Hypothetical example: summer-to-holiday cash calendar for a $90,000 seasonal order
| Date | Event | Cash out | Cash note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 15 | Deposit due (30% of order) | $27,000 | Cash reserve is $22,000; owner keeps a $15,000 floor, so $7,000 is usable |
| Aug 1 to Aug 31 | Summer sales continue; supplier produces the order | $0 | Sales cover normal costs; reserve stays at the floor |
| Sep 1 | Remaining balance due before shipment | $63,000 | Whole balance is a gap |
| Oct 5 | Goods arrive and are checked in | Freight: see supplier quote | Count and inspect on the day |
| Nov 1 | Holiday selling starts | $0 | Repayment should be planned around sales from here |
| Dec 24 | Peak selling ends | $0 | Plan to finish repayment around here or before |
All figures are hypothetical. The $90,000 order is a $27,000 deposit plus a $63,000 balance; after $7,000 of usable reserve, the gap is $20,000 + $63,000 = $83,000, before any funding cost shown on your own written offer.
What are the order and deposit dates?
Write down the order date, the deposit due date, the balance due date, the ship date and the arrival date before you talk to anyone about funding.
Those five dates define the calendar. In the example the $90,000 order carries a 30% deposit of $27,000 due Jul 15, with the $63,000 balance due Sep 1 and arrival on Oct 5. A supplier who needs the balance before shipping creates a longer gap than one who bills on delivery.
Ask whether the deposit is refundable, whether the price is locked at the deposit, and what happens if the order slips. Our guide to Q4 holiday inventory financing covers the larger planning picture.
How do you size the remaining seasonal balance?
The remaining balance is the order total minus the deposit, plus freight, duties and any other cost due before you can sell the goods.
In the example, $90,000 minus the $27,000 deposit leaves $63,000. Freight and duties are separate, so get a written estimate and add them as their own line. Many owners forget that the balance often arrives right when summer cash is thinnest.
If you are splitting the order across more than one supplier, run the same sums per supplier and add them. Be honest about quantity. A buy sized to your best-case holiday forecast is a buy sized to a guess. Consider ordering a base amount and keeping a smaller reorder window if the supplier allows it.
How much of your current cash reserve can you use?
Decide your minimum cash floor first; only the amount above that floor is spendable on the deposit.
In the example the reserve is $22,000 and the owner wants to keep $15,000 for payroll, rent and surprises, so $7,000 is usable. The deposit gap is $27,000 minus $7,000, or $20,000. Adding the $63,000 balance, the total gap is $83,000, which equals $90,000 minus $7,000.
Do not drain the reserve to look cheaper on paper. A business line of credit, working capital or a term product can each fit different shapes of gap; see working capital for inventory deals for how the working capital version works. The application takes the deal paperwork, such as the supplier quote or purchase order, along with bank statements.
Can repayment finish before peak selling?
Sometimes, and the way to test it is to lay your payment schedule over your sales calendar and see which weeks carry the load.
Repayment terms, amounts and schedules vary by product and by the strength of the business, so use the figures on your written offer. Mark when payments start, how often they come out, and when the final payment lands. Then mark the first week the goods can sell. Payments that begin in September, before the stock has arrived, are paid from summer cash flow; payments that run through December are paid from the sales themselves.
Compare the total repayment minus the cash received, in dollars, against the margin the holiday stock should earn. If the cost eats most of that margin, shrink the order or skip it. The inventory deal cash timeline lets you test different dates. When you are ready, start your application.
Frequently asked questions
Can I fund just the holiday deposit and not the whole order?
Yes, you can describe a deposit-only need on the application. Many owners fund the deposit now and decide on the balance later, but a later request is a separate review, so plan for both.
When should I apply for a July deposit?
As early as you have a supplier quote and a due date. A decision is typically within 24 hours of a complete application, but settlement timing varies by product, so build in margin before the deposit date.
What documents does a funder want for a seasonal order?
Commonly a supplier quote or purchase order, recent business bank statements, a government-issued ID and a voided business check. Larger requests may add tax returns or financial statements.
How do I know whether the order is worth funding?
Compare the total funding cost in dollars with the margin the stock should earn. If the margin is thin or depends on a best-case sales guess, shrink or skip the order.
Will repayment have to wait until sales begin?
It depends on the product and the offer. Payment schedules vary, so read your written offer and compare it against your sales calendar before accepting.
Describe your purchase and deadline
Tell us what you are buying, what it costs and when payment is due, and the application takes it from there.
Updated October 17, 2026 · Prime Funding Now Funding Team