// calculator
Free 13-week cash flow forecast template for Shopify brands
Download a free 13-week cash flow forecast for ecommerce as XLSX (Google Sheets or Excel) or CSV. Covers payout lag, fees, supplier POs, ad spend and a minimum cash flag.
David LindahlFounder of Keel HQ, and runs a DTC brand on it
Published Last verified
// tl;dr
A free spreadsheet that turns weekly Shopify sales into cash, lays your bills, payroll, supplier payments and ad spend against it, and flags every week that ends below your minimum cash. It comes as XLSX for Excel and Google Sheets and as CSV, filled with Vandelay Industries sample data. No signup.
What's in it
One sheet, 13 weekly columns, and the rows Keel HQ's own forecast uses:
| Row | What it is |
|---|---|
| As of | Today's date. Week 1 starts on that week's Monday, and only the sales from today on are counted, because earlier ones are already in your balance or a scheduled payout |
| Opening cash | Week 1 is your balance today; every later week opens where the last ended |
| Sales | What customers paid that week, including shipping and tax (you enter it) |
| Cash from sales | Sales less fees and refunds, split across this week and next by the payout lag |
| Payouts already scheduled | Shopify payouts in transit (you enter them) |
| Fixed costs, payroll, debt service | Each payment in the week it's paid |
| Supplier payments | Purchase order deposits and balances |
| Ad spend, other outflows | Weekly run rate and one-offs |
| Net cash flow, ending cash | The totals, rolled forward |
| Below minimum cash? | BELOW when a week ends under your minimum |
The formulas
cash from sales = sales × (1 − fee rate − refund rate)
share paid out the week after = (payout lag in business days + 2) ÷ 7
ending cash = opening cash + cash from sales + scheduled payouts − total cash out
The weekly split is an approximation: it spreads each week's sales evenly over seven days and assumes the lag is 1 to 5 business days. Shopify says payout schedules count business days only and lists a 3 business day minimum settlement time for the United States (Shopify Help Center, accessed 2026-10-24), so use your own payout history for the lag.
A worked example
The file opens with Vandelay Industries: 50,000 in the bank, a 45,000 minimum, and Black Friday inside the quarter. It flags week 3, where payroll, a loan payment and a purchase order deposit land before sales have turned into cash. The step-by-step guide walks through each row and the full table.
Make it live
A spreadsheet is a snapshot. Keel HQ keeps the same rows current from your Mercury balances, Shopify payouts, bills and purchase orders, and runs 14 weeks.
Questions
- Does it work in Google Sheets?
- Yes. Upload the XLSX to Google Drive and open it with Google Sheets, or import the CSV into a new sheet. Both keep the formulas.
- What do I change?
- The blue cells: the as-of date (today), opening cash, minimum cash, fee and refund rates, payout lag, and one input row per week for sales (in week 1, only the sales from the as-of day on), scheduled payouts and each cost. The black cells are formulas.
- Why is the sample data from Vandelay Industries?
- Vandelay Industries is Keel HQ's demo company. Replace every blue cell with your own numbers before you rely on it.
- How is this different from Keel HQ's forecast?
- It uses the same core rows. Keel HQ runs 14 weeks and fills them from your bank balances, Shopify payouts, bills, purchase orders and expected payments, with optional sales tax filings, so you don't retype them.
// how keel hq does this
Know your position. Never be surprised.
Runway days, debt stack, a 14-week rolling forecast with scenario sliders, and auto-generated action items — all without a spreadsheet.
See cash command center in Keel HQ
// related
- GuidesHow to build a 13-week cash flow forecast for a Shopify brandBuild a 13-week cash flow forecast from Shopify sales: payout lag, fees, supplier PO deposits, ad spend and a minimum cash line, with a worked example.
- IntegrationsMercury cash flow forecast for Shopify brands with Keel HQConnect Mercury to Keel HQ with a read-only API token. Every active account syncs nightly or on demand into opening cash, runway and a 14-week forecast.
// sources
- Understanding Shopify Payments payout timing, Shopify Help Center · accessed