Revenue-based financing (RBF) from Wayflyer, Clearco, Settle, 8fig, Choco Up — advance against revenue, collect a fixed percentage of daily/weekly sales until 1.1-1.4x payback. No equity dilution. Platform-native lending: Amazon Lending (FBA sellers), Shopify Capital, PayPal Working Capital, Stripe Capital — uses your platform revenue history for instant qualification. Inventory loans for stocking up before peak season. SBA 7(a) for e-commerce business acquisitions (increasingly common). Working capital lines for AR and operating cash flow. Conventional banks struggle to underwrite digital revenue patterns — specialty e-commerce lenders (Wayflyer, Clearco, Live Oak Bank for SBA) move faster and understand the metrics (CAC, LTV, contribution margin).
E-commerce financing is one of the fastest-evolving markets in U.S. SMB lending. Conventional banks struggle to underwrite digital revenue patterns, ad-spend leverage, and inventory cycles, so a specialty fintech ecosystem has emerged: revenue-based financing, platform-native lending, inventory-specific products, and SBA-active e-commerce specialty lenders. This guide covers the products, the lenders that fit, and how to choose by stage and use case. For broader context see working capital loans and SBA loans.
Financing Products by Need
| Need | Product | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Inventory pre-peak season | RBF or inventory loan | $25K-$10M |
| Marketing / CAC scaling | RBF | $25K-$5M |
| Working capital (Amazon FBA) | Amazon Lending | $1K-$750K |
| Working capital (Shopify) | Shopify Capital | $200-$2M |
| Working capital (general) | Line of credit | $25K-$1M |
| Business acquisition | SBA 7(a) | $200K-$5M |
| Equipment (warehouse, packaging) | Equipment loan | $25K-$1M |
Revenue-Based Financing Deep Dive
RBF is the most-used product in e-commerce because it matches financing structure to the cash-flow shape:
- Advance: lender funds 5-50% of trailing-12-month revenue, often within 5 business days
- Repayment: lender collects a fixed percentage of daily/weekly revenue (typically 5-15%) until total payback hits 1.1-1.4x advance
- No fixed term: payback length depends on revenue growth — typically 6-18 months
- No equity dilution: revenue-share, not ownership transfer
- No personal guarantee: most RBF lenders underwrite the business, not the founder
- Effective APR: 12-25% depending on payback speed
Specialty e-commerce RBF lenders: Wayflyer (the largest dedicated DTC/e-com RBF), Clearco, Settle, 8fig, Choco Up, plus broader RBF (Pipe, Capchase, Founderpath).
Platform-Native Lending
The major e-commerce platforms all run their own lending products:
- Amazon Lending: invitation-only term loans and lines of credit for Amazon sellers. $1K-$750K, 6-17% APR. Repayment via automatic Amazon disbursement deduction. Available to sellers with 12+ months on Amazon, $10K+ monthly sales, and healthy account health metrics.
- Shopify Capital: merchant cash advances and term loans for Shopify merchants. ~10% of trailing-12-month sales typical. Repayment via fixed percentage of daily sales. No fixed term. Effective rate ~10-30% APR.
- PayPal Working Capital: short-term loans for PayPal Business sellers. Repayment via fixed percentage of PayPal sales until paid back.
- Stripe Capital: cash advances for Stripe merchants. Similar repayment-via-revenue structure.
Platform-native lending closes in 24-48 hours because the platform already has full revenue and account-health data.
Inventory Financing
E-commerce inventory financing solves a specific problem: ordering inventory 60-120 days before peak sales (Q4 for most consumer brands) without the cash to do it. Specialty inventory products:
- Settle: pays your suppliers, you repay over 30-90 days. Specifically built for DTC brands.
- 8fig: forecasting-driven inventory financing tied to sales projections.
- Wayflyer / Clearco: RBF advances earmarked for inventory.
- Kickfurther: crowdfunded inventory financing (community-funded purchase orders).
E-commerce Business Acquisitions
SBA 7(a) for e-commerce acquisitions has grown significantly. Representative $1.2M established Amazon FBA brand purchase:
- SBA 7(a): $1.0M (83% of purchase). 10-year amort, 10.75% APR. Monthly P&I ~$13,700.
- Seller note: $120K (10% of purchase) on full standby for 24 months.
- Buyer equity: $80K (~7% cash) + standby seller note covers SBA equity requirement.
The lender will require: 24+ months trailing revenue history, brand/IP transfer documentation, Amazon Seller Central or Shopify back-end exports, SKU-level economics, supplier relationships, and buyer e-commerce experience documentation. Specialty SBA lenders (Live Oak Bank, Newtek) understand e-commerce metrics far better than general SBA banks.
Specialty E-commerce Lenders
RBF
- Wayflyer — the largest dedicated DTC/e-com RBF lender
- Clearco — broad e-com RBF (formerly Clearbanc)
- Settle — inventory/working-capital focus
- 8fig — forecasting-driven inventory RBF
- Choco Up — APAC + U.S. e-com RBF
- Pipe, Capchase, Founderpath — broader RBF including SaaS
Platform-native
- Amazon Lending, Shopify Capital, PayPal Working Capital, Stripe Capital
SBA
- Live Oak Bank, Newtek — specialty e-commerce SBA
Next Step
Whatever your e-commerce financing need — inventory, marketing, working capital, acquisition — specialty e-commerce lenders dramatically outperform conventional banks. Get matched with an e-commerce lender.
Frequently Asked Questions
What financing do e-commerce businesses use?
Revenue-based financing (RBF) from Wayflyer, Clearco, Settle, 8fig, Choco Up; inventory loans for stocking up before peak season; platform-native lending (Amazon Lending for FBA sellers, Shopify Capital for Shopify merchants, PayPal Working Capital, Stripe Capital); working capital lines for AR and operating cash flow; SBA 7(a) for e-commerce business acquisitions (increasingly common). Most e-commerce financing is non-traditional because conventional banks struggle to underwrite digital revenue patterns.
What is revenue-based financing for e-commerce?
RBF lenders advance capital and collect a fixed percentage of daily/weekly revenue until a multiple (typically 1.1-1.4x) is repaid. No equity dilution, no fixed monthly payment — payback flexes with revenue. Specialty e-commerce RBF: Wayflyer (largest dedicated DTC/e-com RBF), Clearco, Settle, 8fig, Choco Up. Typical advance: $50K-$10M; effective APR 12-25%.
How does Amazon Lending work?
Amazon Lending offers invitation-only term loans and lines of credit to qualifying Amazon sellers (typically 12+ months on Amazon, $10K+ monthly sales, healthy account health metrics). Loans range $1K-$750K. Repayment via automatic deduction from Amazon disbursements. Rates 6-17% APR. Faster approval than bank financing because Amazon already has the seller's full revenue history.
How does Shopify Capital work?
Shopify Capital offers merchant cash advances and term loans to qualifying Shopify merchants based on the store's transaction history. Advance amount: 10% of trailing-12-month sales typical. Repayment: fixed percentage of daily sales until total payback achieved. No fixed term — pays off when sales repay it. Effective rate: 1.10-1.16 factor (~10-30% APR depending on speed).
Can I finance buying an e-commerce business?
Yes — SBA 7(a) is increasingly active in e-commerce business acquisitions, particularly for established Shopify, Amazon FBA, and DTC brands. Buyer typically wants 24+ months trailing revenue history, established brand IP/trademarks, and clean Amazon Seller Central or Shopify back-end. Specialty SBA lenders (Live Oak Bank, Newtek) understand e-commerce metrics (CAC, LTV, contribution margin) better than general SBA lenders.
Still deciding? Tell us about your business and compare real options. Free, no obligation, and checking won't affect your credit.