A commercial painter in the lower North Island: a busy year on long terms

Painting for commercial clients

The business paints commercial buildings in the lower North Island. The customers are businesses, and businesses set the terms.

On commercial work those terms are long. The invoice goes out when the job’s finished, and the money arrives close to two months later.

Done, invoiced, and still waiting

A painting job is paid for up front. The paint, the gear and the hours all go in before the first coat, and the client’s money is close to two months out.

At sign-up in November 2024, the owner told the FundTap team the commercial jobs paid on long terms and they wanted paying sooner.

Every finished job adds to the pile waiting on a client’s date. The more commercial work the business takes on, the more of its money is out on those terms.

Funding the slow commercial invoices

They signed up in November 2024 and funded two invoices that month. Their funding limit was raised in the same month, and again in April 2025.

At sign-up, the owner had told the FundTap team they wanted something to use only when a job called for it.

So that’s how it runs. A commercial job finishes, the invoice goes out on long terms, and the owner decides whether that one needs funding. The fee shows first, and the client still pays the business on the terms it set.

More commercial work on the books

By early 2026 the commercial work had built up, with a run of jobs finished and invoiced at once.

In February 2026, the owner asked the FundTap team for a higher funding limit to cover that run of invoices.

Their funding limit went up in March 2026, their busiest month so far with three invoices funded. They funded 15 invoices in 2026 to September, up from five in 2025. Taking on more commercial work without carrying every invoice for two months is what it has let them do.

Some invoices run their course

Not every job gets funded. Some invoices run their full terms, and a month where every invoice runs its course costs the business nothing.

In September 2026 they funded three more. The commercial jobs keep paying on long terms, and the owner keeps choosing which ones to fund.

In a public review, the owner said getting set up was straightforward.

The timeline

1. November 2024 Signed up with commercial jobs paying on long terms, and funded the first two invoices.
2. November 2024 Funding limit raised for the first time.
3. April 2025 Funding limit raised again.
4. February 2026 Asked the FundTap team for a higher funding limit, with a run of commercial invoices to fund.
5. March 2026 Funding limit raised a third time, in their busiest month so far with three invoices funded.
6. September 2026 Funded three more commercial invoices, the latest in the records.

In numbers

• 60 days from the invoice before the commercial clients pay
• 24 invoices funded since November 2024, only the jobs that needed it
• 3 increases to their funding limit, the latest in March 2026
• 15 invoices funded in 2026 to September, up from five in 2025

Sound like your business?

Commercial clients pay on their terms, and that can mean two months. Fund the one invoice that’s holding you up and let the others run their course.

Get paid now for work you’ve already done.

Invoice finance for construction and trades  •  All case studies