Cross-border e-commerce businesses can use trade finance to buy imported stock before online sales come in, with funding decisions often reached in days.
A cross-border e-commerce business usually buys its stock abroad and sells it online to customers in other countries. Suppliers, often in Asia, expect payment before goods are shipped, while the cash from sales arrives later through marketplaces and payment processors on their own cycle. Trade finance funds the stock purchase at the point of order, so a seller can buy the inventory demand calls for without the cost coming out of its own pocket first.
The facility repays as the stock sells through and the platforms release the takings, keeping the cost in step with sales. For a seller restocking a bestseller or building inventory ahead of a peak such as the fourth-quarter rush, that means buying enough to meet demand rather than running out while waiting on the last payout.
A cross-border seller pays overseas suppliers up front, then waits on marketplace payouts, and stock-outs cost sales in the gap between the two. The pressures repeat across the year:
Tando keeps it personal, so a cross-border seller works with a dedicated account manager who understands overseas sourcing and marketplace payout cycles rather than an automated platform. Decisions usually arrive within three to five days, sometimes within hours. Tando is NACFB accredited and funds through FCA-regulated lenders.
A seller stocking up before a fourth-quarter peak could use a facility to buy the inventory, then repay as it sells and the platforms release the takings. Because online sales come through card and marketplace payments, a merchant cash advance can advance against future receipts as a complementary route.
Direct funding for the cost of goods based on a confirmed customer order.
A globally recognised guarantee of payment to your supplier upon verification of shipping documents.
Optimising cash flow by allowing you to pay suppliers early while extending your own payment terms.
Yes, that is the core use. The facility pays your overseas supplier at the point of order, so you can buy inventory without the cost coming from your own cash. You repay as the stock sells online and the platforms release the takings. It lets a seller buy enough to meet demand rather than running short while waiting on a marketplace payout.
Marketplaces and processors usually release takings on a set cycle, which leaves a gap after you have already paid an overseas supplier. Trade finance covers that gap by funding the stock at the point of order, then repaying as the payouts arrive. It means a seller is not held back by the platform's timing when it comes to buying the next batch of inventory.
Yes. Building inventory ahead of a peak such as the fourth quarter often means a large stock purchase before the sales arrive. A facility funds that purchase at the point of order and repays as the stock sells through. It lets a seller stock up for the busiest period rather than limiting orders to whatever cash the platforms have released so far.
Often, yes. Tando arranges funding for cross-border e-commerce businesses with bad credit or a bounced payment that other brokers avoid. The sales history and stock flow carry more weight than a single past problem. Lending partners are FCA-regulated and look at current trading, so an earlier difficulty does not automatically rule out a workable facility for the business.
Facilities typically run from 75,000 to 500,000 pounds, sized to your stock spend and sales volumes. Firms turning over 200,000 pounds or more a year are the typical fit. Because inventory needs rise and fall with demand, the right figure tends to track how much stock you are buying rather than a single fixed limit.
Where an overseas supplier wants assurance before shipping, a letter of credit can sit alongside a trade finance facility, with the bank undertaking payment against agreed documents. For a cross-border seller sourcing from abroad, this gives the supplier confidence while the facility funds the purchase. Your account manager arranges the structure that suits how and where you buy your stock.
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Tando Capital Limited (trading as Tando Capital), registered at Suite 74 Paycocke Road, Basildon, SS14 3HX . Tando Capital is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority and can only complete non-regulated introductions. We work with a Panel of Lenders whose particulars will be supplied upon request. ICO Number ZB748553- We will receive commission from lenders. Different lenders pay different amounts depending on different commission models. For transparency we work with the following commission models: percentage of the amount you borrow and rate for risk (this is based on the risk profile of the business). Further details of the commission model, calculation and amount will be disclosed to you throughout your customer journey.’
