Shopify funding and loans
UK Shopify stores have two main funding routes: Shopify Capital, the offer that appears inside your admin, and independent revenue-based lenders such as Wayflyer and Outfund. Both advance a lump sum and take a fixed share of sales until a flat fee is repaid. Shopify Capital is quick and built in; independent lenders often advance more and are worth comparing before you accept the in-app offer.
Director, FundBiz
Oliver leads FundBiz's specialty finance comparison and matching engine. With a background in UK commercial finance, he oversees lender partnerships, eligibility logic and post-decline routing.
Last reviewed: 27 June 2026
How Shopify Capital works
Shopify Capital is a revenue-based offer surfaced inside the Shopify admin when the platform's model decides a store qualifies. It advances a lump sum against your Shopify sales and takes a fixed percentage of daily takings until a set total (the advance plus a flat fee) is repaid. You cannot apply in the usual sense; the offer appears, or it does not, based on your store data. That makes it convenient but limited: you take the amount offered, on the terms offered, and only when the platform decides to show it.
Why compare independent lenders
The in-app offer is rarely the only one available, and often not the largest. Independent revenue-based lenders read the same store data but underwrite separately, which means a different (sometimes higher) advance and different pricing.
- Wayflyer: built for Shopify, Amazon and D2C, tickets from £10k to £20m, fixed fee 2% to 8%, decisions in 24 to 48 hours.
- Outfund: online and subscription focus, tickets to £10m, underwrites on Stripe, Shopify and bank data.
- YouLend: embedded across marketplaces, strong if your revenue spans Shopify plus Amazon or a delivery platform.
Because each reads your data independently, it is worth getting more than one offer on the table before you accept anything, including the Shopify Capital one.
What it costs, in plain pounds
Revenue-based finance is priced as a flat fee, not an APR. A £50,000 advance at a 6% fee repays £53,000 in total. If sales clear that in four months, the cost is the same £3,000 but the annualised rate is high; if it clears over ten months, the annualised rate is far lower. The fee does not change, only how fast you repay it does. Run any Shopify funding offer through the effective-cost check before signing.
Use the RBF cost calculator to turn a fee and a revenue share into an effective annualised cost and a payback period.
Who qualifies
- UK limited companies, LLPs and partnerships of 4+ running a Shopify store.
- Usually at least six months of trading and steady monthly online revenue.
- Ability to connect Shopify, and often Stripe or the bank feed, for underwriting.
- Funds typically used for inventory or marketing rather than general overheads.
FAQ
Can I get a loan against my Shopify store in the UK?
Yes. UK Shopify stores can raise revenue-based finance from Shopify Capital inside the admin or from independent lenders such as Wayflyer and Outfund. The advance is sized on your store sales and repaid as a share of daily revenue, so steady trading matters more than a long filed-accounts history.
What are the alternatives to Shopify Capital?
The main independent alternatives are Wayflyer, Outfund and YouLend. They underwrite on the same store data but separately from Shopify, so they can offer a larger advance or different pricing. Comparing one or two against the in-app offer before you accept is usually worth the few minutes it takes.
How much can a Shopify store borrow?
Advances are typically sized at roughly one to two months of online revenue, though high-growth stores secure more. Independent lenders quote from about £10,000 up to several million for established sellers. The band depends on revenue stability, margin and which platforms you can connect for underwriting.
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Compare Shopify funding offers →Limited companies, LLPs and partnerships of 4+ only.
Last reviewed: 27 June 2026.