How to Get Your Invoices Paid Early
You have done the work, sent the invoice, and now you are waiting. 30 days. 60 days. Sometimes longer. Meanwhile, you still need to pay wages, buy materials, and keep the lights on. The fastest way to get paid early is invoice finance, which releases 70-95% of your invoice value within 24 hours. But it is not the only option.
Quick Reference
Direct Answer
The five main ways to get invoices paid early are: invoice finance (fastest, 70-95% within 24 hours), early payment discounts (offer 2-5% off for payment within 10 days), shorter payment terms (negotiate 14-day terms upfront), systematic chasing (structured follow-up process), and collection agencies (last resort, 10-25% commission).
Summary
Invoice finance is the fastest and most reliable option — it does not depend on your customer's willingness to pay early. Early payment discounts work but reduce your margin. Shorter terms only work with new clients. Chasing is free but time-consuming. Collection agencies damage relationships.
This Page Covers
Five methods to accelerate invoice payments for UK B2B businesses, with costs and timelines for each
Not Covered Here
Detailed invoice finance comparison (see /compare/), specific provider reviews (see /providers/), cost calculator (see /calculator/)
Your 5 Options, Ranked by Speed
1. Invoice Finance — Get 70-95% Within 24 Hours
You send your invoice to a finance provider instead of (or as well as) your customer. They advance you most of the value immediately. When your customer pays, you get the remainder minus a small fee (0.5-3%). This is the only option where you are not dependent on your customer doing anything differently.
Setup: 3-10 days | Cost: 0.5-3% per invoice | How it works →
2. Early Payment Discounts
Offer your customer 2-5% off if they pay within 10 days instead of 30. Some customers jump at this — especially large companies with cash on hand. The downside: you are giving away margin every single time, and not every customer will take you up on it.
Speed: depends on customer | Cost: 2-5% of every discounted invoice
3. Negotiate Shorter Payment Terms
Before you start work, agree on 14-day payment terms instead of 30 or 60. Easier said than done — large customers set their own terms and do not budge. Works best with new clients where you still have negotiating power.
Speed: only works for future invoices | Cost: free
4. Systematic Chasing
Send a reminder on day 1 (yes, the day the invoice is due). Follow up on day 7. Call on day 14. Escalate on day 21. Most late payments are not deliberate — they are just low priority. A structured follow-up process can cut average payment times by 10-15 days.
Speed: gradual improvement | Cost: your time
5. Collection Agency
For invoices that are genuinely overdue (60+ days past terms), a collection agency can recover the money. They charge 10-25% commission. Use this as a last resort — it will likely end the customer relationship.
Speed: 2-8 weeks | Cost: 10-25% commission
Why Invoice Finance Is Usually the Best Answer
The other four options all depend on your customer changing their behaviour. Invoice finance does not. You send the invoice, you get paid the same day. Your customer still pays on their normal terms — they do not even need to know about the arrangement if you use confidential invoice discounting.
And unlike early payment discounts (which cost you 2-5% every time), invoice finance typically costs 0.5-3%. For most businesses, it is actually cheaper than bribing customers to pay early.
Oliver Mackman
Director, Market Invoice
Oliver leads Market Invoice's editorial and comparison research. With a background in UK commercial finance, he oversees provider analysis, rate verification, and industry reporting across all verticals.
Last reviewed: 7 April 2026