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Short-term finance for a late-paying customer's invoice
An invoice you have every right to expect on time does not always arrive on time. A one-off short-term loan from Credit Corp, £50 to £500, lets your company keep trading while a slow-paying customer catches up — no personal guarantee, decisions most working days.
Late invoice finance
UK limited companies and LLPs · No personal guarantee · Decisions most working days
Apply now Price your borrowing
One-off business loan · £50–£500 · 14–84 days · 0.25% per day simple interest + £5 fee · cost capped at 100%.
Why a late invoice creates a real cashflow problem
Work delivered on 30-day terms that actually pays in 60 or 90 is one of the most common causes of a cash squeeze in an otherwise healthy business. The revenue is real and the customer relationship may be worth protecting — but your own suppliers, payroll and rent do not wait for someone else's payment run.
- Your own costs are fixed and dated; a customer's payment date is not fully within your control
- Chasing a large client too hard risks the relationship, even when you are entirely in the right
- A single late payer can tie up a disproportionate share of your working capital
- Waiting it out can mean missing your own supplier discounts or payment deadlines
How bridging a late invoice works
- Borrow against the shortfallApply for a one-off short-term business loan sized to the gap the late invoice has created. We lend to the company, so there is no personal guarantee to sign.
- Keep trading without the waitUse the funds to cover the costs the invoice was meant to fund, without disrupting your own supplier or payroll commitments.
- Repay when the invoice clearsClear the loan when the customer's payment lands — or over the fixed short term you choose, whichever suits your cashflow better.
- Settle early if it lands soonerInterest is simple and non-compounding, so if the invoice pays sooner than expected, settling early reduces the total cost.
What bridging a late invoice could cost
Say a £4,000 invoice is 30 days overdue and you bridge £350 of the resulting shortfall for 42 days. With 0.25% per day simple interest and a £5 one-off fee, here is the whole cost.
- Amount bridged
- £350.00
- Term
- 42 days
- One-off establishment fee
- £5
- Interest (simple, on principal)
- £36.75
- Total to repay
- £391.75
- Roughly per week
- £65.29 over 6 payments
Illustration only, not a quote. Use the calculator to price your own amount and term.
Short-term borrowing is expensive relative to bank lending — only borrow when the cost is less than the gap it closes. Total cost is capped at 100% of the amount borrowed, so you will never repay more than double. Lending is to the company; there is no personal guarantee.
Chasing the payment itself
Bridging the gap does not replace chasing the invoice. A polite, consistent follow-up process — a reminder at the due date, a phone call a week later, a formal notice if it continues — recovers more late payments than most businesses expect, and statutory late payment interest may also apply under UK law.
- Confirm the invoice was received and query-free as early as possible
- Follow up in writing at the due date, then by phone shortly after
- Know your statutory right to claim interest on qualifying late business-to-business debts
- For a persistent pattern with one customer, consider tightening their credit terms going forward
Who can apply
- UK limited company or LLP (we lend to the body corporate — not to sole traders or individuals).
- At least 6 months trading.
- A current UK business bank account.
- A director identity check (you act as the company's authorised representative, not as a personal borrower).
- No personal guarantee required — the obligation sits with the company.
Late invoice finance — questions
Can a limited company get short-term finance for a late-paying customer?
Yes. A Credit Corp short-term business loan can bridge the gap a late invoice creates for a UK limited company or LLP. You borrow against the shortfall and repay over a fixed short term or when the invoice clears.
Does this replace chasing the invoice myself?
No — bridging the cashflow gap and recovering the debt are separate things. We recommend continuing your normal credit-control process alongside using short-term finance to keep trading in the meantime.
What does it cost to bridge a late invoice?
Interest is 0.25% per day on the principal (simple, not compounding), plus a £5 one-off establishment fee, with the total cost capped at 100% of the amount borrowed. A worked example is above — use the calculator to price your own figure.
How quickly can the money arrive?
Most decisions come back the same working day. Apply online in a few minutes; if approved, funds are typically released to your business bank account quickly.
Bridge your late invoice
See exactly what a Credit Corp business loan would cost against your shortfall, then apply when it fits. Most decisions come back the same working day.
Credit Corp lends to UK limited companies and LLPs under the body-corporate exemption (Articles 60B and 60L of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) Order 2001). This is not consumer lending. The Financial Ombudsman Service and Financial Services Compensation Scheme do not apply. Full details: regulatory status and responsible lending policy.