DECTA has partnered with SAPI to launch DECTA Capital, a payment-linked financing product for UK SMEs.
Through the agreement, payment technology provider DECTA will make working capital available to its UK SME merchants via DECTA Capital, a product built on SAPI's payment-linked financing infrastructure. Merchants can access funding within their existing DECTA payment environment, while SAPI is responsible for underwriting, servicing, and compliance.
How the financing model works
DECTA Capital gives SMEs access to working capital without collateral requirements or credit score thresholds. According to the companies, funding offers are typically available within 24 hours.
Instead of fixed monthly instalments, businesses repay through a small, pre-agreed share of their card sales. Repayment amounts therefore move in line with trading volumes. A slower week results in a smaller payment, and repayments remain tied to the merchant's actual sales activity rather than a predetermined schedule.
In addition, the companies position the model as an alternative to traditional lending, which they describe as document-heavy and slow-moving. Because the financing sits inside the payment experience merchants already use, businesses do not need to approach a separate lender or go through a standalone application process.
Embedded finance and the division of roles
DECTA has identified embedded finance as a way to deliver value to its customers. The partnership integrates SAPI's capital products directly into DECTA's user experience, allowing merchants to obtain funding alongside the payment services they already rely on.
SAPI provides infrastructure that connects directly to payment ecosystems. This enables partners such as DECTA to offer capital products at scale without building underwriting, servicing, or collections operations in-house. Under this structure, DECTA provides access to its merchant base, while SAPI retains the operational and compliance functions associated with the financing.
The arrangement illustrates how payment providers can extend their offering beyond transaction processing by partnering with specialist financing providers, rather than developing lending capabilities internally.
Market context
According to the companies, UK SMEs generate more than half of the country's private sector turnover. However, rising costs and tighter lending criteria continue to restrict many of these businesses' access to the flexible working capital required for growth.
Scott Dawson, CEO at DECTA, said that access to capital remains one of the main barriers facing growing businesses, and that the partnership is intended to give customers a faster and more flexible funding experience directly through DECTA. He added that this would allow merchants to concentrate on running their businesses.
Mai Le, CEO at SAPI, noted that certain groups, including first-time founders and immigrant- and woman-owned businesses, are particularly likely to be excluded from working capital when they need it. According to SAPI, its payment-linked model is designed to reduce that friction by providing offers in around 24 hours and allowing businesses to repay as they earn. It was also mentioned that the partnership enables SAPI to reach merchants already served by DECTA.
