Invoice finance can help businesses release cash tied up in unpaid invoices, improve working capital, and reduce the pressure caused by late paying customers.
The right provider depends on your size, sector, debtor book, funding requirement, and whether you want invoice factoring, invoice discounting, selective invoice finance, or a larger asset based lending facility.
Below is a practical comparison of 10 well-known UK invoice finance companies to help you make an informed decision.
Invoice finance allows a business to access money from unpaid customer invoices before the customer pays.
Instead of waiting 30, 60, or 90 days, the business can receive an agreed percentage of the invoice value upfront. The remaining balance is released when the customer pays, less fees and charges.
| Provider | Best suited for | Typical strengths |
|---|---|---|
| Lloyds Bank | Established SMEs and larger businesses | Bank backed facilities, invoice discounting, scale |
| Close Brothers | B2B SMEs and larger trading businesses | Flexible facilities, asset based lending |
| Bibby Financial Services | SMEs needing specialist invoice finance | Independent lender, broad sector experience |
| Skipton Business Finance | SMEs wanting straightforward factoring or discounting | Transparent facilities, bad debt protection options |
| Novuna Business Cash Flow | Businesses wanting guided options | Fast funding, lender comparison, expert support |
| Cynergy Business Finance | Growing SMEs needing asset based lending | Relationship led funding, structured facilities |
| Metro Bank | SMEs wanting factoring support | Invoice finance with credit control support |
| Growth Lending | High growth businesses and scale ups | Larger facilities, selective invoice finance |
| Kriya | Digital first SMEs and B2B businesses | Flexible working capital products |
| TRIVER | Small businesses wanting fast funding | Digital application, simple invoice advances |
Lloyds Bank is one of the best-known names in UK business finance and offers invoice finance solutions for businesses looking to release cash from unpaid invoices.
Lloyds Bank may suit established businesses that want a bank backed invoice finance facility and have a strong debtor book. It is particularly relevant for companies that want invoice discounting, confidentiality, and a facility that can grow as sales increase.
Lloyds is likely to be more suitable for businesses with a solid trading history and good quality customer invoices. Smaller businesses or companies needing more flexible factoring support may want to compare specialist lenders as well.
Close Brothers is a long established invoice finance and asset based lending provider, working with B2B businesses across the UK.
Close Brothers may suit businesses that need more than a simple invoice finance facility. It can be a strong option for companies looking at invoice discounting, factoring, asset based lending, growth funding, acquisitions, or more structured working capital support.
Close Brothers may be better suited to established businesses with meaningful turnover and good quality receivables.
Bibby Financial Services is one of the UK’s leading independent invoice finance specialists and works with thousands of businesses across different sectors.
Bibby may suit SMEs that want a specialist invoice finance provider rather than a high street bank. It can be relevant for businesses looking for invoice factoring, invoice discounting, export finance, bad debt protection, or sector specific support.
Bibby is a strong option for businesses that want invoice finance as a core funding solution, not just an add on banking product.
Skipton Business Finance provides invoice factoring and invoice discounting to UK businesses looking to improve cash flow and reduce the uncertainty caused by unpaid invoices.
Skipton may suit SMEs looking for a straightforward invoice finance provider with clear facility options. It can work well for companies that want either outsourced credit control through factoring or more confidential invoice discounting.
Skipton is worth considering where the business wants a focused invoice finance facility without needing a wider corporate banking relationship.
Novuna Business Cash Flow offers invoice finance solutions and also helps businesses compare funding options.
Novuna may suit businesses that are not completely sure which invoice finance structure they need. It can be useful for SMEs that want expert guidance, quick access to cash, and a provider that can look beyond one fixed product.
Novuna may be a good fit where the business wants support understanding the most suitable funding route before committing to a facility.
Cynergy Business Finance is the asset based lending arm of Cynergy Bank and provides funding for UK SMEs looking to scale and grow.
Cynergy may suit growing SMEs that need structured finance rather than a basic invoice factoring product. It can be relevant for companies with larger funding needs, asset backed requirements, or more complex working capital demands.
Cynergy is likely to be more relevant for established businesses with clear growth plans and suitable business assets or receivables.
Metro Bank offers invoice finance services for SMEs looking to improve cash flow by releasing money from unpaid invoices.
Metro Bank may suit SMEs that want invoice finance with support around credit control and customer collections. It can be relevant for businesses that prefer factoring style support rather than handling everything internally.
Metro Bank may be most suitable for businesses that want operational support as well as funding.
Growth Lending provides funding for ambitious SMEs and scale ups, including selective invoice finance and larger growth capital solutions.
Growth Lending may suit high growth businesses that need more flexible funding than a traditional invoice finance facility. It can be relevant for companies funding expansion, acquisitions, contract delivery, or large invoice based requirements.
Growth Lending is likely to be more relevant for businesses with clear growth momentum and meaningful funding requirements.
Kriya provides invoice finance, working capital loans, and B2B payment solutions for businesses that want a more digital approach to funding.
Kriya may suit SMEs and B2B businesses that want flexible, technology led invoice finance. It can be useful for businesses that want to bridge cash flow gaps, fund growth, or use invoice finance alongside other working capital products.
Kriya may be a good fit for businesses comfortable with a more digital funding experience.
TRIVER is a digital invoice finance provider focused on fast access to working capital for small businesses.
TRIVER may suit smaller businesses that want to turn individual invoices into cash quickly without going through a traditional bank process. It can be relevant for businesses that need simple, fast invoice funding on demand.
TRIVER may be best for businesses that want speed and simplicity rather than a large, complex invoice finance facility.
Before choosing an invoice finance provider, working with an invoice finance broker or comparing lenders directly, consider the following points:
The cheapest option is not always the best. The right facility is the one that fits your debtor book, customer payment terms, growth plans, and internal finance capability.
Invoice factoring is where the lender usually manages customer collections and credit control. This can be useful for smaller businesses or companies without a dedicated finance team.
Invoice discounting is usually more discreet. The business keeps control of customer collections while borrowing against unpaid invoices. This is often better suited to established businesses with strong internal credit control.
An invoice finance broker can help you compare lenders, understand facility structures, and avoid wasting time with providers that are unlikely to fund your type of business.
A broker can be especially useful where the case involves:
There is no single best invoice finance company for every business. Lloyds, Close Brothers, Bibby, Skipton, Novuna, Cynergy, Metro Bank, Growth Lending, Kriya, and TRIVER all serve different types of businesses. The best choice depends on your turnover, debtor book, sector, funding requirement, and whether you need factoring or discounting.
An invoice finance lender provides the funding directly. A broker compares multiple lenders and helps match your business with suitable providers.
No. Many growing businesses use invoice finance because sales growth can create cash flow pressure. More sales often means more invoices waiting to be paid, which can increase the need for working capital.
Some digital providers can move quickly, especially for straightforward cases. Larger or more complex facilities may take longer because the lender needs to assess the debtor book, contracts, trading history, and credit risk.
Some startups can use invoice finance if they raise valid B2B invoices to creditworthy customers. However, lender appetite varies, and newer businesses may have fewer options than established companies.
It depends on the type of facility. Invoice factoring is usually disclosed because the lender may contact customers for payment. Invoice discounting can be confidential, meaning customers may not know the facility exists.
Invoice finance is commonly used in recruitment, transport, manufacturing, wholesale, engineering, logistics, security, printing, food supply, and other B2B sectors with payment terms.
The UK invoice finance market includes banks, independent lenders, specialist funders, and digital providers.
For established businesses, Lloyds, Close Brothers, Bibby, Skipton, Novuna, Cynergy, and Metro Bank may be worth comparing.
For high growth or digital first businesses, Growth Lending, Kriya, and TRIVER may offer more flexible or faster options.
The best route is to compare providers based on your debtor book, funding requirement, sector, facility type, and total cost rather than choosing on brand name alone.
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