Have you spotted a great deal with a supplier recently? Or perhaps you know that in 6 week’s time your busiest season kicks off and you need to be stocked up to take advantage of the footfall? But the cash to buy that stock just isn’t sitting in your account right now.
It’s one of the most common frustrations for independent retailers. According to recent research from SME lender, Lovey, 81% of UK SMEs missed business opportunities due to a lack of finance in 2025. So what’s your next step?
You could go to the bank if you have the time to go through that extensive process. Or you could take on a business partner who’s willing to invest upfront, but that means giving away a large slice of something you’ve worked hard to build. Alternatively, you could explore an option that’s a little more flexible - revenue-based finance.
How cash flow gaps impact retailers
In retail, money often goes out before it comes back in. You pay for stock upfront, or at least a few weeks before you’ve sold it, and the cash doesn’t return until your customers buy. When everything flows smoothly, that approach works just fine. But it only takes a minimum order policy from a supplier, or a seasonal rush due to good weather to expose the cash flow gap.
This scenario is especially true for retailers with strong seasonal peaks - a garden centre owner stocking up ahead of spring, or a farm shop prepping for the Christmas rush. You really start to feel the timing pressure in those moments. And funnily enough, it’s often growing businesses that feel this pinch the most, because growth requires investment before you see the returns.
Why traditional business finance options fall short
Most retail business owners will have thought about a bank loan at some point. The reality is that the process is often slow, the criteria can be strict, and the repayment structure doesn’t always fit the rhythm of a retail business - fixed monthly payments whether you’ve had a great month or a quiet one.
Overdrafts have their place, but they’re not really designed for significant stock investment. And bringing in an outside investor might solve your cash flow issue, but it also creates a different one: you’ve built this business, and handing over a percentage of it to fund a few months’ worth of stock feels like a big price to pay.
None of these options are wrong by any means - they work for some businesses in certain situations. But they’re not always the right tool for retailers looking for a more flexible way to fund their inventory.
How revenue finance could help your business
The reason revenue finance resonates with so many independent retailers comes down to its flexibility - repayments are tied to what you’re actually bringing in. Instead of fixed monthly loan repayments, you pay back a percentage of your revenue over an agreed period. When trading is strong, you pay back more. When it’s quieter, you pay back less.
For a retailer whose income naturally fluctuates with the seasons, that flexibility really matters. Crucially, you’re not handing over equity either, so there’s no diluting the ownership of something you’ve spent years growing.
ClearAccept Revenue Finance: built for businesses like yours
If you’re a CSYPay customer, you already have exclusive access to ClearAccept Revenue Finance - a funding option provided by Liberis, one of the UK’s most established revenue finance providers with over 19 years of experience and more than 29,000 businesses funded.
It’s designed to be straightforward. You apply online in a few clicks, rather than lengthy paperwork*, and if approved, funds can arrive in as little as 24 hours**. To be eligible your average monthly revenue must be over £1000 and you have to have been trading for over 3 months.
Repayments happen automatically as a percentage of your daily card sales - so on a strong trading day you pay back a little more, and on a slower day you pay back a little less***.
What lenders look at and how your EPOS data helps
ClearAccept Revenue Finance eligibility is based on your monthly revenue and how long you’ve been trading, so the the cleaner and more consistent your sales data, the smoother the process. Your EPOS system plays a real role here - when your point of sale data is accurate and up to date, you have a clear picture of what your business earns, when it earns it, and how it trends across the year.
It’s also worth thinking practically about the numbers before you apply. Revenue finance isn’t free money - there’s a cost to it, so you need to be confident that the stock you’re buying will generate enough return to make the repayment terms work. So it’s always sensible to go in with your figures to hand and a clear plan for what the funding is for.
Ready to see how much you could access?
Inventory is the lifeblood of a retail business. When the cash timing doesn’t line up with the buying opportunity, it shouldn’t always mean saying no or making difficult trade-offs.
ClearAccept Revenue Finance is available to CSYPay customers and is designed to work around how your business performs. The application takes minutes, and you could have funds in your account within 24 hours.
Find out more and check your eligibility here.
Offer available to CSYPay customers only.
ClearAccept Ltd t/a CSYPay is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under the Payment Service Regulations 2017 (FRN 926372) for the provision of payment services.
Terms and conditions
This product is provided by Liberis Limited, Scale Space Building, 58 Wood Lane London, W12 7RZ (company number: 05654231). This product is a form of receivables finance not a loan. Liberis is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Financial Ombudsman Service will not be able to consider a complaint about Liberis. Financing is subject to status and our underwriting process.
*Amounts may be subject to change depending on your credit profile at enquiry. Revenue Based Finance is subject to an underwriting process before any offer can be made.
**In June 2025, 70% of merchants were funded within 1 working day.
***You will be expected to operate your business in a way that ensures Liberis receives a minimum monthly amount of up to 3% of the total amount owed to Liberis.