Planet partners with YouLend to offer merchant funding in seven European markets

Planet, a provider of payments and software for retail and hospitality, said on October 27 that it has partnered with the embedded financing company YouLend to help small and medium-sized businesses in Europe access working capital, according to the companies’ release as published by Financial IT. The service launches first in the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany and Denmark, according to the release as carried by Finextra.

YouLend’s digital funding service will be offered to Planet’s existing merchants through its payments and property management software relationships. YouLend manages underwriting, funding and servicing, while Planet connects eligible merchants to the service through the channels they already use, the companies said. YouLend retains responsibility for all funding decisions, pricing and terms, and Planet does not provide financial advice.

The companies said the application and assessment process can deliver a decision within minutes or hours, with funding typically available within 24 to 48 hours. Repayments are linked to a merchant’s sales, and the total cost is agreed and disclosed in advance, so that it does not rise when revenue slows, according to the release. The release names hospitality, travel and retail companies managing seasonal swings as the target customers.

Colin Close, Planet’s chief commercial officer, said businesses need quick, straightforward access to funding so they can act when opportunities arise, and that adding YouLend’s funding to Planet’s services lets customers invest and manage seasonal pressures. Luuk Visschedijk, YouLend’s head of strategic partnerships, said the partnership brings funding to merchants through platforms they already use, combining Planet’s customer relationships and sector expertise with YouLend’s data-led approach.

The companies plan to widen access through Planet’s channels to other European markets. YouLend says it has provided funding to more than 400,000 businesses in 10 markets since launching in 2017, according to the release.

YouLend has comparable arrangements with other payment providers. Worldline and YouLend launched Cash Advance in January, offering merchants up to 250,000 euros in as little as 48 hours, and Teya selected YouLend for its UK merchants, with launches in other European markets planned for 2026. Embedded lending also drew a larger move on September 30, when Stripe agreed to acquire Parafin.