Equipment lease rate factors, explained with real math
📰 Featured by Ami Kassar— Founder & CEO, MultiFunding →Financing a truck, an oven, or a machine, you'll hear a number like "0.032." It's called a lease rate factor, and like the MCA world's factor rates, it's a real number engineered to sound like nothing. Here's what it actually means.
The one-line formula
A $60,000 truck at a 0.032 factor: $60,000 × 0.032 = $1,920 every month.
Sounds manageable. Now finish the math nobody does out loud: over a 48-month term, $1,920 × 48 = $92,160 total — you're paying $32,160 in financing cost on a $60,000 machine. That's roughly 13% per year simple, and the true effective rate is higher, because you don't keep the full $60,000 of value the whole time.
Run your own numbers
Lease rate factor calculator
The end-of-lease trap: $1 buyout vs. FMV
$1 buyout lease: at the end, the equipment is yours for a dollar. It's effectively a loan wearing a lease costume — higher monthly payment, clean ending.
FMV (fair market value) lease: lower monthly payments — but at the end you must buy the equipment again at market value, return it, or keep paying. The cheaper-looking option frequently costs more in total, and the difference hides in the fine print.
Equipment financing vs. taking an MCA for equipment
If the money is for equipment, equipment financing almost always beats a cash advance — the machine itself secures the deal, so lenders charge 7–20% annually instead of an MCA's 60–150%+. The MCA's only edge is speed and looser approval. If a funder is pushing an advance for an equipment purchase without mentioning equipment financing exists, that tells you whose interest they're serving. Compare against SBA and other options here.
Common questions
What is a lease rate factor?
A lease rate factor is the multiplier that sets your monthly equipment payment: monthly payment = equipment cost × lease rate factor. A $60,000 machine at a 0.032 factor costs $1,920 per month. It's a payment multiplier, not an interest rate — factors are quoted because they sound smaller than the equivalent rate.
How do I convert a lease rate factor to an interest rate?
Multiply the monthly payment by the term to get the total paid, subtract the equipment cost to get the financing cost, then annualize over the term. A 0.032 factor over 48 months on $60,000 means $32,160 in financing cost — roughly 13% per year simple, and higher as an effective rate. The calculator above does this for you.
What is the difference between a $1 buyout and an FMV lease?
A $1 buyout lease means you own the equipment at the end for one dollar — effectively a loan, with a higher monthly payment and a clean ending. A fair-market-value (FMV) lease has lower payments but requires you to buy the equipment at market value at the end, return it, or keep paying. The cheaper-looking FMV option frequently costs more in total.
How much does a $60,000 equipment lease actually cost?
At a 0.032 factor, $1,920 a month — but over 48 months that's $92,160 total, about $32,160 in financing cost (roughly 13% a year simple, higher as an effective rate). An FMV buyout at the end adds more, so always check total paid plus end-of-term cost, not the factor alone.
Is equipment financing cheaper than a merchant cash advance?
Almost always, when the need is a physical asset — the equipment itself secures the deal, so lenders charge about 7–20% annually versus 60–150%+ for MCAs. If you're buying equipment, price the equipment loan or lease before any cash advance. Compare against SBA and other options here.
Can I deduct lease payments?
Often, and Section 179 may let you deduct purchased equipment quickly too — the tax treatment differs between true leases and $1-buyouts. Ask your accountant which structure wins for your situation; the answer changes the real cost.