Written by Lucas Pistilli Reviewed by Tatiana Lebreton Updated on 19 December 2024 On this page What Is an Invoice Financing Company? The Best Invoice Financing Companies: Overview 1. Kriya 2. Growth Lending 3. Skipton Business Finance 4. Metro Bank 5. RBS FacFlow 6. Bibby Financial Services 7. Sonovate 8. Aldermore Invoice Finance 9. Close Brothers Invoice Finance Invoice Financing vs Invoice Discounting vs Invoice Factoring How Much Does Invoice Financing Cost? Invoice Financing Eligibility Criteria Will Customers Know I’m Using an Invoice Financing Company? Expand Our site is reader-supported – by clicking our links, we can match you with a potential supplier, and we may earn a small commission for this referral. For businesses that require a quick cash injection, invoice financing is a long-standing method for getting access to funds before customers pay an invoice.According to our research, Kriya is the top invoice financing company in the UK for 2025. Its straightforward, user-friendly approach, coupled with its solid customer support, is what sets it apart from the competition.It’s not the only player on the market, and if you don’t meet Kriya’s eligibility requirements, you might meet the requirements of one of the eight other providers that made our list. Which are the top invoice financing companies in the UK? 1. Kriya – Best for its straightforward, user-friendly approach2. Growth Lending – Best for international companies3. Skipton Business Finance – Best for its interest-free invoice finances4. Metro Bank – Best for its zero cancellation penalties5. RBS FacFlow – Best for its dedicated, high-quality customer support6. Bibby Financial Services – Best for unlocking 100% of your invoice’s value7. Sonovate – Best for recruitment agencies8. Aldermore Invoice Finance – Best for its range of flexible, industry-specific funding options9. Close Brothers Invoice Finance – Best for medium-sized to large businessesThese are the providers we recommend based on our research. Click on any of the links above to be taken to our quote-finding tool, and receive tailored quotes from providers.Read on to find out more in our deep-dive, or use our free quotes tool to receive obligation-free invoice financing quotes that are tailored to the needs of your business.Using the information provided, such as your business’s annual turnover, industry, and how long you’ve been trading for, you’ll be paired with one or more of the UK’s leading invoice finance suppliers. They will then be in touch with quotes and advice that is completely tailored to your business. What Is an Invoice Financing Company?Invoice financing allows a business to use its invoices as collateral to borrow money from an invoice financing company.Essentially, you can sell your unpaid invoices to a third party (the invoice financing company), who’ll typically give you 90% of the value of the invoice, either instantly or within 24 hours. You pay this back to the invoice financing company when your debtors eventually pay their invoice.An invoice financing company will offer two types of service:Invoice financing means a business maintains full control over its sales ledger, still issuing and collecting payment. It sends its unpaid invoices on to the invoice financing company who pay out 90% of the invoice value, less the agreed service fee.Invoice factoring involves the invoice financing company taking control over a business’s whole sales ledger and taking care of collection of the unpaid invoices. Similarly, it will pay out 90% of the invoice’s value, usually within 24 hours.However, bear in mind that service fees and costs can add up over time, and a lot of financing companies require a high turnover and excellent credit rating from a business. Most invoice financing companies also only service the B2B sector.To give you a better understanding of how invoice financing works, we’ve created an easy-to-follow graphic to illustrate the process: The Best Invoice Financing Companies: OverviewHere’s a quick overview of the best UK invoice financing companies: Swipe right to see more 0 out of 0 backward forward Kriya Growth Lending Skipton Business Finance Metro Bank RBS FacFlow Bibby Financial Services Sonovate Aldermore Invoice Finance Close Brothers Invoice Finance Best For Best for its straightforward, user-friendly approach Best For Best for international businesses Best For Best for its interest-free invoice finance Best For Best for its zero cancellation penalties Best For Best for its dedicated, high-quality customer support Best For Best for unlocking 100% of your invoice’s value Best For Best for recruitment agencies Best For Best for its range of flexible, industry-specific funding options Best For Best for medium-sized to large businesses Advance Rate Up to 90% Advance Rate Up to 90% Advance Rate Up to 90% Advance Rate Up to 90% Advance Rate Up to 90% Advance Rate Up to 100% Advance Rate Up to 100% Advance Rate Up to 90% Advance Rate Up to 90% Service Fee Custom Service Fee Custom Service Fee Custom Service Fee Custom Service Fee Custom Service Fee Custom Service Fee Custom Service Fee Custom Service Fee Custom Compare quotes from leading UK invoice finance providers and save Does your business already utilise invoice finance? Yes No It only takes 30 seconds... 1. KriyaBest for its straightforward, user-friendly approach Kriya Service fee Custom Get free quotes Quick overview Kriya (formerly MarketFinance) has funded almost £3 billion in invoice finance and loans since it launched 13 years ago. As well as partnering with Barclays to provide the bank’s customers with fast, flexible funding, Kriya is backed by some of the industry’s biggest players such as Santander and British Business Bank.The fintech upstart is highly trusted by its customers who value its straightforward, user-friendly approach. It currently scores a respectable 4.2/5 on Trustpilot. Read more + Read less - Strengths Highly rated by its customers Back office platform is easy to use Relatively low prerequisites in terms of your annual turnover and trading history Good customer support Weaknesses Confidential invoice discounting is only available if you use one of Kriya's supported accountancy software packages Kriya’s pricing at a glance:Advance rate: Up to 90%Discount fee: CustomService fee: Custom (around 2%)What we like about KriyaKriya offers selective invoice finance, which is a solution that allows you to receive funding on just one invoice rather than your whole ledger. Entirely confidential invoice discounting is also available, though the eligibility criteria is stringent, typically requiring businesses to have a higher turnover.Unlike many of the other invoice finance providers on this list, Kriya doesn’t offer invoice factoring, just discounting. It does offer confidential credit control as an add-on, but this is provided by a third-party company, Veritas Commercial Services. Utilising this add-on increases your fees, but loosens the prerequisites in terms of your turnover and trading history.Bad debt protection (credit insurance) is also available as an add-on for an extra cost and is supplied by another third-party provider, Euler Hermes.Lastly, regardless of the facility you select, you must be registered as an LLP within the UK or Ireland.Kriya: Key factsEligibility criteria: Exact criteria not specified, contact for detailsApplication process: Online application and 30-minute demoSpeed of decision: Under 24 hours Did You Know? While Kriya still offers invoice financing, it’s been focused on developing its buy-now-pay-later service for the past few years. This allows customers to pay later or in instalments while allowing businesses to receive funds immediately. It’s a similar scheme to those offered by Klarna and ClearPay. 2. Growth LendingBest for international companies Growth Lending Service fee Custom Get free quotes Quick overview Growth Lending is a London-based invoice finance firm established in 2011 that offers flexible financing options. With selective invoice finance and flexible invoice discounting facilities available for businesses based in the UK, US, and Germany, Growth Lending specialises in some of the most versatile forms of invoice finance around. Read more + Read less - Strengths Bespoke rates Industry-specific options available for suppliers A range of online articles help to demystify some of the more complex invoice finance jargon floating around Weaknesses Unless you request a quote directly, it’s tough to get even a ballpark idea of what you can expect to pay Growth Lending’s pricing at a glance:Advance rate: Up to 90%Service fees: CustomWhat we like about Growth LendingIf your business’s cash flow needs are short-term, and you want a contact-free, ad hoc approach to releasing value from your invoices, Growth Lending’s selective invoice finance should be your first port of call.Alternatively, if you require regular access to funding, Growth Lending’s flexible invoice discounting facility will be a better option. It’ll allow you to unlock funds either from the entirety of your sales ledger, or just a hand-picked selection of debtors.Growth Lending also provides financing arrangements that are specifically tailored to growing businesses, offering up to £10m to your venture.Growth lending: Key factsEligibility criteria: Must be registered in the UK, US, Singapore or a Benelux country, and provide B2B services AND your debtors must be registered in an OECD countryApplication process: Online applicationSpeed of decision: Not stated Did You Know? Growth Lending has funded well over £650m in invoices to date, boosting the growth of over 130 companies. 3. Skipton Business FinanceBest for interest-free invoice finance Skipton Business Finance Service fee Custom Get free quotes Quick overview Yorkshire-based Skipton Business Finance specialises in providing invoice finance to small, scaling UK businesses. With a range of disclosed, recourse, and CHOCS (Client Handles Own Collections) factoring options, Skipton is an impressively versatile invoice finance provider, packing plenty of invoice discounting choices – including those of the confidential, disclosed, and recourse varieties. Read more + Read less - Strengths Suitable for small businesses One of the few invoice financing companies to offer interest-free funding Fast finance No setup fees Weaknesses No Trustpilot reviews despite the company having a profile there Skipton Business Finance’s pricing at a glance:Advance rate: Up to 90%Discount fee: CustomService fee: CustomWhat we like about Skipton Business FinanceWith Skipton Business Finance, you’ll be eligible for finance against your invoices as soon as you submit them. It also promises to transfer the funds within 24 hours. You’ll receive up to 90% of the invoice’s value in a quick cash injection, and the company will advance anywhere between £25,000 and £5 million in funds.Unlike several of the other invoice finance providers listed here, Skipton Business Finance also offers invoice factoring that’s entirely interest-free. You won’t pay any setup fees either, and it’s also available to new businesses – a rarity for many lenders.As a Skipton invoice finance customer, you’ll also get access to a relationship manager, who’ll walk you through your bespoke package and answer any questions you may have.As part of its invoice discounting service, Skipton offers a confidential solution called Confidential Invoice Discounting. In essence, it handles all the admin and hassle that comes with chasing clients (as a factoring service does) but, like a discounting facility, comes with all the benefits of a confidential facility.Skipton Business Finance: Key factsEligibility criteria: You have a trading business with a turnover over £250,000 AND you sell to B2B (business to business) not B2C (business to consumer), on credit termsApplication process: TelephoneSpeed of decision: Not stated 4. Metro BankBest for its zero cancellation penalties Metro Bank Service fee Custom Get free quotes Quick overview Utilise Metro Bank’s invoice finance for a speedy, scalable form of funding. With Metro Bank, you can unlock up to 90% of the value of your unpaid invoices, with finance available within 24 hours. Read more + Read less - Strengths Flexible contract terms No cancellation fees Funding within a day Simple pricing Weaknesses Upper limits on the funding you can access are more restrictive than those of other invoice finance providers here Metro Bank’s pricing at a glance:Advance rate: Up to 90%Service fee: CustomWhat we like about Metro BankMetro Bank offers three main invoice finance facilities: factoring, discounting, and a funding line dubbed “small business offering”. This last one is ideal if your enterprise is in the early stages of its growth as it comes with just a single, transparent cost. There are no discount fees and Metro Bank also does away with the setup charge, and scraps any minimum costs going forward – all of which make Metro Bank one of the best invoice financing providers for small businesses.With Metro Bank’s small business-oriented invoice finance solution, you can access a funding line of up to £100,000.What we love most about Metro Bank’s approach is its surprisingly forgiving cancellation policy. In contrast to many other invoice finance providers we reviewed, which can be quick to penalise any attempt to leave a contract early, Metro Bank charges no cancellation fees. Instead it requires 28 days notice.It’s also noteworthy that, with dedicated invoice finance teams based in Basildon, Guildford, and Sheffield, Metro Bank offers some solid in-person, email, and phone-based support, too.Metro Bank: Key factsEligibility criteria: Not statedApplication process: Online and telephone applicationSpeed of decision: Under 24 hours 5. RBS FacFlowBest for its dedicated, high-quality customer support RBS FacFlow Service fee Custom Get free quotes Quick overview With a history stretching back almost 300 years, few invoice finance providers in the UK can match the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) for experience. FacFlow – the bank’s branded invoice finance facility – offers extensive discounting and factoring services. You will be assigned a dedicated relationship manager, who may rigorously check up on your ability to pay fully – and on time! Read more + Read less - Strengths Comes with the backing of a renowned high street bank Excellent customer support, with a wealth of online help resources User-friendly back office portal makes it simple to view the status of your application and funding Weaknesses Quite a high annual turnover is required to access RBS’s invoice discounting facility RBS FacFlow’s pricing at a glance:Advance rate: Up to 90%Discount fee: CustomService fee: CustomWhat we like about RBS FacFlowRBS FacFlow impressed us with its excellent customer service. In addition to an abundant supply of online resources and robust phone and email-based support, RBS also has an array of branches that you can visit for expert invoice financial advice.Similar to many other invoice finance providers in the UK, RBS promises to release up to 90% of the value of what you’re owed in as little as 24 hours. It requires a minimum annual turnover of £300,000.RBS also offers a separate product – asset-based lending. As the name suggests, this service allows you to release cash from your business’s existing assets rather than your invoices. As the prerequisite of a £6.5 million annual turnover suggests, it’s best suited to larger businesses – particularly those looking to free up cash flow for an acquisition or rapid growth.As the table shows, RBS’s invoice discounting service is the most accessible, particularly for businesses with a smaller turnover. However, these thresholds are still higher than the £250,000 turnover prerequisite Skipton demands.RBS FacFlow: Key factsEligibility criteria: Minimum turnover of £300,000Application process: Online applicationSpeed of decision: Under 24 hours Compare quotes from leading UK invoice finance providers and save Does your business already utilise invoice finance? Yes No It takes just 30 seconds... 6. Bibby Financial ServicesBest for unlocking 100% of your invoice’s value Bibby Financial Services Service fee Custom Get free quotes Quick overview Bibby Financial Services is a global invoice finance provider with a client base of 7,000 businesses and a trophy cabinet of awards to its name. Bibby Financial Services recently won the coveted “Best Factor and Invoice Discounter” gong at the National Association of Commercial Finance Brokers Awards, too, and it consistently ranks among The Sunday Times’ list of the 100 best companies to work for. But more importantly for you, Bibby Financial Services also specialises in providing tailored invoice finance solutions to a wide range of UK businesses. Read more + Read less - Strengths Rolling 28-day contracts Simple bundled fees allow you to manage your budget with ease With an ‘Excellent’ Trustpilot score of 4.8/5 from over 900 reviews, Bibby is highly rated online Zero setup costs Weaknesses Bibby’s back office portal is a little clunky and outdated Bibby Financial Services’ pricing at a glance:Advance rate: Up to 100%Discount fee: CustomService fee: CustomWhat we like about Bibby Financial ServicesBibby Financial Services offers a wide range of invoice finance products, including invoice factoring, invoice discounting, construction finance, recruitment finance, and export finance.Bibby also offers an invoice finance package that’s tailored to the needs and pain points of small businesses. It’s called Forward Finance and it’s available for business owners with a turnover of less than £300,000 per year.If you opt for this package, you’ll be able to release up to 90% of your invoice’s value within 24 hours. You’ll also enjoy a £50,000 pre-approved funding limit, zero setup fees, the option to add protection from bad debt, and you can request an additional credit management service.Selecting Bibby’s factoring and discounting services – or its solution for recruitment agencies – will mean you can unlock up to 100% of your invoice’s value.Bibby Financial Services: Key factsEligibility criteria: SMEs with £300,000 turnoverApplication process: Online and telephone applicationSpeed of decision: Not stated 7. SonovateBest for recruitment agencies Sonovate Service fee Custom Get free quotes Quick overview Founded in 2013, Sonovate is an invoice financing company tailored to recruitment agencies. With Sonovate, you’ll get zero setup fees, no personal guarantee, no debenture, no reserves, no all-turnover agreement, and no additional fees. Read more + Read less - Strengths Slick mobile app for Android and iOS Top-notch customer support Flexible concentration limits Optional accounting service Refreshingly free of limitations Weaknesses If you’re not in the recruitment business, there are better invoice finance solutions elsewhere Permanent funding is only available for larger businesses Sonovate’s pricing at a glance:Advance rate: Up to 100%What we like about SonovateSonovate is among our top invoice finance picks for recruitment agencies because of the solutions it packs for this particular industry.With Sonovate, you can release up to 100% of your invoice’s value within a day. Its customer support is top-notch, and – unlike most other invoice finance provider we’ve found – bad debt protection is included as standard (it usually costs extra).Sonovate also boasts the slickest, user-friendly back office app we’ve come across in our invoice financing research. Colourful and very intuitive, you can use it to check in on the status of your funding, 24/7.Finally, it has an excellent Trustpilot score of 4.7/5 (from just over 200 reviews), with many users praising its onboarding process and customer service.Sonovate: Key factsEligibility criteria: Minimum turnover not stated, aimed at recruitment agencies and consultanciesApplication process: Online applicationSpeed of decision: Under 24 hours 8. Aldermore Invoice FinanceBest for its range of flexible, industry-specific funding options Aldermore Invoice Finance Service fee Custom Get free quotes Quick overview Founded 14 years ago, Aldermore is a Reading-based retail bank that provides financial services to small and medium-sized businesses. If you opt for its invoice financing services, you’ll pay no setup fee and enjoy a six-month contract-free period, as well as benefiting from a simple, speedy onboarding process. Read more + Read less - Strengths Comes with a dedicated relationship manager to provide customer support Bad debt protection available ‘Excellent’ Trustpilot rating of 4.6/5 from over 5,100 reviews High upper funding limits Weaknesses Not the cheapest invoice finance solution around Aldermore Invoice Finance’s pricing at a glance:Advance rate: Up to 90%What we like Aldermore Invoice FinanceAldermore offers both invoice factoring and discounting facilities, as well as an asset-based lending service for larger enterprises. You can expect to receive up to 90% of your ledger’s value paid out in a quick cash injection within 24 hours.There’s also a range of industry-specific funding options on offer, including trade finance, contract finance, and invoice finance for construction businesses.Aldermore’s funding limits are between £100,000 and £1 million. Your business will need to have an annual turnover of at least £750,000 to be eligible for Aldermore’s invoice factoring and discounting funding solutions.Aldermore Income Finance: Key factsEligibility criteria: SMEs with a turnover of £500k to £750kApplication process: TelephoneSpeed of decision: A few days or weeks, depending on requirements 9. Close Brothers Invoice FinanceBest for medium-sized to large businesses Close Brothers Service fee Custom Get free quotes Quick overview Close Brothers is a UK-based invoice finance provider catering to medium-sized and large businesses. When you apply for invoice finance, Close Brothers looks at your business as a whole – not just at your balance sheet. Taking into account factors such as your business’s potential and objectives (not just your industry and turnover), Close Brothers will provide you with a bespoke invoice finance package to help your operations scale. Read more + Read less - Strengths Award-winning back office platform ‘IDeal’ is easy to get to grips with and use Pays out within a day Invoice finance calculator lets you see how much cash you could release from your unpaid invoices Weaknesses Average Trustpilot rating High annual turnover required to be eligible Not ideal for smaller businesses Close Brothers Invoice Finance’s pricing at a glance:Advance rate: Up to 90%Discount fee: CustomService fee: CustomWhat we like about Close Brothers Invoice FinanceClose Brothers offers a dedicated client manager who will liaise with you regularly to ensure you’re getting the most out of the relationship, as well as resolve any issues that may pop up along the way.In addition to other asset-based forms of finance, Close Brothers also offers an invoice discounting facility. Here, the requirements for businesses are a bit more stringent – you’ll require an annual turnover of at least £750,000 to be considered.Bad debt protection is available for a fee, and – as with most of the UK invoice finance providers that made the list – your funds typically arrive within a day.You’ll also be able to access funding 24/7 via ‘IDeal’. It’s a cloud-based platform that integrates with most accounting software packages on the market, saving you time, money, and hassle by automatically reconciling your invoice payments.Close Brothers: Key factsEligibility criteria:Minimum turnover of £750kApplication process: TelephoneSpeed of decision: Not stated Compare quotes from leading UK invoice finance providers and save Does your business already utilise invoice finance? Yes No It takes just 30 seconds... What Is the Difference Between Invoice Financing, Invoice Discounting, and Invoice Factoring?Invoice financing is an umbrella term, typically describing two types of financing models: invoice factoring and invoice discounting.While both facilities are means of securing credit against your unpaid invoices, there are a couple of key differences between them, and we’ll give you a hint as to the biggest: credit control.Invoice factoringInvoice factoring is when your financing company purchases your invoices outright.Due to the nature of this agreement, the lender effectively ‘owns’ your ledger and it allows them to deal with your clients directly. This means the lender is legally entitled to chase your clients up for payment, as well as handle the credit control of your business.Invoice factoring may also be recourse or non-recourse. Non-recourse agreements (also known as a form of bad debt protection) mean that, in the event that your customer is unable to pay (for instance, they become insolvent or declare bankruptcy), you won’t be eligible for paying back the loan.Again, this is only possible in a factoring agreement because the lender has ‘bought’ your invoices from you. In other words, the responsibility for its ultimate repayment lies with them, not you. However, in an invoice discounting agreement, the finance provided against your invoice is only ever a loan. This means it always needs to be paid back.Invoice discountingIf you want to ensure your customers do not know that you’re utilising third-party finance, you should opt for an invoice discounting facility.Invoice discounting agreements allow you to retain the responsibility of chasing your unpaid invoices and to keep a tighter leash on your business’ sales ledger. It’s also cheaper than factoring because you’re not paying for the additional credit control services that those companies provide.With invoice discounting, your customer will continue to pay you directly. Conversely, if you’re using a factoring company, your client will pay directly to the lender, and you’ll receive the remainder of the invoice’s value (minus the fees, of course) from the invoice provider themselves. How Much Does Invoice Financing Cost?Invoice financing costs are highly variable, and depend on your lender, your risk, your turnover, and your invoices.When it comes to invoice factoring, there are two central charges to consider:The discount fee (0.5% to 5%): This is usually a percentage of the invoice you’re seeking funding for. The higher the value of the invoice you’re applying for finance for, the lower this fee will typically be, so it’s almost always better value to release funds from bigger invoices.The service fee (0.75% to 2.5%): This is a regular administration fee charged on a monthly or weekly basis by many (but not all) providers. Rather than being calculated against the value of your invoices, this cost is worked out as a percentage of your business’s annual turnover.For discounting agreements, you can expect to pay in the region of 0.2% to 0.5%. This is cheaper than their factoring counterparts.You’ll also have to shell out extra for any add-on services that aren’t included with the facility as standard. The most common of these is the charge for bad debt protection (or a non-recourse agreement), which safeguards you from having to foot the bill should one of your debtors go bust.Bad debt protection will normally cost you between 0.5% and 2% of your annual turnover. Invoice Financing Eligibility CriteriaBusinesses that are eligible for invoice financing are those with a business-to-business (B2B) service model. In other words, your customers must be other businesses.Previously, invoice finance was only available to large, well-established businesses. Now, there’s a host of suppliers catering specifically to small businesses and startups.There’s also usually a requirement concerning your annual turnover – and even the least stringent of these typically comes to at least £50,000 per year.Skipton Business Finance is an example of a company that sports excellent deals for small businesses seeking fast, flexible (and, in some cases, interest-free) invoice finance.Other factors an invoice financing company may consider – and which may affect your eligibility for credit – involve your customer base and its creditworthiness. For instance, you may find it more difficult to be approved if you’re over-reliant on a single client. You’re also likely to struggle with eligibility for invoice finance if your customers aren’t considered by a lender to be trustworthy. Will Customers Know I’m Using an Invoice Financing Company?Your customers don’t have to know that you’re using invoice financing.The best factoring companies – such as Skipton Business Finance – offer a completely confidential service and will chase payment under your company name and branding.Plus, while credit control is a key function of invoice factoring, it doesn’t have to be so with invoice discounting. Some invoice finance solutions won’t come with a credit control service at all. This means you’re free to chase your own invoices and retain autonomy over your hard-won customer relationships.If keeping factoring a secret from customers is important to you, be sure to mention this early on in your negotiations with providers. Written by: Lucas Pistilli Business Services Expert Lucas is a Brazilian-born journalist and Expert Market’s go-to writer for all things EPOS systems, merchant accounts, and franking machines. Having covered business, politics and technology for many years, he’s driven by his passion for the written word and his goal to help people make well-informed decisions. Reviewed by: Tatiana Lebreton Senior Grow Online & Business Software Expert Tatiana is Expert Market's resident payments and online growth expert, specialising in (E)POS and merchant accounts, as well as website builders.