# Ecommerce cash runway calculator (with POs and payouts)

> Work out how many weeks of cash you have left, after the purchase orders you owe and the payouts still in transit. A standalone estimate from your own numbers.

Source: https://keelhq.io/tools/cash-runway-calculator · Published 2026-10-24 · Last verified 2026-10-24

**TL;DR:** Enter your cash, your average weekly net burn, the purchase orders you still owe and the payouts on their way. Runway is usable cash divided by weekly burn. Unlike a generic calculator, it takes the POs out and puts the payouts in.

## The formula

runway (weeks) = (cash − purchase orders owed + payouts in transit) ÷ average weekly net burn

Net burn is what leaves your accounts in a typical week minus what comes in. Use a few months of history, not your best or worst week.

## When to use it

Before you place a large purchase order, take on a payment, or plan a launch. If the runway is shorter than your supplier's lead time plus your payout delay, the order will land before the cash does.

## Do this automatically in Keel HQ

This calculator is a standalone estimate: it uses a burn rate you type in, the purchase orders you owe and the payouts in transit. Keel HQ's days of cash is forward-looking instead. It divides your connected cash by the weekly total of your bills and debt payments, and the 14-week forecast on the cash page lays out purchase orders and payouts week by week. The figures are not the same, so use the calculator for a quick check and the app for the plan.

## FAQ

### What is cash runway?

The number of weeks your cash lasts if spending continues at its current pace and nothing new comes in beyond what is already on its way.

### Why subtract purchase orders?

A purchase order you have committed to is cash that is already spoken for. Counting it as available makes the runway look longer than it is.

### Why add payouts in transit?

Shopify Payments pays out on business days, usually 3 business days after a sale in the US, plus your bank's processing time. That money is yours but not in the bank yet, so it extends the runway.

### How does Keel HQ work this out?

Keel HQ's cash page shows days of cash from your connected bank balance and your bills and debt payments, and a 14-week forecast that also schedules purchase orders and Shopify payouts. This calculator is a simpler estimate, so the two numbers will differ.

## Sources

- [Understanding Shopify Payments payout timing](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/payments/shopify-payments/payouts/payout-timing), Shopify Help Center (accessed 2026-10-24)