Invoice Financing vs. Invoice Factoring

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What Is Invoice Financing?
Example of Invoice Financing
Pros and Cons of Invoice Financing
Pros
Keep You in Control: Your company is in charge of the collections process. That means you get to maintain your relationship with your customers and they don’t have any insights into the business’s finances. Smoother Cash Flow: For many companies, the improved cash flow helps, especially if they have long billing cycles. Easy to Get: It’s also easy to qualify for invoice financing compared to other small business loans. Your invoice documentation is the primary factor considered when you’re applying.
Cons
Uncertain Costs: Although you retain control of collecting payments, you’re not in control of the total cost of invoice financing. Your business could end up paying a lot if a customer takes months to pay. Volume Minimums: Invoice financing may also require you to meet volume minimums. Even if you don’t want to finance all of your invoices, you may be compelled to in order to get approved. Liability for Unpaid Invoices: Your business is also responsible for repaying the borrowed funds if customers don’t pay their invoices. Fees: You may have to pay termination fees when you’re ready to end your financing agreement. Look at these details carefully before signing a contract.
What Is Invoice Factoring?
Example of Invoice Factoring
Pros and Cons of Invoice Factoring
Pros
Doesn’t Require Collateral: Invoice factoring is considered unsecured financing. You usually sell the invoices to the factoring company, but you don’t need to worry about using other company assets to secure the loan. Smoother Cash Flow: This type of financing can also improve your company’s cash flow. Available with Bad Credit: You could get approved even with bad credit.
Cons
Could Jeopardize Customer Relationships: One of the major disadvantages is that you can’t control how the factoring company deals with your customers when it’s collecting invoices. This may or may not be important to you, depending on your business model. Expensive: Typically, you will be charged high rates, especially if you expect a long billing cycle. Also expect to pay additional fees, such as invoice processing fees, service fees, early termination fees, and potentially more. Liability for Unpaid Invoices: Since recourse factoring is more common, you’ll usually be responsible for the borrowed funds if your customers don’t pay their invoices.
Invoice Financing vs. Factoring: What’s Right for You?
The Takeaway
Frequently Asked Questions
About the Author
Lauren Ward is a personal finance expert with nearly a decade of experience writing online content. Her work has appeared on websites such as MSN, Time, and Bankrate. Lauren writes on a variety of personal finance topics for SoFi, including credit and banking.
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