Skipton Business Finance vs Close Brothers Invoice Finance

Skipton Business Finance, a specialist invoice finance provider that is part of Skipton Building Society, offers a range of working capital solutions for UK SMEs including invoice factoring, invoice discounting and asset based lending as shown on its business finance overview. Close Brothers Invoice Finance, part of Close Brothers Group, provides a similar mix of invoice finance and asset based lending facilities, described on its invoice finance product page. Both lenders focus on unlocking cash tied up in unpaid invoices rather than providing traditional term loans, although they use slightly different structures and target customer profiles based on information published on Skipton’s invoice factoring page and Close Brothers’ asset based lending page. This comparison looks at their products, costs, service and suitability for different types of business, drawing only on verifiable public information as of 2026. It is designed to support Funding Agent readers who are weighing up invoice finance providers rather than to recommend either lender.

1. Products and terms at a glance

Both Skipton Business Finance and Close Brothers Invoice Finance are focused on invoice finance rather than unsecured term loans, using unpaid customer invoices as the main security. Skipton Business Finance Skipton Business Finance markets several core invoice based products on its business finance overview page and related product pages:

• Invoice factoring, where Skipton advances a percentage of each invoice and provides credit control, described on its invoice factoring page.
• Confidential invoice factoring, combining funding with outsourced credit control but on a confidential basis according to its confidential invoice factoring page.
• Invoice discounting, a facility where the business retains control of collections while drawing funds against unpaid invoices, outlined on its invoice discounting page.
• Asset based lending, combining invoice finance with funding secured on assets such as stock or plant, referenced on its business finance overview.
• Specialist variants such as Skipton Select and LedgerLite, noted on its homepage as simplified or entry level invoice finance options.

Skipton’s eligibility information is not centralised on a single page, but guidance on its invoice discounting for small businesses page indicates that many traditional invoice discounting providers require minimum turnover of £2 million and multi year profitability, which Skipton characterises as excluding smaller firms, suggesting that its own criteria can accommodate smaller SMEs compared with some banks. Exact minimum turnover, sector and trading history criteria for each Skipton product vary and are not fully disclosed online, so applicants should assume requirements vary and will be confirmed during underwriting. Close Brothers Invoice Finance Close Brothers Invoice Finance sets out its core products on its invoice finance overview page and supporting pages:

• Invoice finance in the form of factoring and invoice discounting for SMEs, where it advances a proportion of invoice value to support cash flow, as explained on its invoice finance page.
• Invoice discounting as a specific product, providing funding while the client manages collections, detailed on its invoice discounting page.
• Asset based lending (ABL), primarily for larger companies with annual turnover in excess of £5 million seeking funding against a pool of assets such as receivables, stock, property, plant and machinery, described on its asset based lending page.
• Use of invoice finance within the UK government Growth Guarantee Scheme via Close Brothers’ banking division, referenced on Close Brothers Group’s invoice finance page.

Close Brothers states that asset based lending is primarily aimed at larger companies with turnover above £5 million and higher funding needs on its ABL page. It does not publish detailed turnover or trading history thresholds for standard invoice finance facilities, so eligibility varies and is assessed case by case, consistent with the SME focus set out on its About Us page. High level product comparison At a headline level, both lenders offer similar product types, but their focus differs slightly:

• Both provide factoring and discounting, but Skipton presents additional branded variants aimed at smaller SMEs and start ups on its homepage, whereas Close Brothers emphasises larger asset based lending structures on its ABL page.
• Close Brothers explicitly positions ABL for businesses with turnover above £5 million on its ABL product description, while Skipton does not publish a specific turnover range, so Skipton may be more visible to smaller businesses but actual criteria still vary.
• Both lenders are part of larger financial groups, Skipton Building Society and Close Brothers Group respectively, as noted on Skipton’s homepage and Close Brothers’ About Us page, which can be relevant if group stability matters to the borrower.

2. Costs and repayments in practice

Neither lender publishes full pricing tables or standard rate cards for invoice finance facilities. Instead, both describe pricing as tailored, and they typically quote fees after assessing turnover, debtor quality and risk. Skipton Business Finance, costs and structure Skipton describes invoice factoring as giving quick access to a percentage of each invoice’s value, with the lender taking over credit control, according to its invoice factoring page. For invoice discounting, it notes that this is often seen as an alternative to a bank loan and provides access to funds tied up in unpaid invoices, on its invoice discounting page. Specific percentages, service fees and discount charges are not shown, so actual costs vary. Skipton does highlight one simplified tariff, Skipton Select, described on its homepage as an invoice factoring solution with a simple fee structure and no interest, where the client pays a set up fee and a weekly service fee. However, it does not disclose the fee levels or typical funding limits publicly, so these details must be confirmed via a bespoke quote. Repayments under Skipton’s facilities are not instalment based in the way a term loan is. Instead, customers receive an advance when invoices are raised and funds are repaid automatically when end customers pay into the Skipton trust account, as set out in its PDF guides, such as A Guide to Invoice Discounting. Close Brothers Invoice Finance, costs and structure Close Brothers explains that invoice finance advances cash against outstanding invoices, with clients accessing a proportion of each invoice value while customers take 30 to 90 days to pay, on its invoice finance page. It does not list standard advance rates or fees for invoice discounting or factoring on public pages, so precise costs vary and depend on facility size, sector and risk. For asset based lending, Close Brothers notes that ABL supports larger funding requirements by lending against a wider pool of assets such as receivables, stock, machinery and property, as stated on its ABL page. Pricing for ABL facilities is similarly not specified online and must be agreed individually. Repayments for Close Brothers invoice finance operate in the same general way as other invoice finance facilities, with the advance repaid when customers settle invoices and the remaining balance, less fees, passed to the client. This is implied by the product descriptions on its invoice finance page, although the precise mechanics are set out in facility agreements rather than public web content. Illustrative comparison table The table below summarises structural differences based on publicly available descriptions. Where exact figures are not published, entries are marked as Varies. Worked example 1, factoring facility (illustrative only) Assumptions for comparison, clearly illustrative because neither lender publishes standard pricing:

• Your business turns over £1.2 million a year with average 45 day payment terms.
• You have £100,000 of eligible invoices outstanding at any time.
• Both lenders advance 80 percent of invoice value and charge a combination of service and discount fees equivalent to a moderate market level, although actual pricing varies.

Under either Skipton or Close Brothers factoring:

• You could draw around £80,000 against the £100,000 ledger.
• When customers pay, the lender collects £100,000, repays the £80,000 advance, deducts its fees and passes the remaining balance back to you.
• If annual fees totalled 4 percent of turnover in this example, purely for illustration, total annual cost would be £48,000. Actual percentages will differ and must be confirmed by quote.

Worked example 2, asset based lending structure (illustrative only) Assumptions based on the structure described by Close Brothers on its ABL page and similar structures used by Skipton asset based lending:

• Business turnover £10 million, with £2 million in trade debtors, £1 million in stock and £3 million in plant and property.
• The lender advances, for illustration only, 80 percent against debtors and 50 percent against stock, plus a term loan element against property, although actual advance rates and property gearing vary.

Illustrative facility line:

• £1.6 million against receivables plus £0.5 million against stock equals £2.1 million revolving facility.
• Separate property loan of, for example, up to £1.5 million, depending on valuation and risk appetite, though actual amounts vary.

Both Skipton and Close Brothers can deliver such multi asset structures, but Close Brothers positions ABL more explicitly for larger transactions on its ABL page, whereas Skipton presents ABL as part of a broader SME product suite on its product overview.

3. Speed and service

Neither lender publishes standard application to funding timescales, so speed varies and depends heavily on deal complexity, security and the quality of customer information. Skipton Business Finance service model Skipton emphasises relationship driven support and human underwriting as part of a building society group. Its content in the Information Hub, such as The Information Hub, highlights guides, videos and client documents that support ongoing use of its E3 client platform. Its article on finding the right provider notes that it aims to understand individual business requirements and create flexible solutions, as stated in its guide to choosing an invoice finance provider. For day to day customer support, Skipton provides phone and regional office contact details on its Contact Us page. It also outlines a complaints procedure with response times and escalation routes on its complaints page. Close Brothers Invoice Finance service model Close Brothers also positions itself as relationship focused, with a national team working with SMEs, as outlined on its About Us page. It provides an online customer portal called CloseNet, with support information on its CloseNet FAQs page, covering tasks such as uploading invoices and reviewing availability. For customers in difficulty, Close Brothers describes its approach to support and forbearance on its financial difficulty page. The formal complaints process, including contact methods and escalation, is set out on its complaints page. Because neither lender discloses typical approval or drawdown times as of 2026, it is accurate only to say that actual speed varies, especially for more complex ABL deals that require collateral valuations and legal work.

4. Who each lender suits

Given the limited published eligibility data, this section focuses on how each lender presents itself rather than on fixed thresholds. Skipton Business Finance, likely fit Skipton describes itself as providing finance options for both small and larger businesses and emphasises invoice finance solutions that can support start ups and established SMEs, as stated on its homepage. It also publishes dedicated guidance for smaller businesses considering invoice discounting on its invoice discounting for small businesses page. This positioning suggests Skipton may be well suited to:

• Owner managed SMEs that value a hands on relationship and support with credit control, given its focus on factoring and regional teams as noted on its Contact Us page.
• Businesses that want a simplified fee structure, for example Skipton Select, though exact charges and eligibility vary, as referenced on its homepage.
• Companies that prefer a building society backed provider, as Skipton Business Finance is part of Skipton Building Society Group, according to its site.

However, without a published eligibility table, businesses with more complex structures, higher turnover or multi asset funding needs should assess Skipton’s asset based lending option carefully to confirm it can meet required facility sizes, referencing case studies and ABL references on its product pages. Close Brothers Invoice Finance, likely fit Close Brothers explicitly refers to supporting larger funding requirements via asset based lending and states that ABL is primarily used by larger companies with turnover in excess of £5 million, on its ABL page. Its SME Finance Charter statement also notes that its Invoice and Speciality Finance business works with over 2,000 small businesses providing debt factoring, invoice discounting and asset based lending, according to Close Brothers’ SME Finance Charter page. This suggests Close Brothers may be particularly suitable for:

• Mid sized and larger SMEs that need higher funding lines or multi asset ABL structures, as highlighted on its ABL product page.
• Businesses with robust financial reporting and assets beyond receivables, for example stock and machinery, that can support more complex structures.
• Firms that want integration with a broader banking relationship within Close Brothers Group, given the group’s banking activities referenced on its group invoice finance page.

Smaller or early stage businesses may still use Close Brothers’ standard invoice finance, but because the site does not highlight start ups in the same way as Skipton, these applicants should expect eligibility to vary and may face higher minimums. Secondary source cross checks Independent comparisons, such as Funding Agent’s own guide to Close Brothers versus Cynergy Business Finance on its comparison post and third party lists like Hello Aria’s overview of invoice finance providers on its 2026 invoice finance providers guide, generally describe Close Brothers as a provider that can advance a high percentage of invoice value to established SMEs, while Skipton is often presented as more focused on relationship based support for a broad SME segment, consistent with how each lender’s own materials describe their focus.

5. How to apply

Skipton Business Finance Skipton encourages businesses to make initial contact through a proposal form or regional teams:

• Its online proposal form at the Proposal page collects business details, financials and funding requirements.
• Alternative contact routes, including phone and local office details, are listed on its Contact Us page.

Skipton’s Information Hub guides, including its Invoice Finance FAQs, indicate that the lender will assess the sales ledger, customer concentration, sector and trading history before making an offer. Time from enquiry to facility activation is not specified, so it should be treated as varies. Close Brothers Invoice Finance Close Brothers invites new customers to enquire through its online channels and phone lines:

• The primary route is via the enquiry options linked from its invoice finance product page, which directs users to contact sales support.
• Direct contact details and enquiry phone numbers are set out on its Contact Us page.

Once engaged, Close Brothers will review financial statements, debtor book quality and available assets for security. Its CloseNet documentation on the CloseNet FAQs page shows that after onboarding, clients use an online portal to upload invoices and monitor availability. As with Skipton, specific approval times or onboarding durations are not disclosed and therefore vary.

6. Final verdict

Both Skipton Business Finance and Close Brothers Invoice Finance are established invoice finance providers backed by long standing UK financial institutions. The best choice depends less on brand and more on business size, asset profile and whether you want a straightforward factoring relationship or a more complex ABL structure. Choose Skipton Business Finance if:

• You are a small or mid sized SME that values relationship driven support and regional account management.
• You want traditional factoring with outsourced credit control and potentially a simplified fee structure such as Skipton Select, subject to eligibility.
• You prefer dealing with a provider that positions itself as accessible to smaller businesses and offers educational resources and guides to help you understand invoice finance.
• Your main requirement is to unlock working capital from receivables rather than to build a large multi asset ABL structure.

Choose Close Brothers Invoice Finance if:

• Your business has turnover above £5 million and you want to explore asset based lending across receivables, stock and fixed assets.
• You need higher funding limits or more complex structures than basic factoring, for example growth, acquisitions or management buyouts.
• You value integration with a wider banking group that already serves many SMEs through multiple divisions.
• You are comfortable with a more bespoke pricing approach and are prepared to negotiate facility terms based on your assets and risk profile.

In practice, Funding Agent readers may wish to obtain indicative proposals from both lenders, compare advance rates, covenants and service style, and weigh those against alternative invoice finance or asset finance options listed on Funding Agent before deciding.

7. Sources

• Skipton Business Finance homepage
• Skipton Business Finance, business finance overview
• Skipton Business Finance, invoice factoring product page
• Skipton Business Finance, confidential invoice factoring page
• Skipton Business Finance, invoice discounting product page
• Skipton Business Finance, invoice discounting for small businesses guide
• Skipton Business Finance, invoice finance FAQs
• Skipton Business Finance, Information Hub
• Skipton Business Finance, complaints procedure
• Skipton Business Finance, contact page
• Skipton Business Finance, online proposal form
• Skipton Business Finance, Guide to Factoring PDF
• Skipton Business Finance, Guide to Invoice Discounting PDF
• Skipton Business Finance, finding the perfect invoice finance provider guide
• Close Brothers Invoice Finance, invoice finance product page
• Close Brothers Invoice Finance, invoice discounting page
• Close Brothers Invoice Finance, asset based lending page
• Close Brothers Invoice Finance, About Us page
• Close Brothers Invoice Finance, CloseNet FAQs
• Close Brothers Invoice Finance, financial difficulty support
• Close Brothers Invoice Finance, complaints procedure
• Close Brothers Invoice Finance, contact page
• Close Brothers Group, invoice finance overview
• Close Brothers Group, SME Finance Charter
• Capitalise, 7 top invoice finance providers 2026 comparison
• Hello Aria, top invoice financing providers in the UK 2026
• Funding Agent, Close Brothers Invoice Finance vs Cynergy Business Finance comparison
• Funding Agent, Skipton Business Finance review