What is invoice discounting and how does it work?
Invoice discounting advances cash against invoices you have already raised for delivered work. You invoice your customer as normal, Sourcefin advances a portion of the value within days, and once your customer pays, you receive the balance less the agreed cost. Your customer keeps paying you directly.
How fast can I get invoice discounting?
Once you apply with a verified invoice and proof of delivery, Sourcefin assesses the deal and can advance cash in as fast as 24 hours. There is no long approval cycle, so you stop waiting 30, 60 or 90 days for your customer to pay.
What is the difference between invoice discounting and factoring?
Both turn unpaid invoices into cash, but they differ in who manages the customer. With invoice discounting you keep the customer relationship while Sourcefin advances against approved invoices. Sourcefin still verifies each invoice and follows up on payment, so you get the cash early without selling off your whole debtor book.
Is invoice discounting a loan?
No. Invoice discounting advances cash you have already earned against a verified invoice, rather than adding a term loan to your balance sheet. Sourcefin advances a portion of the invoice value and recovers it, plus the agreed cost, once your customer pays.
Will my customer know about the funding?
Sourcefin verifies each invoice with your customer and follows up on the expected payment, so the customer is part of the process. This protects the deal for everyone and means you are funded against confirmed, uncontested invoices.
How much of the invoice can I get, and what does it cost?
Sourcefin advances a portion of each approved invoice and pays you the balance, less the agreed cost, once your customer settles. Deals run from roughly R250 000 upward, and the cost is disclosed in full in your term sheet before you sign, so there are no surprise fees.
Can a startup or a business rejected elsewhere qualify?
Yes. Sourcefin takes an open-minded view and assesses the strength of the invoice and the customer behind it, not only your trading history. Invoices to both private companies and government buyers can be funded, so startups and businesses turned down elsewhere are welcome to apply.
What should I look for in an invoice discounting company in South Africa?
Whether you call it invoice discounting, invoice funding or invoice finance, the same things matter. Look for transparent pricing on the discount cost with no layered fees, speed of advance once invoices are verified, and real experience with your type of customer – government, corporate or mid-market. References from SMMEs in your sector are the clearest signal that a funder actually delivers. The best invoice financing providers back the opportunity, not just the paperwork: Sourcefin verifies each invoice, advances in as fast as 24 hours, and discloses the full cost in your term sheet before you sign.
What is a selective invoice discounting facility?
Selective invoice discounting lets you choose which invoices to fund rather than committing your whole debtor book. It suits SMMEs with uneven cash needs – fund the large invoices that need bridging and let smaller ones settle normally. Sourcefin’s facilities are selective by default.
Where in South Africa does Sourcefin offer invoice discounting?
Sourcefin funds SMMEs across all nine provinces, with most clients in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape, including Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban and Cape Town. The application is online and assessment is remote, so where you trade does not slow the advance.