It’s not only been days, but weeks—or even months—since you performed work for your client, and you still haven’t received payment. Sound familiar?
As a professional, you need to be paid on time. You’ve got people to support and bills to pay. You may be considering using a debt collector to secure payment from your customer. Or, you may have considered proactively factoring your invoices with a trusted, credible factor. But which one is the smarter option. Are there any hidden implications you should be considering before making your decision?
The answer is yes. There’s actually a huge gap between debt collection and invoice factoring. Think through these three key differences before reaching out to either one.
1. Purpose
The primary purpose behind using a debt collector is very different from the reason you’d use invoice factoring. While invoice factoring involves current unpaid invoices—no more than 30 days old—debt collection deals with invoices that are at least 60 days past due.
Debt collection
If you’re still trying to get paid months after you’ve completed the work, it might be time to check in with a debt collection agency.
Invoice factoring
If you prefer timely payment for your work instead of relegating your receivables to the bad debt file, you’ll want to connect with a reputable invoice factoring company like Triumph Business Capital.
One of the benefits of working with an established and reputable factor like Triumph is that we’ll not only factor your invoices; we’ll also provide a host of back office solutions—including payment services—to ensure that you get paid on time for the work you perform. Welcome to the best of both worlds.
2. Funding timeline
How much longer are you willing to wait to be paid? The difference between how long it takes a debt collector to get funds to you and how quickly an invoice factoring company sends you funds can be a game changer.
Debt collection
You’ll be paid, but only after the collection agency receives payment from your customer. That can take time—if it happens at all. Add an aggressive process that can alienate customers, and you may decide that engaging a debt collection agency just isn’t worth it.
Invoice factoring
With factoring, you simply sell your invoices at a small discount and get immediate cash for your business. How fast? You get paid before the factoring company receives any money from your customer—usually within 24 hours.
3. Fees
How much are you willing to pay to be paid? In an ideal world, the payment conflict wouldn’t exist. But in today’s environment, unfortunately, you often end up either arm wrestling your customers or throwing up your hands.
Debt collection
When you hire a debt collector, you’ll likely pay a hefty 25% to 30% collection fee—which still beats giving up 100% of an unpaid invoice! But there’s an even better option.
Invoice factoring
Getting paid shouldn’t be the hardest part of your job. Invoice factoring isn’t free, but weigh its small price against its great advantages: you’ll receive an immediate payment from the factor—usually 70% to 100% of the invoice—followed by any remaining balance (minus a fee) as soon as the factor collects full payment from your customer.
Get paid today
Factor your invoices with Triumph Business Capital to get paid today.
When you factor your invoices with our team, you’ll also get access to a host of back office services like credit checks to make sure your clients can pay, and collection services to get your money from those who won’t.
Ready to get started? Factor your invoices with Triumph Business Capital today.