Amazon Relay Partners with Lendistry, Delivering Funds to the Carriers Who Deliver Packages
The Relay Carrier Financing Program offers freight business owners an innovative funding alternative to grow their businesses
The two organizations are well-positioned to join forces, as Amazon surpassed FedEx in 2020 and UPS in 2022 by parcel volume1, and the long-haul carriers hauling those parcels across the country are frequently small businesses. Lendistry is already a friend to the freight industry, having funded over 6,600 trucking businesses since its inception with grant and loan capital.
Revenue-based financing (RBF) provides freight business owners a flexible repayment plan that matches their financing expenses to their income in an industry in which revenue can vary widely. The Relay Carrier Financing Program takes a different approach to RBF that can allow growing businesses to keep more of their revenue during overperforming months.
“Our Company had a couple short-term loan contracts with the highest interest rate, and I requested funds from Lendistry to pay those loans and get cash for operating our company,” says Francisco Ramirez, CFO/COO of R&M Logistics. “Lendistry gave me a quick option to cover the short-term loan and a friendly process to complete it. We paid our short-term loan and improved our operations with the remaining balance, and now we have a healthy cash flow due to reducing our monthly payment for the loan.”
“With its Relay program, Amazon Transportation Services uses technology to meet business owners where they are and serve them quickly and efficiently—they’re speaking Lendistry’s language,” says Everett K. Sands, Lendistry CEO. “When freight businesses need capital to grow their fleets or maintain their operations, they’re often limited to merchant cash advances. We’re excited to provide them with an innovative and responsible alternative through this partnership.”
Lendistry began its relationship with Amazon through the Amazon Community Lending Program. In the program’s pilot stages, the fintech lent more than $35 million to over 800 sellers—surpassing the pilot’s original goal of $10 million. The program became permanent in 2022.
About Lendistry
B.S.D. Capital, Inc. dba Lendistry (lendistry.com) is a minority-led fintech that provides innovative lending products for small businesses and administers grant programs for government agencies nationwide. Headquartered in a Los Angeles Opportunity Zone, Lendistry uses technology and community partnerships to overcome systemic barriers to capital access. In 2024, Lendistry CEO Everett K. Sands was an Entrepreneur Of The Year® Greater Los Angeles award winner. Lendistry has both Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and Community Development Entity (CDE) certifications and is a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco. Lendistry SBLC, LLC is an SBA Preferred Lender and the nation’s only African American-led SBA designated Small Business Lending Company. In collaboration with The Center by Lendistry, a nonprofit business education organization, Lendistry provides economic opportunities and progressive growth for underserved urban and rural small business borrowers and their communities.