Turn unpaid invoices into working cash, usually within 2 business days.
- Draw against invoices you have already issued, often within 2 business days
- Facilities from $20K to $10M, scaling with your debtor ledger
- Business owners waiting on 30, 60, or 90-day payment terms
- Assessed on the strength of your customers, not only your own credit file
- Confidential and disclosed facilities, full-doc (tax returns) through to low-doc (BAS, bank statements or an accountant's letter instead)
You have done the work, sent the invoice, and now you wait. Meanwhile wages, materials, and the BAS do not wait with you. Invoice finance solves that timing problem by advancing most of an invoice as soon as it is raised, with the balance paid when your customer settles. Because the funding is assessed on the strength of your debtors rather than on years of financials, it suits growing businesses whose balance sheet has not caught up with their order book. Joseph Farhat and his team will tell you honestly and quickly what is achievable for your situation.
Who we can help access finance
- Businesses invoicing on 30, 60, or 90 day terms while wages and suppliers fall due weekly.
- Trades, labour hire, and contractors funding a payroll run before a progress claim is paid.
- Manufacturers and wholesalers buying stock or materials up front against confirmed orders.
- Transport and logistics operators covering fuel, tolls, and driver pay between customer payments.
- Fast-growing businesses whose sales are outpacing what their financials will support on a term loan.
- Businesses with a small number of large, reliable customers who want to draw funds against those invoices.
- Owners who would rather fund against work already delivered than take on additional term debt.
How Invoice Finance Works
You raise an invoice as usual. The financier advances a percentage of it, commonly 80% to 90%, within a day or two. When your customer pays, you receive the remaining balance less the fee. The facility is revolving, so as new invoices are raised more funding becomes available, and it scales with your sales rather than sitting at a fixed limit. There are two broad structures. Disclosed factoring means your customer knows the invoice is financed and pays the financier directly. Confidential invoice discounting means the arrangement stays between you and the financier, and you keep collecting as normal. Joseph Farhat and his team review your ledger, your customers, and your collection history, match the scenario to the right lender from the 90+ panel, and manage the application through to funding.
What Lenders Assess for Invoice Finance
Quality of your debtors
the financier is relying on your customers to pay, so their size, credit standing, and payment history matter more than your own balance sheet.
Concentration
a ledger where one customer is 70% of turnover is riskier than one spread across ten, and will usually attract a lower advance rate.
Payment history
your average debtor days and your dilution rate, meaning credit notes, disputes, and short payments, drive both the advance rate and the fee.
Invoice terms
funding is available once the work is delivered and invoiced. Progress claims, retentions, and work in progress are treated differently and not all financiers will fund them.
Contract terms
some customer contracts prohibit assignment of invoices, which has to be checked before a facility can be put in place.
Your own conduct
recent bank statements, tax lodgement status, and any existing ATO arrangement still form part of the assessment.
Industry
construction retentions, medical billing, and export invoicing each need a financier who understands them, and appetite varies widely.
The Invoice Finance Process: What to Expect
- Talk to Joseph Farhat and his team about your turnover, your customers, and your average payment terms. You will get an honest read on what is achievable before you apply anywhere.
- Provide the basics: a current debtor ageing report, recent business bank statements, and a sample of your invoices and customer contracts.
- We match your ledger to the financiers on the panel most likely to fund it at a sensible advance rate and fee, rather than sending it to whoever is closest. Every application is recorded as an enquiry on your credit file, so this step matters.
- The financier reviews the ledger and issues terms setting out the advance rate, the fee, the facility limit, and whether the arrangement is disclosed or confidential. We go through it with you before you sign anything.
- The facility goes live and drawdowns begin. As you raise new invoices the available funding refreshes, and we stay in contact as the ledger and the limit grow.
Indicative Finance Options
| Lender Type | Indicative Rate | Advance Rate | Typical Facility Size | Facility Term | Speed to Funding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank | From ~8% p.a. | Up to 80% of invoice | $100K to $10M | 12 months, revolving | 3 to 6 weeks |
| Non-Bank Lenders | From ~12% p.a. | Up to 90% of invoice | $20K to $5M | 3 to 24 months, revolving | Within 2 business days |
| Private Finance | Not typically used for invoice finance. Available for unique scenarios only. | ||||
Indicative figures only. Actual rates and terms depend on your project, financial position, property location, and lender assessment at the time of application. Rates are subject to change.
Why borrowers choose Settled With Joe for invoice finance
We represent you, not the lender
Joseph Farhat and his team act in your interest from the first conversation through to funding.
The headline rate is not the cost
advance rates, service fees, minimum volumes, and exit fees vary widely, and two facilities quoting the same rate can cost very differently over a year.
We know who funds what
which financiers accept construction retentions, progress claims, export invoices, or a concentrated ledger, and which will not.
Disclosed or confidential
we will explain what each structure means for your customer relationships before you commit to one.
One conversation, not five applications
we approach the financiers most likely to fund your ledger first, so fewer enquiries are recorded on your credit file.
90+ lenders on one panel
bank, non-bank, and specialist, so if a term facility or an overdraft suits you better than invoice finance we will tell you that too.
Private finance for unique scenarios
where bank and non-bank lenders are not the right fit, we can introduce you to private finance options.
Usually no direct cost to you
as a broker we are typically paid by the lender on settlement.
An honest answer early
if payroll is due this week, tell us early and we will tell you what is realistically achievable.
Frequently asked questions
What is invoice finance?
Invoice finance, also called debtor finance, is funding advanced against invoices you have already issued. The financier pays you most of the invoice value straight away, commonly 80% to 90%, and releases the balance less its fee once your customer pays. It is a revolving facility, so the available funding grows as your sales grow. It is used to bridge the gap between delivering work and being paid for it, rather than to fund a one-off purchase.
How fast can an invoice finance facility be set up?
A facility can often be approved and drawn within 2 business days where the ledger is straightforward and your debtor report is ready. More complex ledgers, or those involving construction retentions or export invoices, take longer because the financier has to verify the contracts. Where payroll is the deadline, Joseph Farhat and his team will identify the fastest appropriate financier on the panel and manage the process to keep it moving.
How much can I draw against my invoices?
Most facilities advance between 80% and 90% of the invoice value, with the balance released on payment. The overall facility limit is set against your debtor ledger, so it scales with your sales. Facilities commonly run from $20,000 up to $5,000,000, and higher with a large, well-spread ledger. Joseph Farhat and his team will review your ageing report and give you an indicative limit and advance rate before you apply.
Will my customers know I am using invoice finance?
That depends on the structure. Under disclosed factoring your customer is notified and pays the financier directly, which is common and generally uncontroversial in industries where the practice is normal. Under confidential invoice discounting the arrangement stays between you and the financier and you continue collecting as usual, though it typically requires stronger financials and collection processes. Joseph Farhat and his team will set out what each option means for your customer relationships.
Can I finance just one invoice, or do I have to commit the whole ledger?
Both exist. Selective or single invoice finance lets you fund one invoice or one customer as needed, which suits businesses with occasional large jobs. Whole-of-ledger facilities cover every invoice and generally price better because the financier gets the full spread of debtors. Selective funding costs more per invoice but leaves you free to use it only when you need it. We will price both so you can compare properly.
Can I get invoice finance with low-doc or no-doc?
Often, yes. Invoice finance is one of the more accessible facilities for a business without full financials, because the financier is looking primarily at your debtor ledger and your customers rather than at years of tax returns. A current ageing report, recent bank statements, and sample invoices are usually enough to get started. Full financials may improve the advance rate and the fee. Joseph Farhat and his team will tell you what each financier on the panel requires.
Do you work with borrowers with bad credit?
Yes, we do. Defaults, past arrears, or a director with a mark on their personal file do not rule your business out, and it is not something we will make you feel awkward about. Invoice finance is often a good fit in exactly these situations, because the financier is relying more on the strength of your customers than on your own credit history, and several lenders on our panel will price for the risk rather than decline it. What helps most is telling us early, so we approach the right financier first instead of adding enquiries to your file. Joseph Farhat and his team will tell you honestly what is achievable before you apply anywhere.
What does invoice finance cost?
Pricing has two parts: a discount rate charged on the funds drawn, and a service fee charged on invoice volume. Bank facilities start from around 8% per annum on the drawn amount, and non-bank facilities from around 12%. Service fees commonly run between 0.5% and 3% of turnover depending on volume and ledger quality. Watch for minimum volume commitments and exit fees, because those often decide which facility is genuinely cheaper. Joseph Farhat and his team will set out the total expected cost for your ledger before you proceed.
Why work with Settled With Joe to finance your invoices?
Because you get one conversation instead of a round of applications, and a genuine comparison of facilities that are hard to compare on your own. Most of the people we help with invoice finance are self-employed business owners, company directors, and operators dealing with something time-sensitive: a payroll run due before a big invoice clears, a large order that has to be funded up front, or a customer who has quietly stretched from 30 days to 75. Those situations are not unusual to us and there is no judgement in the conversation. What matters is the quality of your debtor ledger and your collection history. Our panel covers 90+ bank, non-bank, and specialist lenders, so a strong ledger can go to a bank at a sharper rate, and there are still options when the ledger is concentrated or the money is needed this week. We are based in Sydney and work with borrowers Australia-wide. Joseph Farhat and his team will tell you honestly and early whether we can help and what is realistically achievable in your timeframe.
Do you give financial advice?
No. We do not guide you on your finances, nor give financial advice. We focus on outcomes and solutions of presenting your unique scenario to the right lender so you can access funding in a timely and compliant manner.
Do you help with invoice finance outside Sydney?
Yes. Settled With Joe is based in Sydney and arranges invoice and debtor finance Australia-wide, covering both metro and regional areas. We work with clients in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, and Canberra, as well as regional areas including Newcastle, Wollongong, Geelong, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, and Toowoomba. Financier appetite varies by industry more than by location on this product. Joseph Farhat and his team will identify which lenders on the panel are the best fit for your ledger and timeframe.
