Invoice finance | Commercial landscaping
Commercial landscaping invoice finance for seasonal contracts
Invoice finance for commercial landscaping businesses with B2B contracts, seasonal cash flow, completion sign-off and public-sector payer considerations.
Definition
Invoice finance for commercial landscaping
Commercial landscaping businesses often have a strong order book but uneven cash flow. Work may be delivered in phases, signed off after completion, or billed to corporate and public-sector customers who pay on agreed terms rather than at the point the job is finished. Invoice finance can be used to release cash against eligible unpaid B2B invoices, helping a landscaping business manage wages, materials, plant hire and subcontractors while waiting for customers to pay. Ocean Capital Exchange is a commercial finance broker, not a lender, so the right structure depends on the invoices themselves, the debtor profile and the way your contracts are documented. This page explains how invoice finance may fit the realities of grounds maintenance, soft landscaping, hard landscaping support work and recurring estate contracts, and why the structure needs careful review before you rely on it.
Invoice finance is a form of receivables funding: a provider advances an agreed percentage of the value of eligible business-to-business invoices, then releases the remainder, less its charges, once the customer pays.
It is not a term loan with a fixed repayment schedule. The amount available moves with the sales ledger: as new eligible invoices are raised, more funding can become available; as customers pay, the advances are settled.
Providers typically focus on the creditworthiness of the customers paying your invoices, so your business's own credit profile may carry less weight. They still assess your business, invoice quality, payment history and customer concentration.
There are two main forms. In factoring, the provider normally manages the sales ledger and collects payment from customers. In invoice discounting, the business normally keeps its own credit control and customers pay into an account the provider controls.
At a glance
- Funded against
- Eligible, undisputed invoices raised to business customers
- Main forms
- Factoring and invoice discounting
- Advance rate
- Set by the provider for each facility; not a fixed percentage
- Charges
- Typically a service fee and a discount charge, plus any other fees in the contract
- Recourse
- Under most facilities the business remains responsible if a customer does not pay
- OCE’s role
- Introducer to third-party finance providers; not a lender
How invoice finance works for landscaping contracts
Invoice finance is built around eligible unpaid invoices raised on business customers or public-sector payers. Once a landscaping job has been completed to the point that an invoice is valid and acceptable to the funder, a provider may advance funding against it, subject to its own assessment. The lender is not buying the work itself, but assessing the receivable that arises from the completed and invoiced work. That is why the quality of the debtor, the wording of the contract, any retention terms and whether the invoice can be disputed all matter. If a job is still subject to practical sign-off or if the payer can withhold money because of defects or incomplete works, the invoice may not yet be suitable.
For commercial landscaping, the practical question is often whether the invoice represents a clean, enforceable receivable. Routine maintenance schedules, planting work, turfing, grounds care, winter gritting and one-off installation work can all be billed differently. Some invoices are straightforward recurring charges. Others depend on a site manager, a contract administrator or a public-sector process confirming completion. A broker like Ocean Capital Exchange helps position the application around the funding provider’s requirements, but it cannot turn an uncertain invoice into an eligible one. The final decision always depends on the provider’s review of the debtor, the contract and the credit profile of the receivable.
Factoring, discounting and spot factoring in practice
Factoring normally includes collections, so the funder takes a more active role in chasing payment from your customers. That can reduce the pressure on your internal team, but it also means your clients may be aware of the funding arrangement. Discounting normally leaves credit control with the business, so your own team keeps managing debtor relationships and reminders. This may suit a landscaping firm that already has a good collections process and wants to preserve the way it communicates with facilities managers, contractors or local authority contacts. The choice is operational as well as financial, because it changes who handles queries, reminders and payment chasing.
Spot factoring is different again because it concerns selected invoices rather than the whole sales ledger. That can be useful where only certain customer accounts, such as large B2B contracts or public-sector work, are suitable for review. It can also help where a business wants to fund a particular contract without bringing every customer into the arrangement. However, selecting individual invoices does not remove the need for eligibility checks. Debtor credit, disputes, invoice validity, contractual terms, set-off and any retention provisions still matter. A selective structure may be convenient, but it is still subject to the funder’s appetite for the particular invoice and payer.
What can make a landscaping invoice unsuitable
A landscaping invoice may be unsuitable where the work is still disputed, where the payer can offset another claim against it, or where the contract creates uncertainty about when payment becomes due. Retentions, snagging, certification, payment notices and approval steps can all delay or limit what is considered a properly receivable invoice. In some construction-linked landscaping jobs, an application for payment or a valuation is not automatically the same as an enforceable receivable. That distinction matters because invoice finance is based on eligible unpaid invoices, not on work that may be billed later or that is still subject to conditions being completed.
Funding providers will also look at debtor concentration and the nature of the payer base. A business that depends heavily on one or two major contracts, or on a public-sector payer with strict procedures, may need specialist review. A strong debtor does not automatically make the invoice eligible, and a smaller debtor is not automatically unsuitable. The key point is whether the invoice is valid, undisputed and within the type of receivable the provider accepts. Any charges, deductions or recourse terms in the funding agreement can affect the amount and risk profile, so the costs and the downside should be understood before any decision is made.
Suitability
Which businesses it tends to suit
Eligibility for invoice finance is usually assessed invoice by invoice and debtor by debtor. For commercial landscaping, the provider will want to understand who the payers are, whether they are businesses or public-sector bodies, how your contracts are signed off, whether any retention or set-off clauses apply, and whether the invoices are for completed and accepted work. A broker will normally ask for recent sales ledger information, customer concentration details, contract wording, aged debt information and a sense of how often disputes arise. Your own credit position matters, but it is not the only consideration. The condition and credit quality of the debtor, the validity of the invoice, and the funder’s appetite for the type of receivable can all affect the outcome. If your work includes construction-linked elements, specialist review is especially important because applications, valuations, certification and payment notices do not automatically create an enforceable receivable. Fees, notice requirements, recourse terms and any deductions should be understood before you proceed. Invoice finance is built around a sales ledger of business customers. Whether it fits depends less on your sector than on how you invoice and who owes you money.
Usually a fit
- Businesses that invoice other businesses on credit terms and regularly wait weeks or months to be paid.
- Growing businesses whose sales are rising faster than cash comes in, so working capital is stretched by success rather than by losses.
- Wholesalers, distributors, manufacturers, recruiters and service firms that must pay suppliers or staff before their customers settle.
- Businesses that would value help with collections, where factoring and an outsourced credit control function may be appropriate.
Usually not a fit
- Businesses selling mainly to consumers, or taking payment at the point of sale. There is no business receivable to fund.
- Pre-payments, deposits and invoices raised before goods or services have been delivered, which providers generally treat as ineligible.
- Ledgers with significant disputed, contra or long-overdue debts, which are usually excluded from the funding calculation.
- Ledgers heavily concentrated on one or two customers, unless a provider agrees a concentration limit that suits the business.
Process
How invoice finance works for commercial landscaping
For commercial landscaping, the process needs to reflect the business and its funding purpose. The mechanics vary between providers and between factoring and discounting, but the cycle for a single invoice usually follows these stages.
- 01
Invoice issued
You deliver goods or complete services and raise a valid invoice to your business customer in the normal way.
- 02
Provider checks eligibility
The invoice is notified to the provider, which checks it is eligible and that it sits within the customer’s credit limit and your overall funding limit.
- 03
Agreed advance paid
The provider pays you the agreed percentage of the invoice value. The balance, the retention, is held back until the customer pays.
- 04
Customer pays
Your customer pays into the agreed collection account, which is normally controlled by the provider. In factoring the provider chases payment; in discounting you usually do.
- 05
Reconciliation
The provider applies the payment against the advance and deducts its charges, such as the discount charge and service fee.
- 06
Balance released
The remaining balance is released to you. If the customer does not pay within the agreed period, a recourse facility can require you to repay the advance.
Protection against customer insolvency (bad debt protection) is not included by default. It is only available where a provider separately agrees it, usually for an additional charge and subject to limits.
Comparison
Factoring, invoice discounting and spot factoring
All three release cash against invoices. Spot factoring focuses on individual or selected invoices, rather than an ongoing ledger facility. Compare how each option handles collections, customer relationships and reporting.
| Factoring | Invoice discounting | Spot Factoring | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Invoices funded | An ongoing facility covering eligible invoices for the agreed customer or debtor book. | An ongoing facility against an agreed eligible sales ledger. | Individual or selected invoices considered separately, subject to the provider's approval. |
| Who collects payment | The provider normally manages the sales ledger and collects from customers. | The business normally keeps its own credit control and collections. | The provider usually collects payment for the selected financed invoices, under the agreed terms. |
| Customer awareness | Customers usually deal with the provider and will be aware of the arrangement. | Can be arranged on a confidential basis only where the provider agrees. Confidentiality is not automatic. | Customers are usually notified of the payment arrangements for the financed invoices. |
| Internal resource needed | Lower; useful where the business has no dedicated credit control. | Higher; the business needs reliable credit control and reporting. | The business manages the rest of its ledger; provider support applies to the financed invoices. |
| Reporting to provider | Provider sees the ledger directly as it manages it. | Regular ledger reports, reconciliations and periodic audits by the provider are common. | Invoice details, debtor information and supporting evidence are assessed for each selected invoice. Checks vary by provider. |
| Typical fit | Smaller or fast-growing businesses wanting collections support. | Established businesses with robust financial controls. | Businesses with occasional cash-flow gaps or larger invoices, rather than an ongoing ledger-funding need. |
In practice
Funding needs for commercial landscaping
These are some of the practical funding challenges to discuss when considering invoice finance.
- Seasonal work creates uneven working capital pressure
- Commercial landscaping often follows the growing season, site schedules and contract renewal cycles. A business may need to fund labour, fuel, materials, machinery servicing and subcontracted work before the related invoices are paid. Even when turnover is healthy across the year, cash can tighten when several projects complete at once and payment comes later. Invoice finance is designed to sit in that gap, but it only works on invoices that are eligible and accepted by a funding provider. It should be assessed against the timing of your work, the way jobs are signed off and whether the payer is a business or a public body rather than an individual self-funder.
- Completion sign-off can affect whether an invoice is fundable
- In landscaping, payment often depends on practical completion, snagging, certificates, or a supervisor signing off the work. That matters because an invoice is not always treated as a straightforward receivable just because the work is partly complete or has been submitted. If there are disputes, unresolved defects, withholding rights, or contractual conditions still to be met, a funder may regard the invoice as unsuitable until the position is clearer. For some contracts, the wording on acceptance, retention, and set-off is just as important as the amount on the invoice. This is particularly relevant where work is carried out on larger estates, commercial sites or public-sector premises.
- Different payers and invoice types need different treatment
- Commercial landscaping businesses may invoice managing agents, facilities teams, contractors, local authorities or other businesses. Those are very different from private homeowners who self-fund work. Invoice finance is generally centred on eligible unpaid B2B invoices, so the nature of the payer matters. Debtor credit, invoice validity, concentration of exposure and contract wording all influence whether a provider is interested. A strong customer may help, but applicant credit is not the only factor. One large public-sector debtor may also create concentration concerns if too much of the funding request depends on a single payer or contract arrangement.
A commercial landscaping company completes regular maintenance for a portfolio of business parks and public-sector sites. It finishes several jobs in a busy period, issues invoices after completion sign-off, and then waits for customers to pay on agreed terms. The business wants to review invoice finance so it can bridge the cash gap between paying staff and suppliers and receiving customer receipts. A broker can introduce funding options based on eligible unpaid B2B invoices, but a lender may offer an entirely different quote after reviewing the financials, debtor mix, contract wording and invoice quality. Depending on the structure, the business may keep credit control itself under discounting or have collections handled under factoring. The final outcome depends on whether the invoices are valid, undisputed and acceptable to the provider, and on whether any retention, set-off or certification issues affect the receivables. This is a hypothetical operational scenario only and does not imply approval, a particular advance level or any guaranteed terms.
Assumptions
- The landscaping work has been completed and invoiced to business or public-sector payers.
- The invoices are subject to the provider’s assessment of debtor credit, validity and contractual terms, and may still be rejected if disputes, retentions or approval conditions remain.
Illustrative example only. You may receive an entirely different quote after a lender reviews your financials and funding requirements. Approval and terms are subject to provider assessment.
Weighing it up
Benefits and material limitations
Consider both the potential benefits for commercial landscaping and the product risks below.
Benefits
- Release cash tied up in completed work
- Invoice finance can unlock cash against unpaid invoices once work has been completed and billed, which can help bridge the period between carrying out landscaping work and receiving payment. That can support payroll, materials, fuel, depot costs and equipment maintenance without waiting for every customer to pay on the same day. The structure can be useful where a business has consistent work but uneven receipts. It is not a shortcut for work that has not yet been accepted or invoiced, and it should be viewed as a cash-flow tool rather than a substitute for good contract management.
- Match the structure to how you run credit control
- If your team wants to keep chasing customers internally, discounting may be more relevant because credit control normally stays with the business. If you would rather outsource collections, factoring normally includes collections as part of the arrangement. Spot factoring can be used for selected invoices rather than the whole ledger, which may suit businesses with a mixed customer base or particular contracts that are easier to fund than others. The right fit depends on who your debtors are, how concentrated the work is, and whether the invoices are suitable for funding after review.
- Support growth without assuming every invoice will qualify
- Commercial landscaping firms sometimes assume that steady turnover automatically leads to better access to invoice finance. In practice, availability depends on the quality and eligibility of the invoices, the debtor profile, disputes, contractual terms and the funder’s appetite for the type of work. That means a seasonal business can still be assessed carefully, but not every invoice, project or customer relationship will qualify. A broker can help compare structures, explain the trade-off between control and service, and narrow the options to providers that understand business-to-business service work, public-sector payers and completion-based billing.
Material limitations
- Only eligible invoices are funded
- Disputed, overdue, related-party, pre-billed and some overseas invoices may be excluded, so the usable amount can be well below the ledger total.
- Customer and concentration assessment
- Providers set credit limits per customer and may cap exposure to large customers, restricting funding on your biggest accounts.
- Recourse
- If a customer does not pay, the business usually has to repay the advance. Bad debt protection only applies if separately agreed.
- Fees and minimum terms
- Contracts can include minimum fees, minimum periods, notice periods and termination charges, which matter if you later want to leave.
- Guarantees and security
- Providers may require personal guarantees, indemnities or debentures where agreed in the facility.
- Confidentiality is not automatic
- Customers may learn of the arrangement, particularly under factoring, or if the provider needs to collect directly.
Why Ocean
Invoice finance that fits the way you trade
The advance percentage is only part of the decision. Ocean helps you consider the type of invoice facility, your customers and the way you want to manage collections before introducing relevant providers from our panel.
Industry context, not just an application form
We discuss how your business trades, when money comes in and what the funding must achieve, so sector-specific cash-flow pressures form part of the conversation.
Access to a wide panel
Ocean works with a wide panel of third-party lenders and specialist finance providers. That gives you options beyond one bank's product range, subject to provider appetite and eligibility.
The product should fit the business
We help establish whether a loan, invoice facility, asset funding or another structure fits the requirement, rather than starting with whichever product a single bank has available.
Compare the terms that matter
Look beyond a headline rate. We help you understand the fees, repayment pattern, security, guarantees and exit conditions relevant to the options being discussed.
Less repeated legwork
A central point of contact helps organise the initial enquiry and information for relevant providers. It can reduce repeated explanations, although lenders may still require their own applications and checks.
Help asking the right questions
We help clarify what providers need and what to check before proceeding. You retain control of the decision and can take independent legal, financial or tax advice where needed.
For this product
Consider factoring, discounting or selected invoices
A growing recruitment business funding payroll may need a different facility from a supplier financing one invoice. We discuss customer concentration, payment terms, credit-control capacity and whether selected invoices or a wider sales ledger should be considered. The provider assesses eligibility, including the quality of the invoices and customers.
Ocean Capital Exchange acts as a broker and introducer, not a lender. We do not make lending decisions or guarantee that a provider will make an offer. Introductions are limited to providers available through our panel; each provider sets its own eligibility, terms and credit decisions.
Meet the Ocean team · Read our company and provider disclosures
Due diligence
What providers assess
Eligibility for invoice finance is usually assessed invoice by invoice and debtor by debtor. For commercial landscaping, the provider will want to understand who the payers are, whether they are businesses or public-sector bodies, how your contracts are signed off, whether any retention or set-off clauses apply, and whether the invoices are for completed and accepted work. A broker will normally ask for recent sales ledger information, customer concentration details, contract wording, aged debt information and a sense of how often disputes arise. Your own credit position matters, but it is not the only consideration. The condition and credit quality of the debtor, the validity of the invoice, and the funder’s appetite for the type of receivable can all affect the outcome. If your work includes construction-linked elements, specialist review is especially important because applications, valuations, certification and payment notices do not automatically create an enforceable receivable. Fees, notice requirements, recourse terms and any deductions should be understood before you proceed.
- Your customers' creditworthiness
- Providers typically review the creditworthiness of the customers paying your invoices. This can carry more weight than your business's own credit profile, although your business, invoices and sales ledger are still assessed.
- Aged debt profile
- How quickly customers pay and how much of the ledger is overdue.
- Concentration
- How much of the ledger depends on a small number of customers.
- Disputes and credit notes
- The level of disputes, contra trading and credit notes, which affects how reliably invoices convert to cash.
- Contract terms
- Whether customer contracts allow assignment of debts and whether invoices are raised only after delivery.
- Business financials
- Accounts, management information and existing security held by other lenders.
Information often requested
- Aged debtor and aged creditor reports
- Recent filed accounts and current management accounts
- A sample of customer contracts or terms of trade
- Details of existing borrowing and any charges registered over the business
- Bank statements
The documents list is indicative. A provider may ask for more, or less, depending on its process. Ocean Capital Exchange does not make lending decisions. There is no single published set of eligibility rules. Each provider carries out its own due diligence and applies its own criteria, including any turnover or trading history thresholds. Areas commonly reviewed include:
Pricing structure
Costs and repayment
For commercial landscaping, a quote should reflect the specific funding requirement. Invoice finance pricing is quote-specific. We do not publish rates because there is no standard rate: pricing depends on the provider, your ledger, your customers and the facility structure. The cost components to look for are:
- Service fee
- A charge for administering the facility, often calculated as a percentage of invoice value or turnover, sometimes with a minimum annual amount.
- Discount charge
- The cost of the money advanced, usually calculated daily on funds drawn, often expressed as a margin over a reference rate.
- Set-up and arrangement fees
- One-off charges for establishing the facility, where the contract includes them.
- Minimum usage or minimum fees
- Charges that apply if your volumes fall below an agreed level.
- Audit and ancillary fees
- Charges for periodic ledger audits, same-day payments, refactoring overdue debts or credit checks, where applicable.
- Termination fees
- Charges for leaving before the end of a minimum term or without the required notice.
Repayment and settlement
- Advances are normally settled from customer payments rather than by scheduled repayments from your bank account.
- Charges are typically deducted from the retention before the balance is released.
- Where a customer does not pay within the agreed period, a recourse facility can require you to repay the advance, or the provider may deduct it from other funds due to you.
- Exiting a facility usually means settling outstanding advances, which can require refinancing or a run-off of the ledger.
Checklist for comparing quotes
- 1.Advance rate and how eligible debts are defined
- 2.Service fee basis and any annual minimum
- 3.Discount charge basis and reference rate
- 4.Concentration limits and customer credit limits
- 5.Recourse period and treatment of overdue invoices
- 6.Minimum term, notice period and termination charges
- 7.Guarantees, indemnities and security required
Worked illustration
Invoice finance calculator for commercial landscaping
New to invoice finance? Choose Quick estimate, enter your outstanding invoice value and explore factoring, invoice discounting or spot factoring with clearly labelled example assumptions. Providers typically focus on your customers' creditworthiness, so your business's own credit profile may carry less weight. Your business and invoices are still assessed, and the profiles illustrate the overall funding scenario rather than your business's credit alone. Already have provider figures? Choose Compare my quote to enter the exact advance percentage, charges and payment terms. Estimates are illustrations, not lender offers.
Illustrative example only
Your actual quote may be entirely different after a lender or finance provider reviews your financial information and funding requirements. These figures are not a lending decision or an offer of finance.
Your estimate
Enter your outstanding invoice value to see an estimate.
0 of 1 required figures entered
Advance, charges and retention
Enter your invoice amount, advance rate, service fee, annual discount charge, days until customer payment to see the breakdown.
2 of 7 required figures entered
Illustrative only, not a binding finance offer. Costs vary by lender and applicant; additional fees may apply and eligibility is subject to assessment. Ocean Capital Exchange is an introducer, not the lender. Invoice collection, debtor quality, recourse and facility-wide minimum charges are not assessed. How this calculator works.
Discuss your requirements with the OCE team. No calculator figures are required.
Want to discuss these figures? Contact OCE. Calculator figures are not transferred automatically, so please include any you want us to review.
Industry guides
Finance for your industry
Explore how this type of finance can work for your business, including common uses and points to consider.
- Building maintenance
- Civil engineering
- Cleaning companies
- Commercial landscaping
- Construction recruitment
- Construction subcontractors
- Courier and delivery businesses
- Electrical contractors
- Engineering companies
- Engineering subcontractors
- Facilities management businesses
- Food and drink wholesalers
- Freight forwarding
- Haulage and logistics
- Healthcare staffing
- IT recruitment
- Managed IT services
- Manufacturing businesses
- Marketing agencies
- Mechanical contractors
- Packaging suppliers
- Printing companies
- Recruitment agencies
- Security companies
- Temporary staffing
- Timber merchants
- Waste management
- Wholesale and distribution
Invoice finance FAQs for commercial landscaping
Still unsure? Call +44 20 7183 2026.
Can landscaping invoices be funded before a customer pays?
Potentially yes, but only where the invoice is eligible and the work has been completed and accepted in a way the provider recognises. Invoice finance is based on unpaid B2B invoices, not on future work or invoices that are still disputed, uncertified or subject to retention. The funder will look at the debtor, the contract and the invoice validity before deciding whether it can be used.
What is the difference between factoring and discounting?
Factoring normally includes collections, so the funder takes a more active role in chasing payment. Discounting normally leaves credit control with the business, so you continue to manage reminders and debtor relationships. Both are forms of invoice finance, but they suit different operational preferences. The best fit depends on how you want to handle customers and how your accounts team is set up.
Does spot factoring suit seasonal landscaping work?
It can, because spot factoring is designed for selected invoices rather than an entire ledger. That may suit a business that only wants funding on certain contracts or debtor accounts. However, each invoice still needs to meet eligibility criteria. The provider will still review debtor credit, invoice validity, disputes and the wording of the contract before deciding whether it can be funded.
Will public-sector customers always be accepted as debtors?
Not automatically. Public-sector payers can be suitable in some cases, but the invoice still has to be valid, undisputed and acceptable under the provider’s criteria. Payment notices, certification steps and any set-off or retention rights still matter. A public-sector debtor may also be part of a wider concentration review if too much of the funding depends on one payer.
What documents are usually reviewed?
A broker will usually want to understand your sales ledger, debtor profile, contract terms, invoice history and how completion sign-off works. For landscaping businesses, it may also be important to review whether retention, valuation, certification or payment notice terms appear in the contract. The provider may ask for additional information about disputes, customer concentration and your current credit control process.
Why use a broker instead of going straight to a funder?
Because the right invoice finance structure depends on more than turnover. A broker can help match a landscaping business to providers that understand seasonal service work, completion-based billing and public-sector payers. Ocean Capital Exchange is a commercial finance broker, not a lender, so it can explain the mechanics and filter the market, but the provider decides whether the invoices are eligible and on what terms.
What is the difference between factoring and invoice discounting?
In factoring, the provider normally manages your sales ledger and collects payment from customers. In invoice discounting, your business normally keeps its own credit control, and customers pay into an account controlled by the provider. Discounting generally needs stronger internal controls and reporting.
How much of an invoice can be advanced?
Each provider sets its own advance rate for each facility, based on its assessment of your customers and ledger. There is no universal figure. The advance applies only to invoices the provider treats as eligible.
Whose credit profile do providers assess, and what documents will I need?
Providers typically focus on the creditworthiness of the customers paying your invoices. Your business's own credit profile may therefore carry less weight than it would for a traditional business loan, but it is not ignored. Providers still review your financial position, customer payment history, overdue invoices, customer concentration, disputes, credit notes and contract terms. Expect to be asked for aged debtor and creditor reports, accounts, management accounts and sample customer terms. Exact requirements are provider-specific.
Will my customers know I am using invoice finance?
Under factoring, customers will usually know because the provider collects payment. Invoice discounting can be arranged on a confidential basis, but only where the provider agrees, and confidentiality can be withdrawn under the facility terms, for example if the provider needs to collect directly.
What happens if a customer does not pay?
Most facilities are with recourse: if an invoice remains unpaid beyond the agreed period, you must repay the advance or the provider deducts it from other funds due to you. Protection against a customer’s insolvency is only included where separately agreed, usually at extra cost and subject to limits.
Do I have to finance my whole sales ledger?
Many facilities cover the whole ledger. Some providers offer selective or single-invoice arrangements that fund chosen invoices or customers. Whole-ledger facilities and selective facilities are priced and structured differently, so compare like with like.
Which fees should I compare between quotes?
Compare the service fee and any annual minimum, the discount charge and its reference rate, set-up fees, audit and ancillary charges, minimum usage terms, the minimum contract period and termination fees. The headline advance rate alone does not show the total cost.
How are advances repaid, and when do I receive the retention?
Advances are usually settled from your customers’ payments into the collection account. The provider then deducts its charges from the retention and releases the balance to you. Timing of releases depends on the facility terms.
Can invoices in foreign currency be financed?
Some providers will fund export invoices or invoices in other currencies, subject to their criteria for overseas customers. Invoice finance does not by itself protect you from exchange rate movements between invoicing and payment; currency risk should be considered separately.
How is the calculator result worked out?
The advance is the invoice multiplied by the advance percentage. The discount charge is the annual rate applied to the chosen basis (the advance or the full invoice) for the days outstanding on a 365-day year. The service fee is a percentage of the invoice. The retention released when your customer pays is the invoice less the advance and charges deducted at settlement. All figures are illustrative.
Independent background reading
These independent sources explain general concepts. They do not endorse Ocean Capital Exchange or confirm our providers, product availability or terms. Your provider’s agreement takes precedence over an illustration.
Important information
Ocean Capital Exchange Ltd introduces businesses to third-party invoice finance providers. We are not a lender and do not make credit decisions. Any facility is provided under the provider's terms and is subject to its assessment of your ledger and customers.
The calculator illustrates a single invoice using the rates you enter. It is not a quote and actual charges, minimums and fee conventions vary by provider.
Discuss funding for commercial landscaping
Talk to Ocean Capital Exchange about invoice finance for commercial landscaping. We can help you assess the product fit and discuss your requirements with relevant providers.
- Or call
- +44 20 7183 2026
- Office
- 73 Watling Street, London, EC4M 9BJ