Running a garage can be full of surprises – and not always good ones. Kit breaks down, parts turn up late, suppliers put their prices up without much warning. Sooner or later, something happens that you didn’t budget for – and it puts pressure on cash flow straight away.

Financial experts recommend keeping three to six months of running costs in reserve, in case something like this happens. But with cash usually tied up in parts, tools, and equipment, building up those savings isn’t always realistic.

That’s why more businesses are turning to an alternative option: revenue-based finance.

Why the usual options don’t always work

When a big cost lands out of nowhere, most garages turn to savings, insurance, or an overdraft. Each has its place, but each has limits too.

Savings only help if you’ve actually got some to fall back on, and most garages don’t have much sitting spare. Insurance might cover you, but it depends entirely on the policy and the circumstances, and there’s often an excess to pay before you see any money. And an overdraft can help in the short term, but there’s a limit to how far it stretches. Go over it, or need more than it covers, and the fees stack up fast.

When something goes wrong, you need money that’s available fast, and that doesn’t require you to jump through hoops. That’s where revenue finance comes in.

How revenue finance helps garages manage unexpected costs

Revenue-based finance works differently to a loan. Instead of a fixed monthly repayment, you repay a percentage of your revenue each month, so what you owe automatically adjusts with how business is going.

That’s what makes it useful when something unplanned comes up. There’s no lengthy application to deal with on top of an already stressful situation, and no new fixed bill added to what you’re already paying out. You get the funds quickly, and repayments adjust automatically if trade’s quieter than usual.

For garages, that could help you cover costs like:

  • Replacing a ramp, diagnostic machine, or other essential kit
  • Paying for an unplanned repair to the workshop itself
  • Covering a parts order when a supplier puts their prices up
  • Bridging a gap while waiting on a delayed payment or delivery

Rather than putting jobs or plans on hold while you find the cash, revenue finance helps you keep things moving.

ClearAccept Revenue Finance

If this sounds like it could help, GaragePay powered by ClearAccept customers can access funding directly through ClearAccept Revenue Finance. It’s provided by Liberis – one of the UK’s most established revenue finance providers, with over 19 years of experience and more than 29,000 businesses funded. Based on your revenue, you could access between £1,000 and £1,000,000.* To qualify, you’ll need an average monthly revenue over £1,000 and at least 3 months of trading history.

It won’t be right for every garage, but plenty appreciate the flexibility compared to a fixed monthly repayment. As with any type of finance, it’s worth weighing up the cost and whether it fits your business before applying.

Ready to see how much you could access?

You can’t predict what’s coming next for your garage, but you can be ready for it. Having funding in place means an unexpected cost doesn’t have to throw your plans off course. It’s one less thing to worry about, so you can focus on running and growing your business.

Find out more and check your eligibility here.

Offer available to GaragePay customers only. 

ClearAccept Ltd t/a GaragePay is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under the Payment Service Regulations 2017 (FRN 926372) for the provision of payment services.

Terms and conditions

This product is provided by Liberis Limited, Scale Space Building, 58 Wood Lane London, W12 7RZ (company number: 05654231). This product is a form of receivables finance not a loan. Liberis is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Financial Ombudsman Service will not be able to consider a complaint about Liberis. Financing is subject to status and our underwriting process.

*Amounts may be subject to change depending on your credit profile at enquiry. Revenue Based Finance is subject to an underwriting process before any offer can be made.

**In June 2025, 70% of merchants were funded within 1 working day.

***You will be expected to operate your business in a way that ensures Liberis receives a minimum monthly amount of up to 3% of the total amount owed to Liberis.