Accounts receivable financing is a financing option that uses your company’s unpaid invoices as collateral for a lump sum of cash. Invoice financing typically comes with payment terms that give you 80% of the invoice value up front. Then, the factoring company takes over the process of collecting payment from your customers. Once the full amount is paid, you’ll receive the remaining invoice balance, minus a factoring fee that is paid to the company.

The factoring fee is usually based on the net terms it takes for your customer to pay the invoice. It usually starts around 3% of the invoice total. However, you can also use other types of accounts receivables to get funding, including purchase orders and inventory.

Because AR financing is based on tangible assets or debts owed to your company, you may find it easier to qualify than with traditional financing options like business loans. For instance, you’ll generally find more flexible requirements on things like credit and time in business. Even if your company started less than a year ago, you could still apply to qualify for accounts receivable financing.