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Factoring vs loan calculator

Enter the invoice amount, the factoring fee, the short-term loan rate, and the period a loan would otherwise be needed for. The calculator compares the cost of both options.

Result

Difference (loan minus factoring)

Factoring cost
Loan cost over the same period

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This calculation is for informational purposes only and does not replace advice from a qualified professional. Formulas and rates may not fit your exact situation — double-check the figures before making decisions.

How it is calculated

Factoring cost = invoice amount × fee ÷ 100 — a fixed charge that doesn't explicitly depend on time. Loan cost over the same period = amount × rate ÷ 100 × days ÷ 365 — grows proportionally with the number of days. Difference = loan cost − factoring cost: a positive number means the loan costs more than factoring.

Since the factoring fee is usually fixed while loan cost grows linearly with time, a loan often ends up cheaper than factoring over short periods, and more expensive over long ones — factoring has a characteristic break-even period against a loan that depends on the ratio of the fee to the rate.

The comparison only accounts for direct money cost — factoring also takes the risk of buyer non-payment off the company's books (if it's non-recourse factoring) and doesn't add debt to the balance sheet, while a loan requires collateral and raises debt metrics. The calculation doesn't capture these qualitative differences.

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