The right PayPal Working Capital alternative depends on where your sales run and what you need. If most of your sales go through Square, Shopify or Stripe, their own sales-based loans work the same way as PayPal’s. If you want a revolving line that isn’t tied to one payment platform, Fundbox, Bluevine and the American Express Business Line of Credit are worth checking. If you need a larger lump sum with a published cost benchmark, OnDeck lends up to $400,000.
For more on PayPal itself, read our PayPal Working Capital review, and see the lender reviews hub for every lender we cover. Each figure below comes from the lender’s own site, checked on September 21, 2026.
PayPal Working Capital in brief: the benchmark
PayPal Working Capital lends $1,000 to $250,000, or up to $400,000 for repeat borrowers (PayPal). You need a PayPal Business or Premier account that’s at least 90 days old, with at least $15,000 (Business) or $20,000 (Premier) in annual PayPal sales, and any earlier Working Capital loan paid off. There’s “no personal credit check”; the decision is “based primarily on your PayPal account history.”
You pay one fixed fee with no periodic interest and no late fees. Repayment comes out as a percentage of your PayPal sales that you choose, with a minimum payment every 90 days of 5% or 10% of the loan, depending on the estimated term. Funding can arrive within minutes if you’re approved, and the lender is WebBank.
PayPal also offers a separate PayPal Business Loan: $5,000 to $200,000 ($300,000 for repeat borrowers), with weekly fixed payments from your business bank account. It requires at least $33,300 in annual revenue, a business at least nine months old, and personal and business credit checks. Funding can arrive as soon as the next business day. If Working Capital’s sales-based model doesn’t fit, that’s the first alternative to look at.
How these products charge
Several lenders here quote a fixed fee: a set dollar cost agreed at the start, which doesn’t change however long you take to repay. That’s different from an APR (annual percentage rate), which states the yearly cost including fees. With a fixed fee, the faster you repay, the higher the effective APR, because you pay the same fee for less time. A monthly loan fee is a percentage of the amount borrowed charged each month the loan is open.
7 PayPal Working Capital alternatives at a glance
Figures checked on September 21, 2026. Pricing is shown as each lender quotes it.
| Lender | Best for | Amounts | Repayment | Pricing as quoted | Eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square Loans | Square sellers | $100 to $500,000 | Fixed % of daily card sales | One flat fee, no interest | Based on Square processing volume and history |
| Shopify Capital | Shopify stores | Up to $2 million | Daily % of sales; max 18 months | Fixed fee (Shopify example: $13,000 on $100,000) | Sell on Shopify for at least 90 days |
| Stripe Capital | Stripe users | Offer-based | % of daily sales, with a minimum each period | One flat fee | Based on Stripe payment volume and history |
| Fundbox | Newer businesses on any platform | Up to $250,000 | 12-week plan | Fees from 4.66% per 12-week plan | $30,000/year revenue, 3 months |
| Amex Business Line of Credit | A line with low revenue minimums | $2,000 to $250,000 | Monthly over 6 to 24 months | Monthly loan fee 0.55% to 1.55% of the amount borrowed | 660 FICO, 1 year, $3,000/month revenue |
| Bluevine | A revolving line for an LLC or corporation | $1,000 to $250,000 | Weekly up to 52 weeks, or monthly over 12 months | Rates “as low as 7.8%” (basis not stated) | 625 FICO, 12 months, $10,000/month revenue |
| OnDeck | Larger lump sums | Term $5,000 to $400,000; line $6,000 to $200,000 | Term: daily or weekly, up to 24 months | Average APR 53.2% (term) and 59.8% (line), half-year ending June 30, 2026 | 625 FICO, 1 year, $100,000/year revenue |
The alternatives in detail
1. Square Loans: best for Square sellers
Square Loans range from $100 to $500,000, with “no interest, just one flat fee” (Square Loans). A fixed percentage of your daily card sales goes to repayment until the loan is paid off, with minimum payment requirements listed on your offer. Eligibility is based on your processing volume, account history and payment frequency, and applying doesn’t affect your credit score. Loans are issued by Square Financial Services, and funds arrive the next business day, or instantly with Square Checking. See our Square Loans review and PayPal Working Capital vs Square Loans.
2. Shopify Capital: best for Shopify stores
Shopify Capital offers up to $2 million, funded in as little as two business days if approved, with “no credit checks or impact to your personal credit score” (Shopify Capital). You repay a daily percentage of your sales, and you must repay 30% of the total by the 6-month mark, 60% by 12 months and the full amount within 18 months (Shopify Help Center). Shopify’s example: borrowing $100,000 at 13% carries a fixed cost of $13,000. US funding is issued by WebBank. See Shopify Capital alternatives.
3. Stripe Capital: best for Stripe users
Stripe Capital bases offers on your payment volume and history on Stripe and charges “one flat fee that never changes,” with no compounding interest or late fees (Stripe Capital). Repayment is a share of daily sales, with a minimum each period; if sales fall short, Stripe debits the difference. Stripe’s example is a $15,000 loan with a $1,500 fee, repaid from 9% of daily sales. In the US, loans are issued by Celtic Bank or Lead Bank. Funds typically arrive the next business day, and checking your offer doesn’t affect your personal credit score.
4. Fundbox: best if you don’t sell through one platform
Fundbox offers up to $250,000 through lines of credit and term loans originated by First Electronic Bank or Lead Bank (Fundbox FAQ). It asks for $30,000+ in annual revenue, 3+ months in business and a business checking account with 3+ months of transactions. Fees start at 4.66% for a 12-week plan and vary by applicant. Applying uses a soft pull; the first draw triggers a hard pull. See our Fundbox review.
5. American Express Business Line of Credit: best for low revenue minimums
The Amex line (formerly Kabbage) runs from $2,000 to $250,000 and asks for a 660 FICO, a business at least a year old and recent average monthly revenue of at least $3,000 (Amex Business Line of Credit). Draws are repaid monthly over 6, 12, 18 or 24 months, and the terms put monthly loan fees at 0.55% to 1.55% of the amount borrowed (Amex terms). Loans are issued by American Express National Bank. See our American Express Business Line of Credit review.
6. Bluevine: best for a revolving line
Bluevine’s line runs from $1,000 to $250,000, with rates “as low as 7.8% for top qualifying customers” and no maintenance fees, though “additional fees apply” (Bluevine). It asks for a 625 FICO, 12 months in business and $10,000 in monthly revenue, and the business must be an LLC or corporation. The line is issued by Celtic Bank. See our Bluevine review.
7. OnDeck: best for larger lump sums
OnDeck lends $5,000 to $400,000 on term loans over up to 24 months, repaid daily or weekly, and $6,000 to $200,000 on lines of credit (OnDeck term loans). It asks for a 625 FICO, 1 year in business and $100,000 in annual revenue, and publishes average APRs of 53.2% on term loans and 59.8% on lines, for loans originated in the half-year ending June 30, 2026 (OnDeck requirements). See our OnDeck review.
How to choose
- Follow your sales. Sales-based loans from Square, Shopify and Stripe only look at sales on their own platform. If most of your revenue runs through one of them, start there.
- Decide between sales-based and fixed payments. Sales-based repayment flexes with a slow week. Fixed weekly or monthly payments (PayPal Business Loan, Bluevine, Amex, OnDeck) are predictable but don’t shrink when sales drop.
- Check credit requirements. PayPal Working Capital (no personal credit check) and Shopify Capital (no credit checks) base offers on your sales, and Square says applying doesn’t affect your credit score. Amex (660), Bluevine (625) and OnDeck (625) publish credit minimums.
- Compare total cost. Ask each lender for the total repayment and APR on the same amount. For more options for online sellers, see our e-commerce loans guide.
Pitfalls to watch
- Fixed fees and fast repayment. A fixed fee doesn’t fall if you repay early, so a quick payoff raises the effective APR. Shopify, for example, describes its fee as a fixed borrowing cost.
- Minimum payments. Sales-based loans still have minimums: PayPal every 90 days, Shopify at 6 and 12 months, and Stripe each period. Plan for a slow season.
- Platform lock-in. Square, Shopify and Stripe collect repayment from sales on their own platforms, so moving your payment processing mid-loan needs planning.
- Best-case pricing. “As low as” and “starting at” figures (Bluevine 7.8%, Fundbox 4.66%) apply to the strongest applicants.
FAQ
What is the closest alternative to PayPal Working Capital?
Square Loans, Shopify Capital and Stripe Capital work the same way: a flat fee, repaid as a share of your sales on that platform. Which one fits depends on where you process payments.
Does PayPal Working Capital check my credit?
PayPal says there’s no personal credit check for Working Capital; the decision is based primarily on your PayPal account history. The PayPal Business Loan does require personal and business credit checks.
Which alternative lends the most?
Shopify Capital, at up to $2 million for eligible Shopify merchants. Outside a platform, OnDeck term loans go up to $400,000.
Who is the lender behind PayPal Working Capital?
WebBank, which is also the lender for the PayPal Business Loan and for Shopify Capital in the US.
Next step
If you’d like to compare offers that aren’t tied to one payment platform, SMB Compass can help you line up options from the lenders we work with. Start with our business line of credit page, or read PayPal Working Capital vs Square Loans.
Sources
- PayPal: Working Capital and Business Loan
- Square: Square Loans
- Shopify: Shopify Capital
- Shopify Help Center: Shopify Capital in the United States
- Stripe: Stripe Capital
- Fundbox: Homepage
- Fundbox: FAQ
- Fundbox Help Center: How much does it cost to use Fundbox?
- American Express: Business Line of Credit
- American Express: Business Line of Credit terms and conditions
- Bluevine: Line of credit
- OnDeck: Business term loans
- OnDeck: Loan eligibility requirements
About this page. Written by Ezra Cabrera, Content Team Lead at SMB Compass. Figures were checked against each lender’s own website on September 21, 2026; lenders change their terms, so confirm current terms before you apply, and let us know if you spot a figure that has changed. SMB Compass is a business financing broker: we don’t lend our own money, and we are paid by the lenders we place loans with. This page is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice.