PayPal is to extend its working capital programme for small business customers indefinitely, following a successful three-month trial in the US.
The firm says thousands of businesses have successfully applied for PayPal Working Capital since the pilot program launched last September, including a number of repeat customers. More than half of borrowers reported using the loan to purchase inventory.
The loans, which are issued by the lender WebBank, take just minutes for approval because they are based on each business's sales history through PayPal. Loan balances are reapid using a share of business sales, with no fixed payment dates to remember and no monthly minimums.
PayPal says the programme will now be extended to more businesses and will be launched in additional countries overseas.
Separately, PayPal in the UK is to turn on two features in its iOS and Android mobile apps, to let users order food ahead of visiting the restaurant, and using the app to pay for their food when eating at a restaurant by way of a four-digit code. Both Pay At Table and Order Ahead were first announced last year in the US.
Rob Harper, head of retail services at PayPal UK, told TechCrunch that the rollout will kick off a wider push of the services across Europe in the near future.