eCapital Commercial Finance (formerly Advantedge) review – invoice factoring explained

eCapital Commercial Finance is an invoice factoring business that was known as Advantedge Commercial Finance until 2020, when the company was purchased and merged with an existing Canadian entity. This business can help an SME retain control of its cash flow by offering factoring of unpaid, outstanding invoices, but is this service worth taking up?

What service does eCapital Commercial Finance offer?

eCapital Commercial Finance specialises in lending streams related to invoices. Rather than a traditional unsecured business loan, in which your company would borrow a lump sum and pay it back over a number of years, this provider allows you to access funds owed on invoices before your clients and customers settle their bills.

eCapital Commercial Finance also offers bad debt protection, a form of insurance against the non-payment of invoices. If you subscribe to this service, you will receive any funds due on an invoice that a client or customer fails to settle within a set period. 

However, if you need to improve your business cash flow quickly, investigate the invoice financing services provided by this provider. These come in three forms:

1. Invoice financing
2. Selective invoice financing
3. Invoice discounting

Invoice financing

The primary lending stream provided by eCapital Commercial Finance is invoice financing. From the day you raise an invoice for a customer or client, this lender will potentially loan you up to 90% of the value of this invoice, with funds typically clearing within 24 hours. 

eCapital Commercial Finance will then take over ownership of this invoice, chasing and collecting payment, and will release the remainder of the value – minus a service fee – upon payment. 

If you have raised an invoice and your client is dragging their feet on making payment, you may worry about meeting bill repayments or meeting your payroll obligations. By taking out 75% of invoice financing on a £5,000 invoice, you’ll quickly receive £3,750 to ease the financial pressure on your business.

eCapital Commercial Finance will take over credit control of the invoice, leaving you free to focus on your business and generating more income, though your clients will not know this – the payment will be made to a dedicated bank account opened in your company name. Once the invoice is paid, you will receive any additional funds owed to you, and your financial obligations to this lender are concluded.

Selective invoice financing

Traditional invoice financing is applied for on a case-by-case basis. If you have certain clients or customers that regularly take a prolonged time to settle their bills, or you would like to trade with certain clients on a credit basis, consider selective invoice financing through eCapital Commercial Finance.

If you opt for selective invoice financing, you can nominate particular payees to always be automatically enrolled in a financing program. Upload the invoices for these customers as and when you raise them, and this provider will immediately release up to 80% of the invoice value and take over credit control. This negates the need to apply for invoice financing on a case-by-case basis.

Invoice discounting

An alternative approach to invoice financing service is invoice discounting. This works much the same way, with one fundamental difference. 

eCapital Commercial Finance will loan you up to 90% of the value of an outstanding invoice, but you will retain control of the debt. This means the invoice will be paid directly into your company bank account, at which point you can repay eCapital Commercial Finance, alongside an interest charge. 

Consider this a more conventional form of lending with a manual repayment structure, which may suit your business model better. Just be aware that if your client or customer defaults on the invoice or continues to delay in making the payment, you may accrue greater interest and service fees on the sum borrowed.

What can I use funding from eCapital Commercial Finance for?

It is up to you how you use the funds released by eCapital from an invoice financing loan. The lender will not be checking on your spending, as long as you do not allow your account to fall into default and continue repaying the service fees as contracted.

Will I be eligible for invoice financing from eCapital?

eCapital Commercial Finance will only work with SMEs that issue invoices on a credit basis. Businesses that take on-the-spot payments through a card reader should consider 365 Business Finance as an alternative.

If you meet these loose criteria, and can satisfy this lender that your invoices are creditworthy and you just need short-term assistance with cash flow, your application is likely to be accepted, even if you have a subpar credit score.

How do I apply for invoice financing from eCapital Commercial Finance?

If you are interested in applying for interest financing from eCapital, call them on 020 3370 9320 between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday, or use the online contact form to initiate a conversation.

What are the advantages of borrowing from eCapital Commercial Finance?

This lender works quickly and efficiently to set finances into the accounts of an SME. It may take new customers a couple of days to get set up, depending on the complexity of their business model and finances, but once approved to trade with this lender most invoice financing is paid out within 24 hours – sometimes even the very same day.

What are the drawbacks of borrowing from eCapital Commercial Finance?

As eCapital Commercial Finance is a private venture and not a bank, not all services are monitored by the FCA.

Sole traders and companies that do not issue invoices to reliable, creditworthy businesses will not be able to use these invoice financing services.

What fees and charges are associated with borrowing from eCapital Commercial Finance?

eCapital Commercial Finance does not operate a one-size-fits-all, flat fee on invoice financing. The rate that you will pay depends on how much you need to borrow (based on the total invoice value and what % of the bill you are looking to finance,) and the industry that your business operates within. You will need to discuss the expenses involved with this process upon application.

What is eCapital Commercial Finance’s reputation among other customers?

eCapital Commercial Finance enjoys a TrustPilot score of 4.6 from 5, based on over 1,000 reviews, which is considered Excellent. Most reviews praise this business for its helpfulness and compassion, and honesty is also frequently raised as a positive, though a small handful of customers complain that their interest rates have varied between telephone consultations and the issuing of contracts. 

When a company has recently changed its name it is always worth checking the reputation of a previous incarnation of the business as a safety net, but the profile for Advantedge Commercial Finance is unclaimed and has no feedback. This is a little suspicious as the company was formed in 2001 and retained this identity until 2020, but the positive feedback left for eCapital Commercial Finance suggests that SMEs can use this service with confidence.

Summary

If you need to improve your business cash flow quickly, eCapital Commercial Finance offers a rapid and superior service that will ease financial burdens for a great many SMEs. This lender is flexible and moves at speed, and may save many business owners innumerable sleepless nights worrying about meeting payments and obligations.