Get paid on approved invoices without waiting out the payment cycle
If your city works with Lunch, you can choose to be paid right away when one of your invoices is approved, instead of waiting net 30, 45, or 60.
There's nothing to apply for. We email you when you have an eligible invoice.
What you get
Cash when the work is done
Not thirty days after.
A fee you see first
One flat fee per invoice, shown before you accept. No interest, no late fees, nothing that grows over time.
Credit for the work you already do
We report your payment history, which builds a business credit file most small companies never get.
How it works
We email you
Once your city approves your invoice, you get a notification from Lunch. It shows the invoice, the flat fee, and exactly what you'd receive.
You decide
Take the early payment or ignore the email. If you do nothing, you're paid by your city on its normal schedule, same as always.
Money arrives
We send funds the same day you accept. Depending on your bank, they settle in one to three business days.
The first time you accept, there's a short signup: standard business information and a bank connection through Plaid. After that it's one click per invoice.
Every invoice is its own decision
Accelerate one and wait on the next. No minimum, no commitment, and no penalty for skipping. The fee is set per invoice and doesn't change after you accept.
Who qualifies
If your city works with Lunch and your invoice is approved, you're eligible. There's no application to fill out.
A $900 invoice works the same way a $90,000 one does.
Every payment builds your credit
Most small businesses have almost no commercial credit file. Lenders read an empty file as risk, which is why borrowing costs more and bonding is hard to get.
We report your payment history every month, so the work you do for your city starts counting toward your credit. Over time that means cheaper borrowing, easier bonding, and the ability to bid on bigger contracts.
How credit building works →Questions vendors ask
“Do I have to sign up?”
No. It's optional and it doesn't affect your standing with your city either way.
“How fast do I get the money?”
We send funds the same day you accept. They settle in one to three business days depending on your bank.
“Is this a loan?”
No. We purchase the approved invoice from you for a flat fee. There's no interest. Your city repays us on its normal timeline.
“What does it cost?”
One flat fee per invoice, taken out of the invoice amount. You see it before you accept and there's no separate bill.
“Is my banking data safe?”
Account connections are tokenized through Plaid. We don't store your banking credentials.
Not sure whether your city is signed up?
Email us and we'll tell you where things stand. If your city isn't a partner yet, let them know you'd use it.