Accounts receivable financing, also known as AR financing, uses outstanding invoices from your clients as collateral, similar to a traditional secured loan. AR financing is more flexible than a traditional loan since the creditworthiness of your clients is the deciding factor rather than your own.
This guide covers how accounts receivable financing works, so you can determine if AR financing is the right solution for your company’s cash flow needs.
Types of Accounts Receivable Financing
Invoice Factoring
Accounts receivable factoring, also known as invoice factoring, differs from other types of business financing for one main reason: With AR financing, businesses can get funding based on the value of their outstanding invoices, rather than relying on traditional forms of collateral such as real estate or equipment.
How Accounts Receivable Financing Works
- The business sells their outstanding invoices to an AR financing company and gets 85-90% of the invoice value (usually within 24 hours).
- The financing company collects the outstanding payments from customers on behalf of the business.
- Once the customers have paid the factoring company, the business owner receives the remaining balance of the invoices minus the factoring company’s fee.
Rather than opening a line of credit with a financing company, that will then be paid back by your company over a set period of time, AR factoring companies will buy your clients’ invoice from you directly, give you a certain percentage of the invoice upfront, and then have the client pay the invoice back to the financing company.
For more information on how invoice factoring works, and if it may be right for your company, check out our guide on the Best Invoice Factoring Companies.
AR Financing Loans
AR financing loans are more akin to traditional lending than invoice factoring is, but still has some key differences.
The main difference is that your client’s unpaid invoice acts as collateral for a loan. While you’re still on the hook to make the payments, you can generally find more favorable terms than with an unsecured business loan at a commercial bank, since there is a far higher chance of you being able to pay back the loan on time.
Another difference is how the underwriting process works. For traditional bank loans, the financier will mainly look at your company’s debt-to-income ratio and credit score, particularly your payment history, to judge your creditworthiness. With accounts receivable loans, the financing company is more interested in the value of the invoice and the creditworthiness of your client, since the invoice is the collateral.
AR loans are also usually not counted as debt, so they won’t show up on your balance sheet, or affect any other loans you may be considering.
AR loans are generally very flexible about how you use the funds. However, many companies do have restrictions on using AR loans as a refinance option to pay off other loans.
AR financing companies also prefer newer invoices, since older invoices (for example, invoices that have been outstanding for 90 days) are more likely to be forgotten and go unpaid by clients, and many financing companies consider them to be in default. Some factoring companies have a limit of the payment terms of the invoice itself to limit the risk of the loan going into default, usually asking they be capped at net 60.
Best AR Financing Companies
| Factoring Company | What We Like |
|---|---|
| Riviera Finance | Friendliest customer service and true non-recourse |
| OTR Solutions | Best for freight factoring |
| altLINE | Low rates |
| eCapital | Quickest funding |
| SMB Compass | Variety of funding options |
| Porter Freight Funding | High advance rate |
| Factor Funding Co. | Caters to women- and minority-owned businesses |
Receivables Financing Qualifications
Every AR financing company will have different minimum funding requirements, but in general, the financing company will want to see that you (and your client, if you’re considering AR factoring) can be trusted to pay back the loan. On the whole, since this financing has collateral, the barrier for entry is much lower than with traditional bank loans.
Many AR companies require your business to be in operation for a certain time period, usually between 3 months and 1 year, and to show that you have at least some history of revenue. Some companies may have minimum revenue requirements as well. If a company requires a minimum credit score, it’s usually only 500.
Some AR loan companies may decline your application if you have a recent history of bankruptcy or liens on your business.
AR Financing Considerations
There are a few factors to consider if you’re wondering whether receivables financing is right for your business.
Funding Speed
While no one wants to wait to get their money, some companies rely on fast and steady cash flow more than others. For example, trucking and transportation companies make up a large portion of receivables financers, since they need to maintain and fuel their vehicles, and make sure their drivers are promptly paid so that they can take care of their own needs while on the road. Sanitation and janitorial companies also tend to rely on AR financing, since they constantly need to restock supplies.
If you plan to use your advance payment to pay off another loan or debt, however, AR financing probably will not help you very much, and in fact many companies have restrictions on using AR financing services as a type of refinancing.
Short or Long Term Financing
While AR financing can be a great source of cash flow in the short term, it is not meant to be a long term financial fix.
AR financing works on the assumption that a payment is upcoming to your company in the very short term (within the next 90 days, generally), and that your clients can be relied upon to pay back your invoice within a reasonable amount of time.
If your cash flow issues are coming from consistently low sales or clients who are habitually late with payments, AR financing could actually be more of a hindrance to your company than a help, especially if it forces you to default on an AR loan.
Client Reliability
One of the great things about AR financing is that your company’s creditworthiness is far less important than your clients’ in most cases. However, that also means that you have to be able to trust that your clients will in fact fulfill their invoices, so that you don’t face any chargebacks.
If you’re considering AR financing because of a customer who is consistently late on or missing payments, you may find yourself in more trouble rather than less, since financing companies will seize part of or even all of your invoice if the payments are not fulfilled.
If inconsistent payments are a recurring issue, you may want to consider changing the terms of the contract with your client or dropping them altogether, rather than apply for accounts receivable financing.
Final Thoughts on AR Financing
AR financing can be a great solution for your business if you’re strapped for cash. With its low barrier of entry, lightning fast funding times, and generally low rates, accounts receivable financing has remained a popular business solution for a reason.
Many business owners find peace of mind knowing they can access capital, if they need to.
