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What Is Accounts Receivable Factoring?

Accounts receivable factoring (also called AR factoring) is a financing method where a business sells its outstanding accounts receivable — unpaid customer invoices — to a third-party finance company called a factor. In exchange, the business receives an immediate cash advance based on the value of those invoices.

The factoring company then takes on the responsibility of collecting payment from your customers when the invoices fall due.

How Accounts Receivable Factoring Works

  1. You complete work and issue invoices to your business customers.
  2. You assign the invoices to a factoring company, which advances you 70–90% of their value.
  3. The factoring company manages collections — contacting your customers and collecting payment.
  4. Once paid, the factoring company releases the remaining balance minus their fee.

What Is Included in Accounts Receivable?

Accounts receivable refers to money owed to your business by customers for goods or services already delivered but not yet paid for. In a factoring arrangement, only B2B (business-to-business) invoices are eligible — consumer invoices are typically excluded.

Benefits of AR Factoring

  • Converts outstanding receivables into immediate working capital
  • Does not require property or asset security
  • Approval based on your customers' creditworthiness
  • Offloads collections management to the factor

Drawbacks of AR Factoring

  • Your customers are notified and contacted by the factoring company
  • Usually requires whole-ledger assignment
  • Complex fee structures and lock-in contracts are common
  • Can be expensive for smaller invoice volumes

Accounts Receivable Factoring vs. Fundtap

Fundtap is an on-demand invoice finance platform that serves the same purpose as AR factoring — turning your unpaid invoices into working capital — but without the drawbacks. There are no customer notifications, no whole-ledger requirements, no lock-in contracts, and funds arrive within hours. You pay a single transparent fee from 4%.

How Fundtap works →

What is accounts receivable factoring?

Accounts receivable factoring is when a business sells its outstanding B2B invoices to a finance company for an immediate cash advance. The finance company then collects payment from the customers.

What is the difference between accounts receivable factoring and a bank loan?

AR factoring is not a loan. You are selling invoices you have already earned. This means no debt is added to your balance sheet, and approval is based on your customers' creditworthiness rather than your credit history.

Will AR factoring affect my customer relationships?

Traditional AR factoring does involve your customers being contacted by the factoring company, which some customers may find unexpected. Fundtap is fully confidential — your customers never know.

What types of invoices qualify for accounts receivable factoring?

Only B2B (business-to-business) invoices typically qualify. The customer must be a creditworthy business, and the goods or services must already have been delivered.

How quickly can I access cash through AR factoring?

Traditional AR factoring typically takes 1–3 business days. Fundtap deposits funds within hours of selecting your invoices.

FundTap provides invoice finance for small businesses in Australia and New Zealand. Australia: +61 1800 595 505 New Zealand: +64 800 88 33 55 Email: info@fundtap.co Address: 255 Hardy Street, Nelson 7010, New Zealand ABN: 47914654579 NZBN: 9429031726887