Intuit QuickBooks Capital is joining the Amazon Lending program as a third-party financing provider for sellers in the Amazon store. Announced this week at Amazon Accelerate, Amazon’s annual seller conference, the company will join several other third-party financing providers offering lending options that can fund everything from product innovation to inventory growth for small and medium sized businesses.
“Access to capital is the fuel that powers business growth, but we know traditional financing often moves too slowly for today’s entrepreneurs,” said Tai Koottatep, director of B2B payments at Amazon. “Our sellers need flexible, fast solutions that match their dynamic business needs.”
Intuit QuickBooks Capital will bring more ease and speed to the Amazon Lending program in the coming weeks by leveraging existing QuickBooks seller data in its underwriting, which helps reduce required documentation and speed up approvals.
The company joins existing third-party providers, Lendistry, Uncapped, and Parafin, offering various products, including lines of credit, term loans and merchant cash advances. This growing list of third-party financing providers means more choices and more competitive rates for sellers. It also means faster, easier access to capital with most funds available within three days of application approval and instant approval for eligible sellers.
“Sellers tell us that access to fast, reliable financing can be a game-changer,” said Koottatep. “Amazon Lending gives them the flexibility to invest in inventory, expand product lines, and meet customer demand during peak seasons.”
Applicants go through a streamlined application process that is completed in minutes using their existing business data. Applicants authorize Amazon to share their business data with financing providers through an API, including selling history, sales data, and order volumes. This data-driven approach often leads to faster approvals and larger loan amounts compared to traditional lending. In addition, flexible terms are available to match a seller’s business needs.
“One of the advantages we bring to small businesses through Amazon Lending is the ability to use real-time data from their sales performance,” Koottatep explained. “This allows third-party financing providers to offer financing that reflects their actual business potential—not just a traditional credit score.”
Sisterly Drinkware, launched by sisters Renee and Nicole Pettiford in 2021, exemplifies the program’s impact. Their two-person operation offers 14 different products in the Amazon store, their direct-to-consumer website, and their Shopify store. However, like many small businesses, they face challenges managing cash flow during fluctuating sales cycles.
“We needed to find low-cost options to keep the business running,” says Renee Pettiford, co-founder and CEO of Sisterly Drinkware.
Through Amazon Lending, they secured a merchant cash advance from Parafin based on their Amazon sales. Repayment is then made as a percentage of their sales, with only a fixed capital fee instead of interest.
Another success story is Binibi, a Miami-based company creating bilingual musical books for children. Co-founder Ana Guzman struggled with traditional financing, enduring a five-month process with a major bank only to face rejection.
“As a small business, you’re spending all this money to acquire inventory that you will sell later, but your cash outflow happens months before the cash inflow,” Guzman explained. “That’s really hard on early-stage companies.”
Guzman accessed revenue-based financing through Parafin. The streamlined process required minimal paperwork, no credit checks, and funding arrived within 24 hours.
The revenue-based financing model proved particularly valuable for Binibi, allowing them to repay gradually based on gross sales. “It makes it really manageable for a company like mine to take money and then pay it back very gradually. It doesn’t feel like a cash drainage,” added Guzman.
For Guzman, Amazon Lending’s greatest strength is its ability to scale with her business. “What’s great is that as you grow, those financing options become more attractive and more in line with your business needs,” she says. “It’s almost like Amazon Lending just gets it. It’s like you just met someone who understands, and they just make it easy, and that’s why it’s been successful for us.”