YouLend, the world’s leading embedded financing platforms, and REA Card, a provider of cashless payment solutions for brick-and-mortar retail, are entering into a strategic partnership in Germany. The aim is to give small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) quick, straightforward access to working capital.

Merchants using REA Card’s POS terminals, cash register systems, or SoftPOS solutions can now access YouLend financing offers directly via the platform. The financing decision is based on actual card revenues rather than traditional bank-style credit checks. This reduces bureaucracy, speeds up disbursement, and makes capital accessible to businesses that are often left out of the traditional lending market.

Financing without detours

The partnership targets restaurants, cafés, kiosks, bakeries, retailers, taxi companies, hair salons, and many other sectors that process card payments daily and regularly need capital for inventory purchases, seasonal demand, or growth investments. The financing is fully integrated into the existing payment environment. Merchants do not need to submit a separate application; instead, they receive an offer based on existing data.

"Small businesses have no time for bureaucracy. When essential working capital is lacking, a decision for financing cannot take weeks," says Leonard Strigel, General Manager Europe at YouLend. "With REA Card, we are bypassing this hurdle by bringing instant financing to the place where merchants work daily: their card terminal." 

Complementary strengths, shared goal

The partnership brings together REA Card’s established merchant relationships and payments infrastructure with YouLend’s scalable embedded financing technology and AI-driven decision models. The technical integration is complete; eligible REA Card merchants can access financing offers immediately. In a second phase, a deeper integration into REA Card’s existing product portfolio is planned.

“Our customers deserve a partner that not only helps them take payments, but also helps them grow,” says Phillip Becker, CEO bei REA Card. “With YouLend, we offer our merchants fast access to capital based on their actual business performance.”