonal variations, economic downturns, or unexpected revenue changes without the fixed payment obligations that could create cash flow problems during difficult periods.

Business Cash Flow Alignment

The variable payment structure of MCAs aligns repayment obligations with business revenue generation, automatically reducing payment amounts during slow periods while increasing payments when sales are strong. This alignment helps prevent the cash flow problems that can occur with fixed-payment loans during temporary revenue declines or seasonal business fluctuations.

Businesses with unpredictable revenue patterns often prefer MCA flexibility over traditional loan payments that remain constant regardless of business performance. Restaurants with varying daily sales, retailers with seasonal patterns, and service businesses with project-based income can benefit from payment structures that match their revenue generation cycles.

Disadvantages and Risks of MCAs

The most significant disadvantage of Merchant Cash Advances is their extremely high cost, with factor rates that can translate to equivalent annual percentage rates exceeding 100-300% depending on repayment speed. These costs make MCAs unsuitable for routine business financing and appropriate only for emergency situations where the cost of delayed funding exceeds the high financing expenses.

Daily payment obligations can create substantial cash flow strain, particularly for businesses with tight profit margins or seasonal revenue patterns. The automatic withdrawal structure provides no flexibility for temporary cash flow problems, potentially creating operational difficulties if businesses cannot maintain adequate reserves for other essential expenses while meeting MCA payment requirements.

High Cost Structure

Factor rates can be misleading since they don't reflect time-based interest calculations that business owners typically understand. A 1.3 factor rate may seem reasonable but can translate to equivalent APRs exceeding 150% for businesses that repay advances quickly, making accurate cost comparison with traditional financing extremely difficult without careful calculation.

Additional fees including origination charges, processing fees, and administrative costs can increase total expenses beyond stated factor rates. Some MCA providers structure agreements to maximize fees while minimizing apparent factor rates, creating confusion about true financing costs and making comprehensive cost analysis essential before signing agreements.

Cash Flow and Operational Risks

Daily payment requirements can quickly become burdensome if business revenue declines or operational expenses increase unexpectedly. Unlike traditional loans where payments might be modified during temporary difficulties, MCA payments continue automatically regardless of business circumstances, potentially creating severe financial stress during challenging periods.

The risk of creating dependency cycles where businesses need additional MCAs to manage cash flow problems caused by existing MCA payments represents a significant concern. This cycle can trap businesses in expensive financing arrangements that become increasingly difficult to escape as costs compound and cash flow becomes dedicated to MCA repayments.

MCA vs. Traditional Business Loans

The fundamental difference between MCAs and traditional business loans lies in their structure, cost, and qualification requirements. Traditional loans provide fixed amounts with predetermined interest rates and monthly payments over specified terms, while MCAs purchase future receivables with factor rates and variable daily payments based on business sales performance.

Qualification requirements differ dramatically between MCAs and traditional loans. Bank loans typically require strong credit profiles, comprehensive financial documentation, collateral, and extensive underwriting processes. MCAs focus primarily on sales volume and cash flow patterns, making them accessible to businesses that cannot qualify for conventional financing but at significantly higher costs.

Feature	Merchant Cash Advance	Traditional Business Loan	Better Option
Speed	24-72 hours	2-8 weeks	MCA
Cost	40-300% APR equivalent	6-30% APR	Traditional Loan
Credit Requirements	400+ acceptable	650+ typically required	MCA
Documentation	Minimal	Extensive	MCA
Payment Structure	Daily, variable	Monthly, fixed	Depends on business

When MCAs Make Sense

MCAs make financial sense primarily in emergency situations where immediate funding is critical and traditional financing is either unavailable or too slow for urgent business needs. Equipment failures, urgent inventory requirements, or time-sensitive opportunities may justify MCA costs when delays would result in greater losses than the high financing expenses.

Businesses with credit challenges, limited operating history, or non-traditional revenue patterns may find MCAs accessible when conventional financing is not available. However, the high costs mean MCAs should be considered only after exploring all other financing alternatives and determining that the benefits justify the substantial expense.

Alternative Financing Options

Before choosing an MCA, businesses should explore alternative financing options including short-term business loans, business lines of credit, equipment financing, and invoice factoring that may provide similar speed and accessibility with more favorable terms. Online lenders increasingly offer rapid approval and funding with lower costs than traditional MCAs.

Revenue-based financing, peer-to-peer lending, and alternative lending platforms represent options that may provide middle-ground solutions between traditional bank loans and MCAs. These alternatives often offer better terms than MCAs while maintaining faster approval processes than conventional bank financing.

Industries Best Suited for MCAs

Merchant Cash Advances work best for businesses with consistent daily credit card processing activity and predictable cash flow patterns. Restaurants, retail stores, salons, automotive services, and other consumer-facing businesses often find MCAs manageable due to regular transaction volumes that support the daily payment structure while providing operational flexibility.

Service businesses including contractors, consultants, and professional services can utilize MCAs effectively if they maintain consistent bank deposit patterns and can manage the daily payment obligations during slower periods. However, project-based businesses with irregular revenue may find the daily payment structure challenging during gaps between major contracts.

Retail and Restaurant Applications

Restaurants and food service establishments benefit from MCA structures that align payments with daily sales activity, as these businesses typically process numerous small transactions daily. The consistent revenue stream supports regular MCA payments while the flexible structure accommodates daily and seasonal variations common in the food service industry.

Retail operations including clothing stores, convenience stores, and specialty shops often find MCAs suitable for inventory financing, seasonal preparation, or emergency needs. The daily transaction volume provides predictable payment capacity while the variable payment structure accommodates seasonal fluctuations typical in retail businesses.

Professional Services and Contractors

Professional service businesses including law firms, accounting practices, and consulting companies can use MCAs for equipment purchases, marketing campaigns, or practice expansion when traditional financing is unavailable. However, these businesses must carefully evaluate their ability to maintain daily payments during slower periods or between major client projects.

Contractors and construction businesses may find MCAs useful for equipment purchases, materials financing, or seasonal preparation, but the irregular nature of construction revenue can make daily payment obligations challenging. These businesses should ensure they have adequate cash flow management strategies before committing to MCA financing.

The MCA Application Process

The MCA application process typically begins with an online application that collects basic business information including contact details, business structure, time in operation, and estimated monthly sales volume. Most applications can be completed within 15-30 minutes, with many providers offering preliminary qualification decisions through automated systems within hours.

Following initial application submission, businesses provide supporting documentation including recent bank statements, credit card processing statements if applicable, and identification documents. The underwriting process focuses on cash flow analysis and sales volume consistency rather than the detailed financial analysis required for traditional bank loans.

Required Documentation

Standard MCA documentation includes 3-6 months of business bank statements showing consistent deposits, recent credit card processing statements demonstrating transaction volume, business registration or licensing documents, and personal identification. Some providers may request additional information for larger advances or specific risk assessment requirements.

Unlike traditional loans, MCAs typically don't require detailed financial statements, business tax returns, or comprehensive business plans. This streamlined documentation requirement enables faster processing while making MCAs accessible to businesses with limited financial record-keeping or newer operations that lack extensive financial history.

Underwriting and Approval Criteria

MCA underwriters evaluate monthly sales volume, deposit consistency, business stability, and personal credit scores to determine advance amounts and factor rates. Strong sales history and consistent deposits result in larger advances and better rates, while irregular patterns may limit advance amounts or result in higher factor rates reflecting increased risk.

Business longevity, industry type, and owner credit history influence pricing more than approval decisions for most MCA providers. Newer businesses or those in high-risk industries may face higher factor rates but can still qualify based on demonstrated sales performance and cash flow capacity shown through bank statement analysis.

Managing MCA Repayment

Successfully managing MCA repayment requires careful cash flow planning to ensure daily payments don't compromise essential business operations or create financial stress. Businesses should maintain detailed cash flow projections that account for MCA payments while ensuring adequate reserves for payroll, rent, inventory, and other critical expenses throughout the repayment period.

Monitoring daily sales patterns and payment amounts helps businesses anticipate cash flow needs and adjust operations accordingly. During high-sales periods, businesses should prepare for larger MCA payments while building reserves for slower periods when payments decrease but operational expenses continue at normal levels.

Cash Flow Planning Strategies

Effective cash flow planning involves creating detailed budgets that account for variable MCA payments while maintaining operational flexibility for unexpected expenses or revenue fluctuations. Businesses should calculate worst-case scenarios where sales decline significantly, ensuring they can continue operations while meeting MCA obligations during challenging periods.

Building cash reserves before obtaining MCAs provides crucial buffers for unexpected expenses or temporary revenue declines that could create payment difficulties. Reserve planning should consider seasonal patterns, market conditions, and operational requirements to ensure adequate liquidity throughout the entire repayment period.

Repayment Acceleration Strategies

Some MCA agreements allow early repayment with discounts on remaining balances, potentially reducing total costs for businesses able to accelerate payments through improved sales performance or additional funding sources. However, early repayment terms vary significantly between providers, and businesses should understand all conditions before pursuing this strategy.

Focusing MCA funds on revenue-generating activities including inventory expansion, marketing campaigns, or operational improvements can help accelerate repayment by increasing daily sales volume and payment amounts. Strategic use of MCA capital to boost business performance can reduce repayment timelines while improving overall business financial health.

Legal and Regulatory Considerations

Merchant Cash Advances operate in a complex regulatory environment that varies significantly by state and continues evolving as regulators address concerns about high costs and business practices. Unlike traditional loans governed by banking regulations, MCAs are often structured as receivables purchases that may fall outside conventional lending laws, providing limited consumer protections for business borrowers.

Consumer and business protection laws provide minimal coverage for MCA transactions, making it essential for businesses to carefully review agreements and understand their rights and obligations before signing. Some states have enacted specific MCA regulations requiring disclosure of costs and terms, while others rely on general business contract law for dispute resolution and consumer protection.

Contract Terms and Business Protections

MCA agreements often include confession of judgment clauses that allow providers to obtain court judgments without traditional legal proceedings if businesses default on payments. These clauses can severely limit business owners' legal rights and should be carefully considered, as they provide minimal protection against aggressive collection practices or disputed payment calculations.

Personal guarantees, universal commercial code (UCC) liens on business assets, and restrictive covenants represent common MCA contract terms that create additional risks for business owners. Understanding these contractual obligations and their implications helps businesses make informed decisions about whether MCA financing is appropriate for their specific situations and risk tolerance.

Regulatory Compliance and Oversight

MCA regulatory compliance varies significantly by jurisdiction, with some states requiring licensing and disclosure while others maintain minimal oversight of the industry. Businesses should verify provider credentials, licensing requirements, and complaint history through state regulatory agencies and industry associations before entering agreements.

Federal agencies including the Federal Trade Commission and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau monitor the MCA industry for deceptive practices and consumer protection violations. However, enforcement is limited, making it essential for businesses to conduct their own due diligence when evaluating MCA providers and contract terms.

Red Flags and Predatory Practices

Predatory MCA practices include excessive fees, deceptive marketing, aggressive collection tactics, and contract terms designed to trap businesses in unfavorable arrangements. Warning signs include providers who refuse to provide clear cost calculations, pressure businesses to sign agreements quickly, or make unrealistic promises about approval or terms that seem inconsistent with the business's financial situation.

Legitimate MCA providers offer transparent pricing, clear contract terms, and reasonable collection practices while maintaining professional standards throughout the application and funding process. Businesses should be cautious of providers who cannot clearly explain factor rate calculations, refuse to provide written terms before signing, or engage in high-pressure sales tactics.

Warning Signs to Avoid

Upfront fees before funding, guaranteed approval claims regardless of business circumstances, extreme pressure to sign agreements immediately, and refusal to provide detailed written terms represent significant red flags that indicate potentially predatory providers. Reputable MCA companies typically charge fees only after funding and provide clear documentation of all terms and conditions.

Stacking arrangements where businesses obtain multiple MCAs simultaneously create dangerous payment obligations that can quickly overwhelm cash flow capacity. Ethical providers typically restrict additional financing until existing advances are substantially repaid, while predatory lenders may encourage stacking that benefits providers at the expense of business financial stability.

Due Diligence and Provider Research

Researching MCA providers through online reviews, Better Business Bureau ratings, state regulatory databases, and industry associations helps identify reputable companies while avoiding problematic providers. Legitimate providers maintain professional websites, clear contact information, and positive customer feedback from verified business sources.

Professional associations, industry publications, and business advisor recommendations provide valuable insights into provider reputation and industry standing. Businesses should verify provider licensing where required, confirm physical business addresses, and review complaint histories before entering into MCA agreements.

Alternatives to Merchant Cash Advances

Before committing to expensive MCA financing, businesses should thoroughly explore alternative funding sources that may provide similar speed and accessibility with significantly better terms and lower costs. Short-term business loans, business lines of credit, equipment financing, and invoice factoring represent options that often offer more favorable cost structures while maintaining reasonable approval timelines.

Online lenders increasingly offer rapid approval and funding for qualified businesses, with some providing decisions within hours and funding within 1-3 business days. These alternatives may require slightly higher credit scores or more documentation but often provide substantially better terms than MCAs for businesses that meet qualification requirements.

Traditional and Alternative Lending Options

Short-term business loans from online lenders provide fixed amounts with predetermined interest rates and repayment terms, offering cost predictability and generally lower expenses than MCAs. While approval may take slightly longer than MCAs, improved terms often justify modest delays for non-emergency financing needs that don't require same-day funding.

Business lines of credit provide revolving access to funds with interest charged only on amounts used, enabling businesses to access capital as needed while paying lower costs than MCA factor rates. Credit lines offer operational flexibility while maintaining predictable interest rates that facilitate better cash flow management than variable MCA payments.

Financing Option	Approval Speed	Cost Range	Best For	Credit Requirements
MCA	24-72 hours	40-300% APR equivalent	Emergency funding	400+ credit score
Short-Term Loan	1-5 days	10-50% APR	Working capital	580+ credit score
Business Line of Credit	3-7 days	8-35% APR	Ongoing cash flow	650+ credit score
Invoice Factoring	1-3 days	1-5% monthly	B2B receivables	Customer credit dependent

Specialized Financing Solutions

Invoice factoring provides immediate cash by purchasing outstanding invoices from B2B companies, typically advancing 70-90% of invoice values within 24-48 hours. This option works particularly well for businesses with creditworthy customers and extended payment terms, offering faster funding than MCAs with significantly lower overall costs.

Equipment financing enables businesses to purchase machinery, vehicles, or technology with the equipment serving as collateral, often providing better interest rates and longer repayment terms than unsecured financing. Equipment loans can fund business growth while maintaining lower costs than MCAs for asset-based financing needs.

Making the MCA Decision

The decision to pursue MCA financing should involve comprehensive evaluation of alternatives, realistic assessment of total costs, and honest evaluation of repayment capacity given daily payment obligations. MCAs work best as emergency financing when immediate funding is critical and other options are unavailable, insufficient, or too slow for urgent business needs that cannot wait for traditional processing.

Businesses considering MCAs should calculate total financing costs, evaluate cash flow impact throughout the repayment period, and ensure they have realistic plans for managing daily payments while maintaining essential operations. The decision should also consider whether funded investments will generate returns sufficient to justify the high costs associated with MCA financing.

Decision-Making Framework

Effective MCA evaluation requires comparing total financing costs with potential business benefits from immediate funding access. Emergency situations where delayed funding would result in greater losses than MCA expenses may justify the high costs, while routine business needs typically warrant exploring lower-cost alternatives that better preserve cash flow and profitability.

Revenue-generating investments including inventory purchases, equipment repairs, or time-sensitive opportunities should demonstrate clear return potential that exceeds MCA costs within reasonable timeframes. Investments that don't generate immediate returns or provide uncertain benefits rarely justify MCA financing given the substantial cost disadvantage compared to traditional financing options.

Long-term Financial Impact

MCAs should be evaluated for their long-term impact on business finances, including potential effects on future borrowing capacity, operational flexibility, and overall financial health. Businesses that become dependent on expensive MCA financing may find it difficult to transition to more affordable funding sources while maintaining growth and competitiveness over time.

The high cost of MCAs can reduce available cash for other investments, potentially limiting business growth and market competitiveness compared to businesses with access to lower-cost capital. Long-term financial planning should consider whether MCA financing supports sustainable business development or merely addresses symptoms of underlying financial challenges.

Industry Outlook and Future Trends

The MCA industry continues evolving with increased regulatory scrutiny, improved transparency requirements, and growing market competition that may lead to better terms and practices over time. Some states have enacted specific MCA regulations requiring clearer cost disclosure and fair dealing standards, while federal agencies monitor the industry for consumer protection violations.

Technology improvements including automated underwriting, real-time payment processing, and enhanced risk assessment capabilities may enable more accurate pricing and better terms for qualified businesses. However, the fundamental cost structure of MCAs will likely remain high due to their risk profile, processing requirements, and the operational costs of daily payment management.

Regulatory Evolution

Increasing regulatory attention focuses on disclosure requirements, fair dealing practices, and consumer protection standards that may improve industry transparency and business protections over time. Some jurisdictions now require detailed cost disclosures equivalent to APR calculations and provide cooling-off periods that give businesses additional time for decision-making.

Industry self-regulation through professional associations and best practice standards may establish guidelines that improve transparency and consumer protection beyond minimum regulatory requirements. However, businesses should not rely solely on regulatory protection and must conduct comprehensive due diligence when evaluating MCA options and providers.

Market Competition and Innovation

Increased competition from alternative lenders, fintech companies, and traditional banks offering rapid funding solutions may pressure MCA providers to improve terms and reduce costs to remain competitive. This market pressure benefits businesses through expanded funding options and potentially more favorable pricing for qualified applicants.

Technological innovation including artificial intelligence, machine learning, and real-time data analysis may enable more sophisticated risk assessment and personalized pricing that better reflects individual business risk profiles. These developments could lead to more competitive terms for lower-risk businesses while maintaining accessibility for higher-risk situations where traditional financing is unavailable.

Conclusion: Understanding MCA Business Financing

Merchant Cash Advances represent high-cost but accessible business financing that can provide immediate capital when traditional options are unavailable or inadequate for urgent business needs. While MCAs offer significant advantages in speed and accessibility, their extremely high costs and daily payment requirements make them suitable primarily for emergency situations rather than routine business financing needs.

The decision to pursue MCA financing should involve comprehensive cost analysis, realistic assessment of repayment capacity, and thorough exploration of alternatives that may provide similar benefits with more favorable terms. Emergency situations may justify MCA expenses, but businesses should exhaust lower-cost alternatives before committing to arrangements that can significantly impact long-term financial health.

Understanding MCA mechanics, costs, risks, and alternatives enables better decision-making about when and how to use this financing option effectively while avoiding common pitfalls that create financial stress. Businesses that approach MCAs with full awareness of costs and obligations can utilize them successfully for emergency needs while maintaining focus on building creditworthiness and banking relationships for future financing requirements.

The MCA industry will continue evolving with regulatory developments, competitive pressures, and technological improvements that may enhance transparency and consumer protection over time. However, the fundamental high-cost nature of MCAs means businesses should always prioritize building credit profiles and establishing banking relationships that provide access to more affordable financing alternatives for routine business needs.

Success with MCA financing requires treating it as emergency funding rather than routine business finance, maintaining disciplined cash flow management during repayment, and using immediate capital access to address urgent business challenges while building long-term financial stability. Businesses that follow these principles can benefit from MCA accessibility while avoiding dependency cycles that make expensive financing a recurring necessity rather than an occasional emergency solution.