Last updated: November 2026
Cover stock, payroll, supplier payments and the next stage of growth, with financing based on how your business performs.
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Working capital financing at a glance
- Up to £20m for ecommerce, £1m for other businesses
- One fixed fee, agreed upfront
- No personal guarantee
- Funds in as little as 24 hours
- Apply in about 10 minutes. Applying won't affect your credit score
What is a working capital loan?
A working capital loan is short-term business financing that covers day-to-day costs such as stock, payroll, rent and supplier payments, rather than long-term assets like property or equipment. You receive a lump sum upfront and repay it over a set period, or as a percentage of future revenue, depending on the lender.
Most businesses that use working capital financing don't have a cash problem. They have a timing problem. Sales are strong, but the money to buy stock ahead of a peak season, cover payroll in a slow month or take a supplier's early-payment discount is needed weeks before the revenue lands.
A working capital loan for business closes that gap. You put the money to work now and repay it as the sales come through. If you want to understand the numbers behind it, start with what working capital is and our guide to cash flow planning.
Who is a working capital loan for?
A working capital loan suits any established business whose costs arrive before its revenue does. Three situations come up again and again with our customers.
You need stock before the sales land
Your busiest season is 8 weeks away and the supplier wants paying now. Working capital financing lets you place the full order instead of a cautious one, so you don't sell out halfway through your peak. See our ecommerce financing page for more on funding inventory.
You have a gap between paying people and getting paid
Payroll, rent and tax bills don't wait for a slow month to end. If your sales are seasonal, or your customers pay on 30- or 60-day terms, a working capital loan for small business covers the gap without you dipping into savings or delaying wages. Restaurants and hospitality businesses have their own page: restaurant business loans.
You want to take a supplier discount or a bulk price
A supplier offers 5% off for paying upfront, or a better unit price for a bigger order. If the saving is larger than the cost of the financing, borrowing to take the deal makes you money. This is where a known, fixed fee matters, because you can do the maths before you commit.
If your need is broader than day-to-day costs, such as opening a second location, our small business loans page covers the full range of what we offer.
How does a working capital loan work with Wayflyer?
You apply online in about 10 minutes, get a tailored offer based on your business performance and receive the funds in as little as 24 hours.
- Submit an application. Securely share a few details about your business and connect your sales and banking data. It takes less than 10 minutes and won't affect your credit score.
- Get a tailored offer. We review your performance, not just your credit file, and come back with financing options that fit your business. You see the full cost before you decide.
- Receive your funds. Once you accept, we send the money straight to your business bank account in as little as 24 hours. Spend it on whatever your business needs.
Need funds you can draw on repeatedly rather than one lump sum? Take a look at flexible funding.
How much can you borrow, and what does it cost?
You can borrow up to £20m as an ecommerce brand or up to £1m as another business, you pay one fixed fee agreed upfront and you repay in set instalments over an agreed period.
How the amount is set
Your offer is based on your revenue, cash flow and trading history. Established businesses with steady sales qualify for more.
How the cost is set
You pay a single fixed fee, calculated as a percentage of the amount you borrow and agreed before you sign. The exact percentage depends on your term, your business's performance and your trading history. There's no penalty for repaying early. You see the full cost in your offer before you decide.
How repayment works
Repayments are collected automatically from your business bank account on a fixed schedule: daily, weekly, every 2 weeks or monthly, depending on your offer. You can repay early with no penalty. Your offer will show the terms.
Worked example (illustrative only)
Say you borrow £100,000 with an 8% fixed fee on a 9-month term. The fee is £8,000, so you repay £108,000 in total, collected in weekly repayments over 39 weeks at about £2,769 a week. Your actual fee and schedule depend on your business and the offer you accept.
Who qualifies for a working capital loan?
You qualify if your business has been trading for at least 6 months (longer for retail, software and service businesses), makes at least £10,000 a month in revenue and is incorporated in the UK.
We look at how your business performs today, not just your credit history. To apply, you'll need to:
- Sell physical products online, or run a retail business (such as a restaurant or dental practice), a software business or a service business
- Have averaged at least £10,000 in monthly revenue over the past 3 months
- Have been trading for at least 6 months if you sell physical products, 1 year if you run a software business, or 2 years if you run a retail or service business
- Be incorporated in the UK (we also work with businesses in Canada, the US, Australia, Ireland and several other European countries)
- Pass our financial assessment, which looks at cash flow, current and forecast revenue and overall business health
You don't need to put up personal assets. We don't ask for a personal guarantee. For more on borrowing without security, see our guide to unsecured business loans.
Not sure if you qualify? Apply anyway. It takes 10 minutes and applying won't affect your credit score. If you're still weighing up your options, read our guide on how to get a business loan.
How does a working capital loan compare with other ways to fund day-to-day costs?
There is no single best working capital loan for every business. The right option depends on how much you need, how fast you need it and what you're willing to secure it against. The main ways to fund day-to-day costs are a bank term loan, an overdraft or line of credit, invoice finance, a government-backed loan and a revenue-based lender like Wayflyer. For a wider look at non-bank options, see our guide to alternative business loans.
To find a working capital loan that fits, compare the options on the 6 things that matter: amount, cost, repayment, speed, personal guarantee and who it's built for.
| Wayflyer | Bank term loan | Overdraft or line of credit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical amount | Up to £20m for ecommerce, up to £1m for other businesses | Varies widely by bank and borrower | Usually a smaller limit than a term loan, set by the lender |
| Cost | One fixed fee, agreed upfront | Interest rate, often plus arrangement fees | Interest on what you draw, often plus a facility fee |
| Repayment | Fixed instalments on a set schedule | Fixed monthly instalments over the term | Repay and redraw as you go |
| Speed to funds | In as little as 24 hours after accepting an offer | Typically weeks | Days to weeks to set up, then instant to draw |
| Personal guarantee | Not required | Usually required for small businesses | Usually required |
| Who it suits | Established businesses with steady revenue that need funds fast | Businesses with strong credit that can wait for approval | Businesses with small, irregular cash gaps |
The bank term loan and overdraft descriptions are general. For government-backed lending in the UK, see british-business-bank.co.uk and gov.uk. Wayflyer is not a government-backed lender.
If you'd rather repay as a percentage of sales than in fixed instalments, read about merchant cash advances.
What are the downsides of a working capital loan?
A working capital loan costs more than a bank loan for a business that qualifies for one and can wait for it. Here's what to weigh up before you apply.
- The cost is for speed and flexibility. The fixed fee can add up to more than the interest on a bank term loan over the same period. If you have months to spare and a strong credit file, a bank may be cheaper.
- Repayments are a fixed commitment. With a set schedule, you repay the same amount whether sales are up or down. Make sure your cash flow can carry it. If that worries you, a merchant cash advance, repaid as a percentage of your sales, may suit you better.
- It's for short-term needs. Use it for stock, payroll, marketing and supplier payments. Don't use it to buy property or equipment you'll pay off over years. Those need longer-term financing.
Why do businesses choose Wayflyer for working capital?
Businesses choose Wayflyer because they know the full cost before they sign, keep their personal assets out of it and get the money within a day of accepting.
No personal guarantees
Your personal assets stay out of it. We fund the business, not the person behind it.
One fixed fee
You know the full cost before you accept. No hidden charges or complicated fee structures.
No spend restrictions
We send cash directly to your bank account. Use it however you see fit.
Customer story: Stokeview Advisory
“The big banks just can't move quickly enough. They're too constrained by processes and risk aversion.”
Robb Harris is a UK fractional CFO with 30 years of financial experience, advising founder-led businesses. His clients use Wayflyer to bridge cash gaps: a health food brand paying overseas suppliers before the supermarkets pay it, an events venue with seasonal swings and a swim school waiting on equity funding to open two new sites.
Read the full storyFrequently asked questions
A working capital loan is short-term business financing for day-to-day costs such as stock, payroll, rent and supplier payments. You receive a lump sum upfront and repay it over a set period. It's designed for the gap between paying your costs and collecting your revenue, not for buying long-term assets like property or equipment.
You can use a working capital loan for any day-to-day business cost. Common uses include buying inventory ahead of a busy season, covering payroll in a slow month, paying suppliers early to take a discount, funding marketing campaigns and hiring staff. With Wayflyer there are no spend restrictions once the money is in your account.
You apply online, get a tailored offer and receive the funds, usually within a day of accepting. The application takes about 10 minutes and won't affect your credit score. We base your offer on your sales and cash flow, so you see one fixed fee and a clear repayment schedule before you sign. Repayments are then collected automatically from your business bank account.
You can borrow up to £20m from Wayflyer as an ecommerce brand, or up to £1m as another business. The amount you're offered depends on your revenue, cash flow and trading history, so a business with 2 years of steady sales will typically qualify for more than one with 6 months.
With Wayflyer, a working capital loan costs one fixed fee, agreed before you sign. The fee is a percentage of the amount you borrow and depends on your term, your financial health and your trading history. There's no penalty for repaying early, and your offer shows the full cost before you accept.
You can have the funds in your account in as little as 24 hours after accepting your offer. Applying takes about 10 minutes, and because we review your business data rather than wait on paperwork, most offers come back quickly. A bank term loan, by comparison, usually takes weeks.
To qualify, your business needs at least £10,000 in average monthly revenue over the past 3 months, at least 6 months of trading (1 year for software businesses and 2 years for retail and service businesses) and to be incorporated in the UK. You'll need to share basic business details and connect your sales and banking data. No business plan or collateral is needed.
No. Wayflyer doesn't ask for a personal guarantee, so your home and personal assets stay out of it. We assess and fund the business on its own performance. That's different from most bank loans, which usually require a guarantee from the owners.
No. Applying won't affect your credit score. You can apply, see your offer and decide whether to go ahead, with no impact on your credit at any stage.
A working capital loan gives you a lump sum upfront with a set repayment schedule. A line of credit gives you a limit you can draw on, repay and draw on again, paying interest only on what you use. A loan suits a known, one-off need like a big stock order. A line of credit suits small, unpredictable gaps.
The difference is how you repay. A working capital loan is repaid in fixed instalments on a set schedule. A merchant cash advance is repaid as a percentage of your daily sales, so payments rise and fall with revenue. Both can fund the same day-to-day costs. Our merchant cash advance page has the full guide.
Yes. You can repay early with no penalty. Your offer will show the terms that apply to your agreement. Repaying early clears the commitment and frees up your cash flow sooner. Contact your Wayflyer representative to arrange an early repayment.
The main downside is cost. A fixed fee can be more than the interest on a bank loan if you qualify for one and can wait for it. Repayments are also a fixed commitment regardless of how sales go, and the financing is meant for short-term needs, not long-term assets. Weigh the speed and simplicity against those trade-offs.
Being turned down by a bank doesn't rule you out with Wayflyer. Banks lean heavily on credit history and collateral. We look at how your business is performing now: your revenue, cash flow and growth. If you meet our eligibility criteria, you can apply in about 10 minutes and see an offer without affecting your credit score. Approval isn't guaranteed, but the criteria are different.
Not from Wayflyer until it has built a trading record. We base offers on real revenue, so we need a track record: 6 months for businesses that sell physical products, 1 year for software businesses, 2 years for retail and service businesses, and at least £10,000 in average monthly revenue. A start-up that has reached those milestones can apply like any other business.