Business funding for liquor stores
Liquor licence renewals and bonding come due on a fixed schedule regardless of sales, and holiday season inventory buys, especially for wine and spirits, tie up cash months before the biggest selling weeks. Card sales are usually steady enough that lenders can see the pattern clearly.
- One application, several lenders
- No credit pull to see your options
- No fee to you, ever
Common funding needs
- Paying a liquor licence renewal or required bond
- Buying inventory ahead of the holiday season
- Replacing a wine cooler or refrigerated display case
- Covering payroll through a slower month
What usually fits
Products that usually fit
- Working capital for a licence renewal or a seasonal inventory buy.
- Merchant cash advance for an urgent need, repaid from daily card sales.
- Equipment financing for wine coolers and refrigerated displays.
- Line of credit for ongoing inventory swings between seasons.
How a merchant cash advance works for you, and when it is too expensive
A liquor store's MCA holdback is taken as a fixed percentage of daily card sales, which usually peak hard around the holidays and taper off in the slower months that follow. At an illustrative factor of 1.15–1.45, a $30,000 advance costs $34,500–$43,500 in total, whether it clears in a busy December or a quiet February.
Since sales are seasonal, it is worth comparing the total cost against a line of credit sized to the slow months, which can adjust to lower balances rather than debiting a fixed percentage every single day.
Compare term loans, lines of credit, cash advances and equipment financing side by side →
Separately, our sister company CELER Merchants offers card processing.
Illustrative example
A worked example
A liquor store needs $32,000 to buy holiday inventory and pay its licence renewal. With working capital repaid over 12 months at an illustrative 10–20% a year, payments come to about $2,813–$2,964 per month, or $33,760–$35,572 in total.
The same $32,000 as a merchant cash advance at an illustrative factor of 1.20–1.35 means paying back $38,400–$43,200 from daily card sales, typically within 6 to 10 months.
Illustrative example only, not an offer or a quote. Rates, fees and terms are set by each lender and depend on your business. Fees are not included unless stated.
Underwriting
What lenders look at
- Monthly card deposits, including the holiday-season spike
- Liquor licence status and any bonding requirements
- Existing cash advances or daily debits
- Age of coolers and refrigerated display cases
- Owner credit
Honestly
Who this is not for
- A store that has not opened yet: most lenders want deposit history
- Borrowing short-term, expensive money for a licence bond that renews every year predictably
- Stacking a second advance while still repaying the first
If borrowing does not make sense, we will say so.
Are you a match?
Lender network minimums
Close but not quite there? Apply anyway and we will tell you honestly what is possible.
*Best available terms from lenders in our network. Every lender sets its own criteria; approval, amount and funding time are decided by the lender and not guaranteed.
| Time in business | 1 year+ |
|---|---|
| Monthly bank deposits | $20,000+ |
| Credit score | 500+ |
| Bank account | Business |
| Fee to you | $0 |
| Credit pull to start | None |
FAQ
Liquor stores funding questions
Can I finance a liquor licence renewal directly?
Lenders fund the business, not the licence itself, but working capital or a line of credit is commonly used to cover the renewal cost or bond when it comes due.
Do lenders expect a holiday sales spike?
Yes, most look at 6 to 12 months of deposits so the seasonal pattern is visible rather than judging a quiet month on its own.
Can I buy inventory before Black Friday or the holiday season with financing?
Yes, working capital or a line of credit is commonly used to buy inventory ahead of the season before it is sold.
What if my state or province has strict licensing rules?
Tell us your jurisdiction. Lenders in our network are used to liquor licensing requirements varying by location.
Guides
Guides for liquor stores
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Where we work: all US states · all Canadian provinces
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