Revenue-Based Finance for Ecommerce — UK eligibility guide
Sector-specific underwriting context layered on top of the base ecommerce sector page and the base revenue-based finance guide.
Eligibility guidance only - not financial advice, not a loan offer, not a guarantee of approval. Lendrly is not FCA-authorised and is not a credit broker.
In short
Revenue-Based Finance for UK ecommerce businesses combines a sector pattern Lendrly tracks closely with a finance type that has its own underwriting shape. E-commerce, SaaS and digital-first businesses scaling stock or marketing. In the ecommerce sector specifically, the lenders that tend to fit are ones already comfortable with the ecommerce cash cycle, asset profile and customer mix. Typical amounts sit at £10k to several million, with most facilities between £25k and £1m. and decisions usually land within often 24-72 hours from data connection to offer. Final eligibility, pricing and limits are set by the lender at underwriting and depend on the full trading picture.
What underwriters in the ecommerce sector typically watch for
The list below is specific to UK ecommerce businesses seeking revenue-based finance — distinct from the generic blockers for either the sector or the product on its own.
- Sellers with under 6 months of platform sales history typically fall below Wayflyer and Outfund's minimums — Shopify Capital sometimes catches younger merchants where the others don't.
- Weak unit economics (high CAC, thin contribution margin) materially reduce the indicative advance even where headline revenue is strong.
- Concentration on a single ad channel (Meta-only) or a single marketplace (Amazon-only) is a risk flag that can pull the offer down.
- Restricted product categories (vape, CBD, supplements, weight-loss) face a narrower RBF lender pool than mainstream consumer brands.
Documents that help in ecommerce revenue-based finance applications
Lenders ask for slightly different documents depending on the sector. Expect to provide most of the following when applying for revenue-based finance as a ecommerce business.
- Shopify, Amazon Seller Central, Stripe or platform admin access for the integration (read-only).
- Last 12 months of ad-platform spend reports (Meta, Google, TikTok) showing CAC and channel mix.
- Last 12 months of management accounts showing contribution margin and inventory turnover.
- Last 6 months of business bank statements showing platform settlements.
Timing the application
The strongest application window for RBF is the 60 days after Q4 settles — January and February — when the trailing 12-month revenue is at its highest and ad spend hasn't yet pulled cash back out. Applying in October during heavy Q4 spend often sizes the offer below what the business needs.
Worked example
A Shopify-led DTC brand turning over £150k a month with 18 months of consistent history and 35% gross margin might pre-qualify for an RBF facility in the £100-300k range from Wayflyer or Outfund. Typical structures repay 8-15% of daily platform revenue until the advance plus fee is settled, with effective rates in the low-to-mid teens. The actual offer depends on growth rate, return rate and ad-channel diversity.
Illustrative only. Final amounts, pricing and structure are set by the lender at underwriting.
Practical lender tips for ecommerce revenue-based finance
- Wayflyer leans toward established multi-channel brands; Outfund favours growth-stage sellers with cleaner unit economics.
- Stacking an RBF on top of a Shopify Capital advance is common in the sector — declare it openly because both sides will see it in the integrations regardless.