Invoice Discounting is a great way for businesses to get a short-term financing solution. Businesses that offer their customers invoices with 30 to 60 days to make payment are eligible for this type of business financing. Invoice discounting gives the business owner a percentage of the customers invoice total immediately, rather than waiting the full [...]
Accounts Receivable Factoring
Accounts receivable factoring is a great way for businesses to open up working capital rather than waiting on customers to pay their invoices. Many businesses take advantage of factoring because it allows them the money needed to move onto another project, meet payroll obligation as well as other payment obligations needed to keep their business running efficiently. With such a growing need for business financing, accounts receivable factoring is allowing businesses a more cost-effective way of producing working capital without effecting their credit rating or even having a clean credit history. Businesses do not develop debts off factoring because they are receiving a cash advance on money owed to them. With low fees, accounts receivable factoring is a fast and easy, cost effective way for businesses to get working capital.
What is accounts receivable factoring?
Accounts receivable factoring is the sale of a businesses accounts receivable invoices to a factoring company for a cash advance. Factoring companies offer businesses 70% to 85% of the invoices total. Accounts receivable factoring is typically offered as recourse and non-recourse factoring. Factoring is not a loan, the businesses credit history is not a deciding factor of the financing approval process. The available credit is determined by the customer’s (debtor) invoice total. Accounts receivable factoring does not affect the businesses credit rating, leaving the business free to meet other financing needs.
Recourse factoring
With recourse factoring the business is assume all risk, protecting the accounts receivable factoring company. If the debtor who the invoice is issued to fails to meet their repayment obligation the business owner is responsible for repaying the cash advance made by the accounts receivable factoring company.
Non-recourse factoring
The accounts receivable factoring company assumes all risk with non-recourse factoring. Rather than the accounts receivable factoring company go to the business owners for repayment of the cash advance they will assume responsibility for collection of the invoice total from the debtor. When the debtor fails to repay the loan the accounts receivable factoring company must proceed with the legal recourse’s to obtain said money.
Common benefits of accounts receivable factoring
- Business owner does not need to wait on the customer to pay the invoice total to receive the money
- Frees up working capital for the business owner
- Fast cash in hand upon invoice sales, money is available in days
- Direct deposit into business bank account
- Low fee
- Cost effective for growing businesses
- Not a loan
- Does not affect businesses credit rating
- Credit amount is determined by the customers invoices
Terms and conditions
The terms and conditions of accounts receivable factoring is determined by the individual company. On average the cost for the factoring companies services is a monthly management fee of 0.5% to 2% of the totaled invoices and a discount charge which is similar to loan interest, this charge ranges from 1.5% to 3% and is calculated daily being applied to the principle balance monthly. For non-recourse factoring the company often has credit protection charges range from 05% to 2%. Some factoring companies also have other hidden fees, this is why it is extremely important to read through the terms and conditions carefully.
Accounts receivable factoring companies often require a 3 month notice of cancellation of their services by the business owner. Dropping the services without warning can result in unwanted fees for the business owner.
How to get accounts receivable factoring
- Find a factoring company that offers these services
- Make sure your business meets the factoring companies requirements
- Submit your businesses information as well as your accounts receivable records
- Negotiate the terms and conditions, if possible
- Sign the contract and set up direct deposit of the funds into your business bank account
Tips when looking for accounts receivable factoring companies
- When looking into any type of business financing it is important to “shop around” to ensure that you are getting the best possible terms and conditions for your financing needs.
- Always negotiate the terms and conditions because there is always something lower than the sticker price.
- Be aware of their monthly management fee
- Discount charge should range from 1.5% to 3% of total invoices
- Look for any hidden fees
- Make sure to know of any cancellation fees to avoid unwanted fees
