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Selective & Spot Finance

Selective invoice finance for one invoice or chosen debtors

Explore funding against specific invoices or selected customers where a provider offers an alternative to a whole-ledger facility.
Alternatives to whole-ledger fundingSingle-invoice optionsTransaction-based pricing may be availableMay suit occasional cashflow gaps

How selective funding gives you control

Transaction-based options

Some products charge against the selected transaction rather than an entire ledger. Minimum, verification and other fees still depend on the provider.

No whole-ledger lock-in

Avoid assigning your entire turnover. If 80% of your customers pay on time, you can selectively fund the 20% that pay on 90-day terms.

Focused assessment

A provider assesses the chosen invoice and debtor. Setup and funding times still depend on verification, documents and provider processes.

Single invoice, selective debtor and spot factoring compared

While often used interchangeably, there are technical differences in how these flexible products operate:

  • Spot Factoring (Single Invoice): A purely transactional arrangement. You sell one specific invoice to a lender. Once the customer pays, the transaction is finished. There is no ongoing facility.
  • Selective Debtor Finance: A revolving facility, but restricted to nominated customers. For example, you might assign all invoices for your largest three customers, but leave the rest of your ledger unfunded.
  • Selective debtor finance: Facilities where you may have flexibility to nominate debtor accounts, subject to provider agreement.

Pricing per transaction vs a whole-ledger facility

A hypothetical illustration only. Actual transaction pricing, reserves and payment timing vary by provider.

Single Invoice Value£50,000
Advance rate (85%)£42,500
Flat transaction fee (e.g., 4% for 30 days)- £2,000
Net advance to business£40,500
Balance paid on settlement£7,500

For illustration only. Exact advances, fees, and reserves depend on your provider, sector, and debtor quality.

Which invoices are usually eligible?

Because the lender does not have the security of your entire ledger to spread their risk, they are highly rigorous about which individual invoices they will fund.

The ideal invoice is:

  • B2B (owed by another business or government entity).
  • Owed by a debtor with a strong, verifiable credit rating.
  • For goods completely delivered or services fully signed off (no milestone or stage payments).
  • Undisputed, with a clear paper trail (signed timesheets, delivery notes, or purchase orders).

When selective funding becomes expensive or unsuitable

Potentially higher transaction cost

Compare the total pounds payable and all fees with a whole-ledger option on the same assumptions. A short-term transaction fee should not be presented as directly equivalent to an annual interest rate without specialist review.

Administrative burden

Funding invoices piecemeal requires constant uploading, verification, and notification for each new transaction.

Customer verification

A provider may contact the customer or require acknowledgement to verify that the invoice is valid and undisputed before making funds available.

Review frequent use

If selective transactions become frequent, compare the complete cost and operational burden with a whole-ledger facility.

Who you could speak to

Graham Nash, Commercial Finance Director at Sorbus Finance

Graham Nash

Commercial Finance Director

Business loans, cash flow and wider commercial funding

Profile
Arran Turner, Managing Director at Sorbus Finance

Arran Turner

Managing Director

General commercial finance and how Sorbus works

Profile
  1. STEP 1

    A conversation with a broker

    You talk to a real Sorbus broker about the business, the purpose and what is affordable. No application at this stage.

  2. STEP 2

    Credit placement

    If you choose to go further, we prepare the case and decide which lenders on our panel of 150+ are worth approaching.

  3. STEP 3

    Lender assessment

    The lender, not Sorbus, underwrites and makes the credit decision. Approval is never guaranteed.

  4. STEP 4

    Documentation

    If a lender offers terms and you accept, we help coordinate agreements and payout paperwork with you.

Every step after the first is optional. You can stop after the conversation. Sorbus is a broker, not a lender.

Client journey

Explore real client journeys

Read how real businesses approached a funding goal, what Sorbus arranged and what happened next.

Browse anonymised case studies
Enquire about Selective Invoice Finance

Start with a conversation

Tell us a little about what you need and who you would like to speak to. No obligation, no credit check at this stage. We aim to respond within one business day, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:30pm.

A preference, not an appointment. We pass it on where we can. We aim to respond within one business day, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:30pm. This is an aim, not a guaranteed callback time.

We will use your details to respond to your enquiry. We may share information with our principal, lenders and service providers where necessary, or where required by law, as explained in our Privacy Policy. Marketing emails are optional and depend on your separate choice.

Prefer to call?

Speak directly to an adviser Monday–Friday, 9am–5:30pm.

01246 383500

Free call. No obligation.

Unique to Sorbus Finance

Optional: Business Finance Health Check

Before applying for selective invoice finance, understand your lending readiness, resilience score, and exit strategy, in under 5 minutes.

Take the short Health Check

Free · No credit check · Not required before you talk

Want the full picture? The full fact-find is longer and also optional.

In almost all circumstances we do not charge a broker fee. Should a broker fee be chargeable you will be made aware clearly in advance and it will be agreed in writing before you proceed. Read our Initial Disclosure.

Sorbus Finance acts as a credit broker/introducer, not a lender. We can introduce you to lenders on our selected panel and do not search the whole market. We do not provide advice or a recommendation. Lenders determine eligibility, pricing and final terms. We may receive commission from a lender; the amount and method can vary and may affect what you pay. Read our Commission Disclosure and Complaints Procedure.

Frequently asked questions

Common questions from UK businesses about selective invoice finance.

Ready to discuss your requirements?

Speak to a Sorbus Finance specialist about a suitable selective invoice finance structure for your business. Free, no-obligation comparison across lenders on our selected panel.

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