Our assessment: where the product may fit
YouLend’s merchant model can be relevant to an established business with eligible processor or online receipts. A deduction tied to sales can follow trading activity, but it still takes cash before the business has paid all its other costs.
The key comparison is the advance, agreed fee, eligible sales definition and collection share. A provider example using a business’s monthly revenue and trading history is not necessarily a minimum eligibility rule. The offer needs to be assessed against actual margins and settlement timing.
The public merchant pages cited here do not specify every security, guarantee or final-maturity condition. That is missing public detail, not evidence that no such obligations exist. Request the agreement and clarify minimum payments, early settlement and what happens if sales fall.
YouLend: product amounts and repayment structure
Product reviewed: Merchant cash advance. Published amount or limit: Up to £2 million advertised on its current UK merchant page; minimum offer not specified there.
Term or repayment structure: Repaid as a fixed percentage of daily sales, rather than a fixed monthly term loan. Security and guarantees: An advance against future sales, not a conventional term loan. Collateral and guarantee requirements are not specified on the cited merchant pages; check the agreement.
Published eligibility and what is not specified
Turnover or revenue: Sales revenue is assessed. A fixed minimum is not stated on the current cited UK merchant/application pages. Trading history: Trading history is assessed; a fixed minimum is not stated on those current pages.
Published criteria are an initial product-fit check, not a credit decision. Where a minimum is not stated in the cited material, that means it is not publicly specified there—not that the provider has no requirement. Expect assessment of current trading, existing commitments, ownership and the proposed use of funds.
Pricing, fees and an example with clear limits
A fixed fee agreed upfront, with repayments taken as a percentage of daily sales. No interest advertised; a fee still creates a borrowing cost.
Provider merchant example: For an example business with £10,000 monthly sales and 12 months’ trading: £15,000 funding, £1,500 fixed fee and £16,500 total repayable, collected at 20% of daily sales.
These are the provider’s example circumstances, not its minimum eligibility criteria. Repayment duration depends on sales; a 10% fixed fee is not a 10% APR.
Decision and funding are different stages
Published decision timing: As little as 24 hours. Published funding or access timing: As little as 48 hours after approval on its merchant page.
Advertised timings are not guarantees. A decision can be conditional on documents or further checks, and accepting an offer is separate from receiving cleared funds or card access. Do not commit to a supplier deadline solely on a marketing time estimate.
Features worth comparing
These points describe the cited product rather than a recommendation for every business. Compare them with the actual offer and the needs of your company.
- A single agreed fixed fee is described upfront.
- Collections are described as a percentage of daily sales.
- The provider publishes a merchant example separating the advance, fee and collection percentage.
Important limitations and questions
Ask for written clarification of anything that affects net cash received, repayments or personal exposure before accepting.
- No interest does not mean no finance cost.
- A deduction from gross receipts can pressure low-margin businesses.
- Security and guarantee details must be confirmed from the actual contract.
How to compare the alternatives
Compare a conventional term loan where predictable monthly payments and interest-based early settlement are important. A fixed cash-advance fee is not directly comparable with an annual loan interest rate.
Wayflyer is another provider to investigate for relevant revenue-based products, but do not assume matching eligibility or collection terms. An invoice facility serves a different need: it is based on eligible unpaid customer debts, not simply future card sales.
How this review was prepared
This is a desk-based review of published UK product information checked on 20 October 2026. We have not submitted a test application, obtained a live API quote or tested this provider’s underwriting for this review. Sources are linked below. Provider examples and Shareholder assumptions are labelled separately.
A provider featured in editorial content is not necessarily a Shareholder referral partner. Shareholder’s general finance form does not submit an application to every provider reviewed here. Commercial relationships and how Shareholder is paid are disclosed on this page; they do not establish product eligibility.
A few things worth knowing
Common questions
Is YouLend a normal business loan?
This review covers its merchant cash advance, which uses an agreed fee and sales-based collections. The provider also describes other products; check which agreement you are offered.
Does no interest mean YouLend funding is free?
No. Its agreed fixed fee is a cost. The fee percentage is not an annual percentage rate.
Are the example trading figures minimum criteria?
Not automatically. A calculator or merchant example describes a scenario. The current cited pages do not establish a universal minimum turnover or trading period.