Shopify Capital is the financing Shopify offers to selected merchants who sell on its platform. In the U.S., loans are issued by WebBank, they are repaid with a percentage of your daily sales, and offers arrive by invitation in your Shopify admin (per its site, checked in October 2026). It is a legitimate and convenient program, but your offer only reflects what Shopify can see of your store, so it pays to compare before you accept.
This review looks at Shopify Capital as a funder: how it works, who gets offers, how to tell a real offer from a fake, what to check and what alternatives you have, including Merchant Fund Express, our recommended funder. For the bigger picture of funding options for an online store, read our guide to business loans for Shopify stores.
Key takeaways
- Shopify Capital is only for selected Shopify merchants in the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Australia.
- In the U.S., loans are issued by WebBank; offers arrive by email and in your admin.
- Published minimums: sell on Shopify for at least 90 days and follow its acceptable use policy.
- You repay with a fixed percentage of daily sales, only on days you sell, with an 18-month maximum term and minimum payments.
- Its site says there is no credit check and no guarantors; still, read the full offer.
- If you also sell on Amazon, in a shop or on other platforms, a funder that sees all your deposits may offer more.
How Shopify Capital works
Shopify Capital is built into your store's admin. Here is what it publishes (per its site, checked in October 2026):
- Available to selected merchants in the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Australia. Offers are made in each merchant's local currency.
- Financing up to $2 million, with offers tailored to your store's sales.
- No credit checks and no impact on your personal score, no guarantors and little paperwork.
- Funds in as little as two business days, if approved.
- Repayment from your sales. A fixed percentage of your store's daily sales is withheld, only on days you sell: you pay more when sales are strong and less when they are slow.
- 18-month maximum term in the U.S., with minimum payments. You can finish sooner if sales allow.
- Renewals. If you are eligible, you can request more before finishing the current round, once you have repaid a certain percentage.
In the U.S., all Shopify Capital loans are issued by WebBank, and its site makes clear that an invitation to apply doesn't guarantee financing.
Who gets offers and who doesn't
You can't just fill out an application whenever you want: Shopify decides whether to invite you. According to its site, eligibility is decided by an automated model that analyzes data about your business, such as your sales, your disputes (chargebacks) and customer engagement. There are also minimum requirements, including:
- Selling on Shopify for at least 90 days.
- Following Shopify's Acceptable Use Policy and Terms of Service.
Review happens in two stages: first the model decides whether you can prequalify, then the Shopify Capital team reviews your application for the amount you request. To apply, it asks for basic business and representative details: a business ID number such as an EIN, contact details, and the dates of birth, addresses and Social Security numbers of principal owners and management. Its site says that information isn't used for a credit check. If you have an ITIN instead of an SSN, ask Shopify directly how that works in your case.
A good fit if...
- Nearly all your sales run through your Shopify store.
- You need inventory for a big season and want the payment to drop if sales are slow to come in.
- You value accepting an offer without leaving your admin.
It may fall short if...
- You also sell on Amazon, at markets, in a shop or over WhatsApp: Shopify only sees part of your business.
- Your store is new or you have a lot of disputes.
- You need the money for something that won't generate sales soon, because repayment starts with your daily sales.
Is Shopify Capital legit? How to tell if an offer is real
Shopify is a major platform and its program is real: in the U.S., loans are issued by WebBank (per its site, checked in October 2026). The practical risk is fake offers that borrow its name. To protect yourself:
- Real offers show up in your admin. Its site says that if you're eligible, you get an email and see a message on the home page of your Shopify admin. Log in to your store yourself instead of clicking links in messages.
- You never pay to receive financing. Be wary of anyone asking for a fee, a deposit or your passwords.
- Watch for apps and emails that imitate Shopify. Check the sender and the domain. A third-party app in the app store is not Shopify Capital.
- Read the agreement. Its site says each offer is governed by a separate financing agreement. Download it and keep a copy.
If you're unsure about a message, don't reply: log in to your admin and look for the Capital section. More warning signs are in how to spot a business funding scam.
What to check in your offer before you accept
Accepting is easy, which is exactly why it's worth pausing for five minutes to check these points:
| Point | What to ask yourself |
|---|---|
| Total cost | How much do I repay in total compared with what I receive? Compare it in plain terms with another offer, not just on speed. |
| Percentage of sales | What share of each sale goes to repayment? Does it leave room for ads, shipping and restocking? |
| Minimum payments and term | With an 18-month maximum and minimums, do my slow months cover the payment? |
| Use of funds | Will the inventory or campaign I'm paying for sell before the payment starts to pinch? |
| Renewal | If I'm offered more before I finish, do I need it, or am I taking it just because it appeared? |
| Other financing | Do I already have another advance or loan that also collects from my sales? |
A common mistake for online stores is financing inventory without counting the supplier's shipping time and the time to sell it: repayment starts with your current sales, not when the goods arrive. To structure that purchase well, read revenue-based financing for ecommerce.
Shopify Capital alternatives
Having an offer from Shopify is good; having two offers is better. These are the most useful alternatives for an online store:
- Merchant Fund Express, our recommended funder. It reviews your business's sales and deposits, not just your credit, so your sales outside Shopify count too. It offers $5,000 to $5,000,000, decisions often come in 2 to 4 hours and it works with FICO scores from 500+. Collateral isn't required in most cases, it accepts applicants with an ITIN (no SSN needed), it offers Spanish-speaking support, and applying is free with no impact to your credit. Stronger credit and cash flow usually bring better offers.
- Inventory financing, if the money is for buying stock and you'd rather have the inventory back the deal. See inventory financing explained.
- A business line of credit, so you draw only what you need for each supplier order.
- Financing from other platforms you sell on, if they offer similar programs; compare offers on total cost and percentage of sales.
Apply to your options with the same information and pick the one that fits the real rhythm of your sales, not just the one that shows up first in your admin.
Honest comparison: Shopify Capital vs. Merchant Fund Express
Shopify Capital details are per its site, checked in October 2026. Terms for either depend on your situation and are confirmed in the written offer.
| Point | Shopify Capital | Merchant Fund Express |
|---|---|---|
| Who can access it | Selected Shopify merchants, by invitation | You apply yourself, no invitation needed |
| Amounts | Up to $2 million, based on your store | $5,000 to $5,000,000 |
| What they review | Sales, disputes and customer engagement on Shopify | Your business's sales and deposits, not just credit |
| Credit | No credit check, per its site | FICO 500+; applying doesn't affect your credit |
| ITIN | Asks for owners' SSNs; ask about ITIN | Accepts ITIN applicants, no SSN needed |
| Repayment | Fixed percentage of daily sales; 18-month max in the U.S., with minimums | Depends on the product offered |
| Speed | Funds in as little as 2 business days | Decisions often in 2 to 4 hours |
| Collateral | No guarantors, per its site | Not required in most cases |
If you sell almost everything on Shopify and the offer covers what you need, it's a convenient choice. If you sell across several channels, if you haven't been invited or if you need a different amount, our recommended funder can look at the whole business. Prefer Spanish? Leer en español.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get a Shopify Capital offer?
You can't request one directly. Per its site, checked in October 2026, an automated model reviews your sales, disputes and customer engagement, and you must sell on Shopify for at least 90 days and follow its policies. If you're eligible, you get an email and see a message on the home page of your admin.
Does Shopify Capital check my credit?
Its site says it doesn't run credit checks and doesn't affect your personal score. It does ask for business and owner details, such as the EIN and Social Security numbers, but says that information isn't used for a credit check. If you have an ITIN instead of an SSN, ask Shopify how that applies to you.
How do you pay back Shopify Capital?
With a fixed percentage of your store's daily sales, only on days you make sales. In the U.S., its site lists an 18-month maximum term with minimum payments. If you sell a lot, you finish sooner; if sales slow down, the amount withheld drops, but the minimums still apply.
Is Shopify Capital a real, safe loan?
Yes, it's a real program: in the U.S., per its site, loans are issued by WebBank and each offer has its own agreement. To stay safe, only accept offers you see inside your Shopify admin, never through links in messages, and never pay a fee to receive financing.
What can I do if Shopify doesn't offer me financing?
Merchant Fund Express, our recommended funder, reviews the sales and deposits of your whole business, not just what you sell on Shopify. It offers $5,000 to $5,000,000, often decides in 2 to 4 hours and works with FICO 500+. Applying is free and doesn't affect your credit.
Can I get Shopify Capital if my store is new?
Not right away. Its published minimum is selling on Shopify for at least 90 days, and even then an automated model decides whether you get an invitation. If your store is newer, focus on building steady sales and low disputes, and look at funders that review your overall bank deposits instead of a single platform.