Amazon Lending in the UK: how it works, what it costs, and the alternatives

Amazon doesn't lend its own money to UK sellers. Amazon Lending is an invite-only programme in Seller Central that shows offers from TradeBridge and YouLend, from £500 to £5m. If you run a UK limited company, compare each offer with a Flexi-Loan to see when Amazon's is the better fit.

At Amazon's own 10% fee example, £10,000 costs £1,000 however quickly you repay. A Flexi-Loan at our representative rate of 3.33% per 30 days costs £929 if you clear it after three months and £2,294 over the full 12 months. So the longer you'd keep the money, the better Amazon's fixed fee looks.

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Is Amazon Lending still available?

Amazon Lending is still available in the UK, but Amazon no longer lends its own money. Amazon Lending now shows invite-only offers from third-party providers inside Seller Central.

Amazon used to make some loans to sellers itself, and many sellers still remember it that way. In June 2026, an Amazon reply in its Seller Forums put it plainly: 'Amazon Lending now operates through trusted third-party financing providers'. Amazon's UK Amazon Lending page says the same: it 'collaborates with trusted third-party providers'.

In practice, Amazon is the shop window and the provider is the lender. Amazon decides which sellers see an invitation, and the provider makes the lending decision and holds your agreement.

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Amazon Lending offers come from TradeBridge and YouLend

TradeBridge provides term financing and a revolving financing line, both with fixed monthly repayments. YouLend provides a merchant cash advance and a flexible financing line, each for a one-time fixed fee that's taken from your sales.

Source: sell.amazon.co.uk/programmes/amazon-lending, checked 12 October 2026. Amazon's page lists the revolving financing line without naming its provider; TradeBridge's own seller page offers it. Term details from Amazon's Seller Central announcement of 11 February 2025 and tradebridge.com/amazonsellers.

Amazon says eligible businesses could receive £500 to £5m. TradeBridge's term financing runs for three to 18 months, and TradeBridge says you can repay early with no fee. Under the agreement, TradeBridge buys your future Amazon sales proceeds in advance, so you need the cash flow to meet each monthly payment.

YouLend doesn't charge interest on its Amazon products. You agree a single fee up front, and Amazon says there are no early or late repayment fees. If your offer is approved and you accept it, Amazon says you 'could receive the money in one business day'.

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What are the interest rates for Amazon Lending?

Amazon doesn't publish rates. TradeBridge term financing has an APR, and YouLend charges a fixed fee. At Amazon's 10% example, £10,000 costs £1,000 however fast you repay. A Flexi-Loan costs less if you clear it within about three months, and more if you keep it longer.

You only see your own price once you apply through Seller Central. The one worked example Amazon gives is for YouLend: 'if you received £100,000 in funding, and agree to a 10% fixed fee, you will repay £110,000 in total'.

A fixed fee and interest behave differently over time. A fee stays the same whether you repay in six weeks or 18 months. We charge interest only on the balance, for the days you borrow, so paying back sooner costs less. Here's £10,000 at Amazon's example fee next to an iwoca Flexi-Loan at our representative rate of 3.33% per 30 days.

On these numbers, the Flexi-Loan is cheaper if you'd clear it within three months, and the advance is cheaper if you'd keep the money for six months or more. How long an advance lasts depends on your sales, not on you, and your own fee may be higher or lower than 10%. To see what a Flexi-Loan would cost for your own amount and timing, try our business loan calculator.

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Repayments come out of your Amazon sales

YouLend takes a pre-agreed share of your Amazon sales each time Amazon pays you out, by variable Direct Debit. TradeBridge takes a fixed monthly Direct Debit. A quiet month lowers your YouLend repayments but not TradeBridge's.

How each one works, from Amazon's UK page:

• YouLend repayments follow your disbursements. If Amazon pays you every two weeks, a repayment goes every two weeks too.
• The share is agreed at the start and taken from your sales, not your profit.
• TradeBridge repayments are the same each month, whatever your sales do.
• Repayments come from the bank account linked to your Amazon account.

That makes a YouLend offer gentler in a slow month, but the fee doesn't fall if sales dip. With TradeBridge, a dip in sales or a pause in Amazon payouts doesn't change what you owe each month, so plan for it in your cash flow.

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Only invited sellers can apply for Amazon Lending

You can't apply until an invitation appears in Seller Central. Amazon says providers look for 'a proven track record of growing sales' and 'the highest level of customer satisfaction'. Checking your options doesn't affect your credit score.

To see if you have an invitation:

1. Log in to Seller Central and look for financing invitations.
2. Choose an option, up to the amount you're eligible for, and start the application.
3. Complete the application with the provider to see your personal terms.
4. Accept or decline once the provider makes its decision.

Amazon doesn't publish a minimum turnover or credit score. If you accept an offer, it's reported on your credit file. If you'd like to see what lenders see before you borrow, iwoca Credit Compass is a free tool that shows your Equifax business credit score and four more scores, the key factors affecting them, and areas to improve.

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Amazon Lending or a Flexi-Loan at a glance

The biggest differences are access and repayment. Amazon Lending is invite-only and partly sales-linked. A Flexi-Loan is open to apply for, has set repayments, and needs a personal guarantee from at least one director.

Amazon facts from sell.amazon.co.uk, checked 12 October 2026.

A Flexi-Loan is a business loan with flexible repayment options: you pay interest only on what you owe, and you can repay early with no fee. Like any loan, it's a commitment, so borrow only what your company can repay. We've funded 100,000+ UK businesses and provided £5bn+ of funding.

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When an Amazon Lending offer is the better fit

If you already have an offer, your sales swing a lot, or you'd rather not give a personal guarantee, an Amazon offer can be the better choice. Its fixed fee can also cost less than a loan you'd keep for most of a year.

An Amazon Lending offer is likely to suit you if:

• You have an invitation, and the cost is small next to the margin on the stock it pays for.
• Your sales are seasonal, and you want repayments that fall when sales fall (YouLend).
• You'd keep the money for six months or more, so a fixed fee beats interest over time.
• You don't want to give a personal guarantee, and you'd use TradeBridge, which Amazon says asks for none.

Look at other options if:

• You haven't had an invitation, or the offer is smaller than you need.
• You expect to repay within a few months, so a fixed fee costs more per month.
• Your margins are thin. A share of every sale can take a large part of the profit.
• You'd rather your funding didn't depend on the same platform as your sales, payouts, and account health.

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Funding options if you don't have an invitation

Without an invitation, you can still fund stock or advertising. You can borrow from a lender you approach yourself, use revenue-based finance from other providers, or spread the cost of big supplier orders with trade finance.

• A business loan from a lender you choose. You apply when you need the money, not when an invitation appears. A Flexi-Loan looks at your whole company, not just one sales channel.
• Revenue-based finance from other providers. Revenue-based finance works like YouLend's advance, with repayments taken from your sales. The same fixed-fee maths applies.
• Trade or stock finance. Some providers pay your supplier directly so you can spread the cost of a large order.
• Other platforms' funding. If you also sell on your own store, Shopify's funding works in a similar way to Amazon's, through YouLend.

Chris Billingham, founder of Muscle Squad, sells high-value fitness equipment online and borrows from us in step with his sales cycle: 'We go through waves of borrowing a significant amount and paying back a significant amount. You need the conviction that a good period is only around the corner.'

For more options for online sellers, see our guide to ecommerce funding.

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Is there an Amazon business line of credit in the UK?

Amazon doesn't offer a business line of credit for general seller borrowing in the UK. The nearest seller products are the flexible and revolving financing lines in Amazon Lending. For buying on Amazon, businesses can use Business Credit Account or the Amazon Business American Express Card.

These two products are for spending on Amazon, not for funding your selling business:

• Business Credit Account (Pay by Invoice). Approved Amazon Business customers get 30-day terms on their purchases, with invoices sent on a set schedule. Amazon decides who's eligible.
• Amazon Business American Express Card. On Amazon purchases, you choose between 1.5% Amazon Rewards on the first £120,000 a year or 60 days to pay. Other spending earns 0.5%. It has a £50 annual fee after the first year and a representative APR of 37.6% variable (americanexpress.com, checked 12 October 2026).

If you want a credit line to fund stock or advertising, compare a flexible financing line offer in Seller Central with a business loan you can apply for directly.

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Amazon Lending FAQs

Can I borrow money from Amazon?

You can't borrow from Amazon itself in the UK. Amazon presents offers from TradeBridge and YouLend in Seller Central, and your agreement is with the provider, not with Amazon.

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Can new sellers get Amazon Lending?

New sellers usually have to wait for an invitation. When Amazon launched the YouLend merchant cash advance on 20 June 2023, it said businesses needed at least three months' trading history on Amazon. Invitations depend on a track record of growing sales.

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What credit score do you need for Amazon Lending?

Amazon doesn't publish a minimum score. Checking your options doesn't affect your credit score, but if you accept an offer, it's reported on your credit file.

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Do Amazon Lending offers need a personal guarantee?

Amazon says TradeBridge asks for 'no personal guarantees'. Amazon's page doesn't say either way for YouLend, so read your agreement before you accept.

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Can I get funding based on my Amazon sales history?

Lenders outside Amazon can use your Amazon sales history too. When you apply for a Flexi-Loan, we look at your company's finances, such as its bank statements and filed accounts, so your Amazon payouts are part of the picture.

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Can I use a line of credit to fund Amazon stock in the US or EU?

A Flexi-Loan isn't tied to one sales platform, so a UK limited company can use it for stock it sells on Amazon's US or EU stores.

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How quickly does iwoca make a decision?

A decision is made within 24 hours, but it might be longer depending on the complexity of the request. Applying is a soft check, so it won't affect your credit score.

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Does a Flexi-Loan need a personal guarantee?

Every new Flexi-Loan needs a personal guarantee from at least one director, though not every director has to sign.