Running a retail business rarely goes exactly to plan. A fridge fails, a delivery's delayed, a supplier puts their prices up. Sooner or later, something happens that you didn't budget for, which can put immediate pressure on cash flow and disrupt your growth plans.

Moments like these are exactly why financial experts recommend keeping three to six months of operating expenses in reserve. But with money often tied up in day-to-day costs and stock, building up a cash reserve isn't always realistic.

Insurance can protect you against specific risks, but whether you're covered, and how much you can claim, depends entirely on your policy and the circumstances. And an overdraft can provide a useful buffer, but it still has a limit. If the cost is bigger than your allowance, it won’t stretch far enough, and the fees can quickly add up.

The good news is, there’s another option you might not have considered: revenue-based finance.

Revenue-based finance is a type of business funding where, instead of fixed monthly repayments, you repay a small percentage of your revenue each month. That means what you pay back flexes with how your business is trading.

That flexibility is exactly what makes it well-suited to unplanned costs. There's no lengthy application to work through while you're already dealing with a problem, and no new rigid monthly payment added to your outgoings on top of everything else. You get access to funding quickly**, and what you repay adjusts automatically if trade slows in the meantime.***

For retailers, that funding could help cover expenses such as:

• Replacing essential equipment like tills, fridges, or heating systems
• Managing unexpected repair costs, from a leaking roof to a faulty irrigation system
• Purchasing emergency stock to meet demand
• Handling sudden supplier price increases
• Bridging temporary cash flow gaps caused by delayed payments, deliveries or seasonal fluctuations

Rather than putting growth plans on hold while you cover unplanned costs, revenue finance can help you keep your business moving forward.

If revenue finance sounds like a solution that could help your business, CSYPay powered by ClearAccept customers can access funding directly through ClearAccept Revenue Finance. It’s 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. Based on your revenue, you could access between £1,000 and £1,000,000.* To be eligible, your average monthly revenue needs to be over £1,000, and you'll need to have been trading for more than 3 months.

While revenue finance won't be the right solution for every business, many retailers appreciate the flexibility it offers compared to traditional loans. Before taking out any form of finance, it's important to consider the costs involved and whether the funding is suitable for your business needs.

In retail, you can't always predict what's coming next, but you can be prepared for it. Having flexible funding in place means an unexpected cost doesn't have to derail your plans. Instead, it becomes one less thing to worry about, allowing you to focus on running and growing your business.

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.