In an earlier article we outlined the concept of embedded finance and are8's approach. This guide focuses on a more practical question: how does a business access financing with are8, which steps does the process involve, and which data is used along the way, and for what purpose?
We prepared this guide for business owners, chain managers, finance teams and suppliers. At the end you will also find short answers to the most frequently asked questions.
Who is are8 for?
are8 is designed for every business that generates revenue. Its current focus is on businesses with steady daily sales, close working relationships with suppliers and a need to manage cash flow carefully. Today more than 5,000 restaurants and cafés use are8's business software.
Restaurants and cafés
These are businesses that receive supplier invoices frequently and run a busy payment calendar. Their core need is to ease cash flow without giving up the advantage of paying suppliers upfront.
Restaurant chains
For chains, needs grow with the number of branches: branch standards, live consolidation and central financing. On are8, a single-site business and a forty-branch chain use the same platform; as scale grows, only the management layer deepens.
Suppliers
On the other side of the model is the supplier, who collects receivables on the same day instead of waiting for the invoice to fall due. Offering payment terms to a business therefore no longer strains the supplier's own cash flow.
Products: four layers from till to financing
On are8, financing is not a stand-alone product. It consists of layers that work alongside the business's everyday software and feed into one another:
- are8 POS and Table: Sales, bills, table management, QR menus and kitchen displays run on the same infrastructure. This is where the data behind financing is created.
- are8 OS: The management layer for chains. Menus, prices, recipes and campaigns are managed centrally; revenue, stock and staff data are consolidated in real time.
- are8 AI: Reads revenue and payment behaviour and proposes a collateral-free limit. As payment behaviour becomes predictable, it raises the limit.
- are8 EF (supplier financing): The supplier invoice is paid the same day by a financing partner; the business defers payment by up to 120 days or splits it into 6 equal instalments.
The business software is free of charge. This is a deliberate choice: on are8, the gateway to financing is the software the business already uses every day. The business first organises its till and operations, and when a financing need arises, it reaches financing from the same screen.
From application to use, step by step
In a conventional financing process, application, document collection and assessment can take days. With are8, the process moves forward from within the business's sales operation. The steps are as follows:
- Starting with the software: The business brings its sales and bills together in one system with are8 POS and Table. For chains, are8 OS connects branches to the same management layer.
- Checking the limit: The business can check its limit on are8.net or discuss its needs directly with the are8 team.
- Limit decision: No collateral, guarantor or balance sheet is required. are8 AI proposes a collateral-free limit based on sales data and payment behaviour; the decision is made within 24 hours.
- Use of financing: The supplier invoice is paid to the supplier the same day by the financing partner. The early-payment advantage stays with the business.
- Terms or instalments: The business can defer payment by up to 120 days or split it into 6 equal instalments.
- Automatic repayment: Repayment is taken automatically in micro-shares of POS collections. There is no separate payment calendar to keep.
- A growing limit: As payment behaviour becomes predictable, are8 AI raises the limit; the financing relationship develops together with the business's performance.
For the business, the most visible outcome of this flow is that financing stops being a separate workload. There is no file to prepare for the application and no separate account to track for repayment; financing becomes part of the sales cycle the business already runs.
The role of sales data
Traditional credit assessment largely looks backwards: balance sheets, collateral and guarantors describe where a business stood some time ago. On are8, what counts is the business's live sales data. POS collections and operating data build the business's financial profile in real time.
This approach has three consequences:
- Speed: Because the data needed for assessment is already in the system, the limit decision can be made within 24 hours.
- Accessibility: Businesses that find it hard to provide collateral but generate steady revenue can also access financing.
- Fit: Because repayment is taken in small shares of collections, financing moves at the same rhythm as the business's cash cycle.
In this model, data is not an obligation but an asset that works in the business's favour. A business that records its sales consistently and keeps its payments predictable gains access to a wider financing scope over time.
For chains, the picture is even clearer. Because are8 OS consolidates revenue, stock and staff data in real time, headquarters can follow the financial view of every branch from a single screen. Financing can then be managed through a central decision that sees the whole chain, rather than branch by branch.
A model for partners and platforms
The core idea of embedded finance is that financing is offered not through a separate channel but inside the software where the data is created. Seen this way, every piece of software that carries businesses' sales and collection data is a potential gateway to financing: POS systems, marketplaces and sector-specific business platforms are typical examples.
Today are8 runs this model through its own free business software. The roles in the model are clear:
- Software layer: Generates sales data and makes financing visible within the user's daily workflow.
- are8: Turns data into a financial profile, proposes the limit and manages the use of financing and the automatic repayment flow.
- Licensed finance companies: Provide the financing itself.
- Supplier network: Collects invoices on the same day and becomes able to offer payment terms to the business.
Organisations that generate sales data as a platform, or that run a large supplier network, and wish to explore cooperation with are8 can speak directly with the are8 team. The scope of any cooperation is addressed jointly, according to the platform's structure and user base.
Security, compliance and data privacy
In financial services, trust comes before speed. are8 is built on this principle:
- Licensed financing: Financing is provided by finance companies licensed by the BDDK, Turkey's Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency, under Law No. 6361. are8 builds the technology layer; the financing itself runs through licensed institutions.
- KVKK-compliant processes: The processing of personal data is designed in line with Turkey's Personal Data Protection Law (KVKK).
- Security by default: In CLevel's approach to finance and payments, security and reconciliation are not added later; they are built into the architecture from the start. The transaction layer is designed to be compliant and auditable, with anomaly detection and transaction risk management as part of it.
- A shared standard: are8 operates under the common engineering, data and security standard that unites all CLevel companies.
Details on the processing of personal data can be found in the KVKK Privacy Notice and Privacy Policy on our website. Data questions specific to the financing process can be raised directly with the are8 team.
Frequently asked questions
Is collateral or a guarantor required?
No. are8 does not require collateral, a guarantor or a balance sheet. The limit is set based on the business's sales data and payment behaviour.
How long does the limit decision take?
The limit decision is made within 24 hours. The business can check its limit on are8.net or speak with the are8 team.
How does repayment work?
Repayment is taken automatically in micro-shares of POS collections. The business chooses either to defer payment by up to 120 days or to split it into 6 equal instalments.
Who provides the financing?
Financing is provided by finance companies licensed by the BDDK under Law No. 6361. Processes are run in line with the KVKK.
Is there a fee for the business software?
No. are8 POS, Table, QR menu, kitchen display and are8 OS for chains are free of charge. A single-site business and a forty-branch chain use the same platform.
For more detail on are8's products and service model, visit the are8 company page, read about the group's approach on our Finance and Payments sector page, or reach us through our contact page.