Shopify Capital is convenient, since offers appear in your Shopify admin and repayment comes out of your sales, but you can only take what Shopify offers, and only against your Shopify sales. The strongest alternatives for an online seller are PayPal Working Capital (if you also take PayPal), Wayflyer and Clearco (built for e-commerce brands), and a general line of credit from Fundbox, Bluevine or OnDeck if you want money that isn’t tied to one sales channel. Square Loans is an option only if you also sell through Square.
For the wider picture of online-store financing, see our guide to e-commerce loans, and for every lender we cover, the lender reviews hub. Each alternative below is active today, and figures come from each company’s own site, checked on September 21, 2026.
How Shopify Capital works: the benchmark
Shopify Capital offers merchant cash advances and loans to eligible stores. Offers are based mainly on your sales on Shopify, and your store needs an active plan and at least three months of operation or a first sale more than three months ago (Shopify eligibility). Receiving an offer doesn’t guarantee funding. In the U.S., “all funding through Shopify Capital … is issued by WebBank” (Shopify Help Center).
Loans are repaid from a daily percentage of your sales, with minimums: 30% of the total repaid by 6 months, 60% by 12 months, and everything within 18 months. Shopify offers either a fixed fee or a monthly fee. Its own example is a $100,000 loan with a 13% fixed fee, costing $13,000 in total however long you take. Shopify says funding goes up to $2M, arrives “in as quick as 2 business days, if approved,” and has “no impact to your personal credit score” (Shopify Capital). A fixed fee works out to a higher annualized cost the faster you repay, because you pay the same dollars for a shorter use of the money.
7 Shopify Capital alternatives at a glance
| Option | Best for | Amounts | Repayment | Pricing as quoted | Eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PayPal Working Capital | Sellers with PayPal sales | $1,000 to $250,000 ($400,000 for repeat borrowers) | Share of PayPal sales; at least 5% or 10% every 90 days | Single fixed fee | PayPal business account 90+ days; $15,000+ annual PayPal sales ($20,000 Premier) |
| PayPal Business Loan | A fixed-payment loan | $5,000 to $200,000 ($300,000 repeat) | Fixed weekly payments | Not published on page | Credit check required |
| Wayflyer | E-commerce brands funding inventory and marketing | Not published | Bi-weekly or monthly; fixed or % of sales | Flat fee disclosed before you accept | US$10,000 average monthly revenue; 6 months (goods) or 2 years (retail/service) |
| Clearco | Larger direct-to-consumer brands | Up to $10 million | Up to 12 months | Not published | US-incorporated DTC brand; 6+ months; $100,000+ monthly revenue |
| Square Loans | Merchants who also sell through Square | $100 to $500,000 | Fixed % of daily card sales | Single loan fee | Current Square sellers only; by invitation |
| Fundbox | A small line not tied to one channel | Up to $250,000 | 12-week plan (Fundbox) | Fees from 4.66% per 12-week plan | $30,000/year revenue, 3 months |
| Bluevine | A larger revolving line | $1,000 to $250,000 | Weekly up to 52 weeks, or monthly | Rates “as low as 7.8%” (basis not stated) | 625 FICO, 12 months, $10,000/month, LLC or corporation |
| OnDeck | A lump sum over up to 24 months | $5,000 to $400,000 (term) | Daily or weekly | Average APR 53.2% (term loans) | 625 FICO, 1 year, $100,000/year |
Counting PayPal’s two products as one option, that’s seven alternatives.
The alternatives in detail
1. PayPal Working Capital and PayPal Business Loan
PayPal Working Capital works much like Shopify Capital: a single fixed fee, repaid as a percentage of your PayPal sales, and “no personal credit check” (PayPal). You need a PayPal business account that’s at least 90 days old and $15,000+ in annual PayPal sales ($20,000 for Premier accounts). Loans run from $1,000 to $250,000, or up to $400,000 for repeat borrowers, and every 90 days you must repay at least 5% or 10% of the loan. It’s issued by WebBank. If you want fixed payments instead, the PayPal Business Loan offers $5,000 to $200,000 ($300,000 for repeat borrowers), with weekly payments and a credit check.
2. Wayflyer
Wayflyer funds e-commerce and retail businesses. U.S. applicants need at least $10,000 in average monthly revenue over the past 6 months, and at least 6 months of trading for physical goods or software, or 2 years for retail and service businesses (Wayflyer Help Center). You can repay bi-weekly or monthly, in fixed amounts or as a percentage of sales, and Wayflyer says you’ll know the full cost before you accept (Wayflyer). It doesn’t publish a fee range, so compare its quote with your Shopify offer.
3. Clearco
Clearco funds direct-to-consumer brands with up to $10 million, on payment terms of up to 12 months (Clearco). The bar is high: 6+ months of consistent revenue above $100,000 a month, U.S. incorporation and a U.S. business bank account. In August 2026 it announced a $100 million financing facility from Macquarie Group (PR Newswire). Clearco doesn’t publish pricing.
4. Square Loans
If you sell in person with Square as well as online, Square Loans offers $100 to $500,000, repaid automatically from a fixed percentage of your daily card sales (Square). Loans are issued by Square Financial Services, applying doesn’t affect your credit score, and money arrives the next business day. It’s only open to current Square sellers.
5. Fundbox
Fundbox gives you a line of credit that isn’t tied to any one sales channel. It asks for $30,000+ in annual revenue and 3+ months in business (Fundbox). Fees start at 4.66% for a 12-week plan (about a 36.8% APR equivalent) and vary by applicant. Its site advertises up to $250,000. See our Fundbox review.
6. Bluevine
Bluevine’s line of credit runs from $1,000 to $250,000, with weekly repayment over up to 52 weeks or monthly repayment for larger businesses (Bluevine). You need a 625 FICO, 12 months in business, $10,000 in monthly revenue and an LLC or corporation. See our Bluevine review or Bluevine vs Fundbox.
7. OnDeck
OnDeck lends $5,000 to $400,000 over up to 24 months and publishes a 53.2% average APR on term loans originated in the half-year ending June 30, 2026 (OnDeck). It needs a 625 FICO, 1 year in business and $100,000 in annual revenue. Payments are daily or weekly, not tied to sales. See our OnDeck review or OnDeck alternatives.
How to choose
- Sales-linked or fixed payments? Shopify Capital, PayPal Working Capital and Square Loans take a share of sales, so payments fall when sales slow. Term loans and lines have fixed payments. Our guide to revenue-based financing vs loans covers the trade-off.
- Where your sales happen. Platform lenders only look at sales on their own platform. If you sell across several channels, a lender that looks at your whole business (Wayflyer, Clearco, Fundbox, Bluevine, OnDeck) may offer more.
- Compare the fixed fee against time. A 13% fixed fee repaid in six months costs more on an annualized basis than the same fee repaid over 18 months. Estimate how fast your sales will repay it.
- Credit impact. Shopify, PayPal Working Capital and Square say applying doesn’t involve a personal credit check or doesn’t affect your score. Fundbox does a hard pull at first draw.
For more on how sales-based repayment works for online stores, see how revenue-based financing works for SaaS and e-commerce.
Pitfalls to watch
- Minimum payment clocks. Shopify requires 30% repaid by 6 months and 60% by 12 months, and PayPal requires 5% or 10% every 90 days. A slow season can force payments beyond your sales share.
- Offer-only access. Shopify Capital, PayPal Working Capital and Square Loans only lend when they make you an offer. You can’t simply apply for more.
- Pricing on request. Wayflyer and Clearco don’t publish fee ranges. Get a written quote and convert it to total dollars and an approximate APR.
- Stacking. Taking a second sales-linked advance while one is running can take a large share of each day’s revenue.
FAQ
Can I get Shopify Capital without an offer?
No. Shopify evaluates eligibility automatically, and you’ll only be able to apply if an offer appears in your Shopify admin.
Who is the lender behind Shopify Capital?
In the U.S., all Shopify Capital funding is issued by WebBank. The same is true of PayPal Working Capital.
What’s the closest alternative to Shopify Capital?
PayPal Working Capital: a single fixed fee, repayment from a share of sales, and no personal credit check. It only counts your PayPal sales, though.
Which alternative lends the most?
Clearco advertises up to $10 million for direct-to-consumer brands with more than $100,000 a month in revenue. Shopify says it offers up to $2M.
Next step
If your Shopify offer doesn’t fit what you need, SMB Compass can help you compare offers from the lenders we work with. Start with e-commerce loans, or see Fundbox alternatives.
Sources
- Shopify Help Center: Shopify Capital loans and repayment (US)
- Shopify: Shopify Capital
- Shopify Help Center: Shopify Capital eligibility
- PayPal: Working Capital and Business Loan
- Wayflyer Help Center: Funding requirements
- Wayflyer: Homepage
- Clearco: Homepage
- PR Newswire: Clearco secures $100 million facility from Macquarie (Aug 18, 2026)
- Square: Square Loans
- Fundbox: Homepage
- Fundbox Help Center: How much does it cost to use Fundbox?
- Fundbox: How it works
- Bluevine: Line of credit
- Bluevine Help Center: Line of credit repayment plans and requirements
- OnDeck: Loan eligibility requirements
- OnDeck: Business term loans
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.