YouLend review
YouLend is revenue-based finance, which means there is no interest rate and no fixed monthly payment: you take an advance, then repay it as a set percentage of your daily takings until a fixed total is cleared. It funds up to £2,000,000 and usually reaches you through a platform you already use, such as an online marketplace or a card reader, rather than a direct application. The cost is a fixed fee agreed up front, not an APR, so it does not fall if you repay quickly, which is the trade for repayments that flex with your sales.
| Product | Revenue-based finance, an embedded cash advance |
| Borrow | Up to £2,000,000 |
| Rate | No APR; a fixed fee agreed at signing |
| Repaid | Automatically, as a set percentage of your daily sales, until the fixed total is repaid |
| Access | Usually via a partner platform, such as a marketplace or card reader |
How revenue-based finance works
Instead of an interest rate, YouLend agrees a fixed total for you to repay, then takes a set share of your daily sales until it is cleared. When sales are strong you repay faster, when they dip you repay less, so the repayment flexes with the business in a way a fixed monthly loan does not. Advances run up to £2,000,000.
It is usually embedded, meaning you meet it inside a platform you already use, such as an online marketplace or a payments provider, which can pre-approve you because it already sees your revenue. That makes it fast, and it suits card-heavy or online businesses with steady takings.
The catch with a fixed fee
The fixed fee is set at signing and does not reduce if you repay early, so unlike an APR loan there is no saving for clearing it fast. Repaying a fixed-fee advance quickly can mean a high effective annual cost, which is the flip side of the flexible repayments. YouLend does not publish a factor rate, so ask for the total amount repayable in pounds before you accept, and compare that figure, not a percentage.
For a predictable, one-off cost, a term loan with a clear APR is usually cheaper and easier to compare. Revenue-based finance earns its place when your income is uneven and you want repayments that move with your sales.
The ledger, balanced
In credit
- Repayments flex with your sales
- Advances up to £2,000,000
- Fast, often pre-approved through a platform you use
- No fixed monthly payment to meet in a slow month
In debit
- No published rate; cost is a fixed fee agreed per deal
- The fee does not fall if you repay early
- Effective annual cost can be high
- Usually accessed via a platform, not directly
Questions people actually ask
Is YouLend a loan?
Not in the usual sense. YouLend is revenue-based finance: instead of an interest rate and fixed instalments, you repay an advance as a set share of your daily sales until a fixed total is cleared. It behaves more like a merchant cash advance than a term loan.
How much does YouLend cost?
The cost is a fixed fee agreed when you take the advance, not an APR, and YouLend does not publish a standard rate. Because the fee does not fall if you repay early, ask for the total amount repayable in pounds and compare that figure before you accept.
How do you repay YouLend?
Repayment is automatic and taken as a set percentage of your daily takings, so you repay more when sales are strong and less when they slow, until the agreed total is cleared.
Product details verified 5 July 2026 against youlend.com. Business lending is not covered by the FSCS, and lending to a limited company is not regulated like a consumer loan, so confirm the terms with the lender before you apply. We may earn a commission through links on this page.