Both fund small businesses, and the useful comparison is not which is "better" in the abstract. It is which one assesses the thing you actually need assessed. Shopify Capital is platform-embedded funding. Prime Funding Now funds buying opportunities with a deadline for businesses that pay for goods before they sell them.
What Shopify Capital is
Shopify Capital offers funding to eligible Shopify merchants, underwritten on Shopify store performance and repaid from Shopify sales.
Where Shopify Capital is the stronger choice
A merchant whose sales are overwhelmingly on Shopify and who wants funding with almost no separate application.
If that describes your situation, go to Shopify Capital directly. We would rather say so than point you somewhere that costs more than it needs to.
Where Prime Funding Now fits better
When the purchase is the point. It is tied to one sales channel. Wholesale orders, offline sales, marketplace revenue and anything bought outside the platform sit outside what it can see.
- You are buying closeout or bulk inventory and the price holds for days, not weeks
- A supplier has offered an early-payment discount and you need to know fast whether capturing it beats the cost of funding
- You have won or are bidding on equipment at auction, where payment is due within days of the hammer
- A large purchase order means paying suppliers before your customer pays you
- You sell across several channels, so single-platform data does not describe your business
- You are buying offline — a truckload, a pallet lot, a machine, a lease
Side by side
| Shopify Capital | Prime Funding Now | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Platform-embedded funding | Opportunity funding for product sellers |
| Best for | Single-channel Shopify sellers | A buying opportunity with a deadline |
| Primary input to the decision | Business and platform data | Business data plus the deal itself |
| Deal paperwork considered | Not typically part of the file | Yes — quote, PO, auction listing or lease offer |
| Channel requirement | See notes above | None; online, offline and wholesale all count |
| Range | Published by the provider | $25,000 to $5,000,000 |
| Decision | Published by the provider | Typically within 24 hours of a complete application |
| Credit impact to check | Published by the provider | None to your personal credit score |
How to compare any two offers honestly
- Ask for the total repayment in dollars, not a rate. It is the only figure that compares cleanly.
- Ask when the first payment comes out and compare that to when your goods arrive and start selling.
- Divide the cost of funding by the gross margin on the deal. If funding costs more than the deal earns, the deal is not worth funding from anyone.
- Ask what happens if sales come in slow. Know the answer before you need it.
A note on figures
We do not publish rates, fees, terms or approval criteria for Shopify Capital on this page. Those change, and a competitor quoting them second-hand is not a source you should rely on. Check Shopify Capital directly for their current terms, and hold us to the same standard.
Common questions
Is Shopify Capital a good option?
Shopify Capital is a genuine option, and for some situations the better one. It is strongest for: a merchant whose sales are overwhelmingly on Shopify and who wants funding with almost no separate application.
How is Prime Funding Now different from Shopify Capital?
The difference is what gets assessed. It is tied to one sales channel. Wholesale orders, offline sales, marketplace revenue and anything bought outside the platform sit outside what it can see. Prime Funding Now asks what you are buying, from whom, at what price and by when, and the deal paperwork is part of the review alongside your bank statements.
Can I apply to both?
Yes, and owners often do. Applying somewhere does not commit you to anything. Compare the total dollars repaid and the date the first payment comes out, not the headline percentages.