Best Steps to Apply for a Shopify Business Loan in 2026

Updated October 2026

To apply for a Shopify business loan through Shopify Capital, you first need an offer: Shopify evaluates eligibility automatically and shows offers on the Finance page of your Shopify admin. With an offer, you choose an amount, verify your identity and business details, review the agreement and submit, and Shopify says applications are usually reviewed in 1 to 3 business days. Providers outside Shopify, such as Onramp Funds, let you apply directly by connecting your sales channels.

Two routes to funding

• Onramp Funds: apply directly online by connecting your sales channels. You need $10,000 average monthly sales, six months of selling history and a legal US business entity. There is no personal credit check to see your offer, and funds typically arrive in one to two business days.
• Shopify Capital: invitation based. You can only apply once an offer appears by email and on the Finance page of your admin. In the US, Shopify Capital funding is issued by WebBank.

Step 1: Check whether you are eligible

For Shopify Capital, Shopify's Help Center says your store must be actively subscribed to a Shopify plan and operational for at least three months, located in a supported country with a matching currency and local bank account, and compliant with Shopify's Terms of Service. Trusts and partnerships are not supported. If you have no email from Shopify Capital and no message on the Finance page, your store is currently not eligible to apply. Our Shopify Capital eligibility checklist covers each requirement.

Step 2: Review your store performance

Look at 6 to 12 months of data before applying anywhere: monthly sales and seasonality, average order value, refund and chargeback rates, and inventory turnover. Shopify lists sales volume, sales-day frequency, order count, shipped orders, chargebacks, disputes, returns and payment history among the factors it weighs. Steady sales and low disputes count for more than a single strong month.

Step 3: Decide what the money is for

Write down how you will use the funds, for example inventory ahead of a peak season, ad spend on campaigns with proven payback, or a cash buffer through a seasonal dip. A clear use case tells you how much you actually need and what repayment schedule you can carry.

Step 4: Choose a funding structure

The main structures for Shopify sellers are:

• Percentage of sales: repayment is a share of daily sales, so it falls in slow weeks and rises in busy ones. Shopify Capital uses this model, and in the US it is offered as a loan with an 18 month maximum term and minimum payments of 30% by month 6 and 60% by month 12.
• Fixed schedule: set payments over an agreed term, which suits stores with predictable sales.
• Revolving line: draw funds as needed up to a limit as your sales grow.

Onramp Funds offers all three approaches: a share of daily sales, a fixed schedule over 1 to 12 months, or a rolling cash line.

Step 5: Prepare your information

For Shopify Capital, Shopify asks for basic information about your business and yourself, typically an employer identification number or other business identifier, contact details, birth dates, addresses and the social security numbers of primary owners and management. Only the store owner can apply. Other providers usually ask you to connect your sales channels and business bank account, and may ask for bank statements, a profit and loss statement and business registration documents. Make sure your legal business name and address match across your bank account, tax records and store settings.

Step 6: Submit your application

For Shopify Capital in the US, Shopify's Help Center describes the steps as:

1. Go to the Finance page in your Shopify admin and open Capital.
2. Choose one of the offers shown, or enter a custom amount.
3. Click Apply now and verify your identity and business details.
4. Review the loan agreement and submit your application.

Shopify states that an offer to apply does not guarantee funding, that offers can expire without notice, and that the review may lower the amount or decline the application. If approved, funds go to your business bank account and daily repayments start within two business days.

For Onramp Funds, you apply online, connect your sales channels and receive an offer that is sized to your combined sales, stated in your offer.

Step 7: Compare offers on total cost and repayment fit

Look past the headline amount and compare:

• Total cost: the full amount you will repay, which shows the real cost of the funding
• Repayment structure: percentage of sales or fixed payments, and any minimum payment requirements
• Speed: time from application to funds in your account
• Early repayment: whether paying early changes the cost. Shopify's US Help Center states that, on a fixed-fee loan, paying in full does not change the cost of funds
• Overlap: how a new repayment will sit alongside any funding you already have

Onramp Funds charges a fee as low as 9% of the funded amount ($4,500 on $50,000), flat, disclosed upfront, non-compounding, and longer terms cost more. Subject to credit eligibility, and rates and terms may vary.

Once funded, spend the money on the use case you set out in Step 3 and track the results monthly, so you know whether the funding paid for itself before you take on more.

Read how Onramp Funds works or compare Shopify Capital with other ecommerce funding options.

Frequently asked questions

Can I apply for Shopify Capital without an offer?

No. Shopify Capital is invitation based. Eligible stores receive an email and see a message on the Finance page of the Shopify admin. Without one, your store is currently not eligible to apply.

How long does approval take?

Shopify says Shopify Capital applications are usually reviewed in 1 to 3 business days, and that funding can arrive in as quick as two business days if approved. With Onramp Funds, funds typically arrive in one to two business days.

What documents do I need?

Shopify asks for business and owner details, including a business identifier, contact details, birth dates, addresses and the social security numbers of primary owners and management. Other providers typically ask you to connect your sales channels and bank account, and may ask for statements and registration documents.

Does applying affect my personal credit?

Shopify states that applying for Shopify Capital has no impact on your personal credit score. With Onramp Funds, there is no personal credit check to see your offer.

What can I use the funding for?

Most sellers use it for inventory, marketing, fulfillment or covering seasonal cash gaps. Choose the amount based on the specific use, not the maximum offered.

Shopify Capital details on this page were read from help.shopify.com and shopify.com/capital on 23 October 2026. Terms change without notice.