Get Your Invoices Paid Faster With Manufacturing Factoring

Last Updated on October 21, 2022

In the manufacturing industry, achieving and maintaining consistent cash flow is one of your most significant challenges because you need prompt invoice payments to achieve it. Unfortunately, sometimes you need to wait weeks or even months for payment due to long invoice payment terms, leading to a cycle of negative cash flow and mounting debt.

To grow your company, keep it competitive, make payments, build good relationships with suppliers, and fuel growth opportunities, you need cash. This is where manufacturing invoice factoring comes in.

In this article, we discuss how invoice factoring for manufacturing works, its benefits, and how it compares to other financing alternatives. Read on to find out how altLINE’s manufacturing factoring service can enhance your cash flow and promote business growth!

What Is Manufacturing Factoring?

Manufacturing invoice factoring is when your business sells invoices to a third-party company in exchange for a cash advance. Invoice factoring is generally used when customers delay payment, preventing negative cash flow that may hurt your business.

Benefits Of Invoice Factoring For Manufacturers

Factoring for manufacturing companies offers you a cash advance in exchange for your unpaid invoices, essentially accelerating your payment process. Some benefits of accounts receivable factoring for manufacturing companies include:

Get Your Accounts Receivables Paid In Days, Not Months

The best manufacturer factoring companies approve applications within 1 or 2 days. Factoring moves up your payment schedule and helps you earn up to 90% of your invoice right away instead of in 30, 60, or even 90 days.

Access Capital To Grow While Maintaining Equity

As a manufacturer, sometimes you are forced to miss growth opportunities or large orders because you do not have the money to pursue them. However, invoice factoring can set you up for long-term success.

Manufacturer invoice factoring gives you the cash to seize growth opportunities, pay debts, and buy materials without sacrificing equity.

Take The Guesswork Out Of Payments

Slow invoice payments and delinquent customers may seriously impede your finances. Manufacturer invoice factoring makes up for slow and late payments by advancing cash when you need it to improve your company’s financial health.

How Does Manufacturing Factoring Work?

Manufacturing factoring through altLINE works by turning unpaid invoices into cash, helping you pay for raw materials, overhead, and operating expenses to grow your business. Cash advances also improve your cash flow, softening the blow of delinquent customers. Instead of waiting on customer payments, you can use invoice factoring services to get cash when you need it.

Here is how factoring works with altLINE:

Submit Your Unpaid Invoices

We accept almost all outstanding customer invoices, especially from creditworthy customers and large or mid-size companies. However, we are less likely to factor invoices for customers with limited credit profiles or a history of delinquency.

altLINE Advances 80-90% Of The Invoice Face Value

You can generally expect a factoring advance rate of 80-90% of the invoice’s face value, with the cash advance deposited within 24 to 48 hours of submission to altLINE. The exact timing of your cash advance deposit depends on your customer’s receipt and acknowledgment of goods.

altLINE Helps Collect Payment For Your Outstanding Invoices

altLINE assists you in collecting payments by providing a lockbox in your company’s name and reporting customer payments through an online portal. If issues arise, our team will work with you to contact customers to resolve payment disputes professionally, helping you maintain good business relationships.

altLINE Pays Out The Remaining Unpaid Invoice

After we collect the factored invoices, we’ll deduct our factoring fee (typically 1-5% of your invoice) before transferring the remaining invoice value to you.

Uses For Your Factoring Cash Advance

Receiving cash advances from manufacturing factoring means you do not have to wait for customer payments to fund your business. Instead, you can avoid long payment cycles and unlock growth capital by selling your unpaid accounts receivables.

Here are some ways to use the cash you get from invoice factoring:

Take On New Orders

Manufacturers need to buy lots of raw materials to complete jobs but may not always have the cash on hand to do it. You shouldn’t have to wait for customers to pay before taking on new orders, especially if it’s a large one that can accelerate your business! Invoice factoring gives you the cash necessary to buy the materials necessary to complete new jobs, promoting business growth while maintaining your equity.

Make Payroll

Punctual payroll is one of the hallmarks of a successful business. Unfortunately, slow and late customer payments result in negative cash flow, potentially jeopardizing your payroll obligations. Getting a cash advance from invoice factoring prevents payroll issues, even when customers take a long time to pay.

Pay Operating Expenses

Negative cash flow makes paying for plant maintenance, transportation, and other operating expenses tough. Extra funds from factoring for manufacturing companies lets you pay those obligations without getting into debt or sacrificing equity.

Manufacturing Businesses We Fund And Finance

altLINE offers factoring services for various manufacturing businesses. Here are some examples of the services we provide in the sector:

• Food and beverage manufacturing factoring
• Textile and apparel factoring
• Cosmetics manufacturing invoice factoring
• Electronics production factoring
• Metal manufacturing factoring
• Oil, chemicals, and plastics factoring

Factoring Your Manufacturing Invoices vs Other Funding Options

In addition to manufacturer factoring, you have other financing options to improve business cash flow. Here is a comparison of the alternative manufacturer financing options:

Manufacturing Factoring vs Bank Line Of Credit

Many manufacturing companies seek a bank line of credit as their first financing option. While plenty of manufacturers can qualify for a line of credit, the funds it provides may not be enough to develop their businesses.

Banks usually look at your fixed assets to determine your line of credit approval. A bank line of credit is a good option for established manufacturers because most have machines and equipment to collateralize. However, you may not have a lot of fixed assets if you’re a new manufacturer, which means you’ll have a harder time qualifying.

Manufacturing factoring is typically better for new or growing manufacturers because the factoring company looks at your customers instead of your fixed assets to approve funding. If you work with creditworthy customers, factoring companies are more likely to give you the funds that banks cannot.

Manufacturing Factoring vs ACH/MCA Loans

ACH (automated clearing house) and MCA (merchant cash advance) loans are marketed as quick, easy-to-qualify loans for businesses. ACH and MCA lenders only need your bank statements for review, and you can get the money within one or two business days.

However, ACH and MCA loans have notoriously high interest and lender fees, which can total up to 60% of your initial loan. Moreover, ACH and MCA lenders often offer renewals aggressively, which could potentially put your company in deep financial trouble.

Because invoice factoring uses your unpaid invoices as collateral, you can usually rest assured knowing customers will eventually repay your cash advance.

Manufacturing Factoring vs Quick Pay Discounts

Offering special rates to customers who pay quickly is a viable way to accelerate your cash flow when needed. However, this method almost entirely depends on whether or not the customer thinks your early payment discount is a good deal. Additionally, some businesses may even prioritize having cash on hand over receiving a discount for early payment, leaving you low on working capital and unable to grow your business.

Invoice factoring is typically more reliable because you’re almost guaranteed a cash advance if approved.

Typical Manufacturer Factoring Rates And Fees

When factoring for manufacturing companies, your fees depend on how much you plan to factor and how long your customers take to pay. Factoring more and getting customers to pay faster usually lead to lower factoring rates. We also consider additional criteria like your business tenure, customer base diversity, and overall customer credit quality:

When factoring an invoice, we charge two types of fees:

• Initial fee: Your initial fee covers the invoice processing expense for an initial set duration (typically 30 days) and costs 0.90-3.50% of your total invoice value.
• Incremental fees: Your incremental fees kick in after the initial fee period to compensate the factoring company for its time. Incremental fees usually cost 0.25-1.50% of your total invoice value per charge, and these fees typically increase the longer your invoice remains outstanding.

Requirements To Apply For Factoring Services For Manufacturing Companies

You need to apply to be eligible for manufacturing factorings. Here are the documents needed to do so:

List Of Existing And Potential Customers

altLINE needs a list of all existing and potential customers as part of your application. We require this document to review the credit quality of your customer base and determine factoring eligibility.

Manufacturer Invoice Factoring Application

You must complete a form as part of your factoring application process. Additionally, you will need to enclose the following documents:

• Business ownership identification
• Personal identification
• Employer Identification Number
• Customer contracts
• Articles of incorporation and other relevant corporate documents

Accounts Receivable Aging Report

Businesses record all outstanding invoices in an accounts receivable aging report. We need this report to research your customers’ payment behaviors and determine their factoring eligibility. We will consider invoices that are 30 to 90 days outstanding, but invoices for customers who have stated an inability to pay may not be eligible for factoring.

Frequently Asked Questions About Our Factoring Services

Here are some common questions about manufacturer factoring services answered:

Do you need to run a credit check before getting started?

altLINE runs a credit and background check on all manufacturing company owners that apply for factoring. However, there are no minimum credit thresholds for approval. Background checks are reviewed for financial-related crimes or felonies. In the event a borrower has a spotty background, approval with altLINE may be in question, but in the event the borrower is disqualified, altLINE will often work with the borrower to identify a manufacturing factor that is willing to help.

Do you require UCC filings when factoring manufacturing invoices?

Upon executing a term sheet, altLINE will file a UCC on the client’s business. This UCC filing allows altLINE to properly secure the collateral (i.e. the invoices) it plans to advance against when the factoring facility is in place. UCC filings are an integral part of any form of lending.

Is manufacturing factoring a debt or loan?

Manufacturing factoring is neither debt nor a loan. Invoice factoring is the sale of your invoices to a third party. The money advanced against these invoices will be repaid by your customers.

However, altLINE is a recourse factor, so you may need to pay the cash advance back if your customer fails to pay their invoice.

Do you offer non-recourse manufacturing factoring?

altLINE only offers recourse manufacturing factoring. While you must repay the cash advance if your customer fails to pay, recourse factoring structures often allow for factors to extend lower rates and larger credit limits on your customers.