Trade finance

Export finance

Use export invoices as collateral so you can manufacture without waiting for overseas customers to pay. Often paired with export factoring and export credit insurance, enabling open-account terms.

Apply for Export financeLearn moreOn qedfinance.com
Range
By export book
Term
Invoice cycle
Family
trade
Search
Full market, one file

At a glance

  • Receivables as collateral
  • Open-account terms
  • Export insurance available
  • Faster sales cycle

How it works

  1. 1You use export receivables as collateral for a line of credit.
  2. 2That lets you manufacture and take new orders without waiting for overseas customers to pay.
  3. 3Often paired with export factoring and export credit insurance so you can offer open-account terms.

Who it’s for

  • UK exporters selling on credit to overseas buyers
  • Manufacturers whose production cycle is longer than the customer’s willingness to pay in advance

Good to know

Insurance on the debtor (and sometimes the country) is what makes open-account exporting bankable.

One application with QED searches the full market. That saves you running the same file around several lenders, and it avoids multiple credit searches on the business and directors. A hard search is only placed when you proceed with a chosen lender.

Documents QED will ask for

Same list as the attach-files section on the website application. Tick what you have when you apply; email the rest.

  • Last published accounts (full accounts, not abbreviated)
  • Latest management accounts if year-end is stale
  • Last 3 months’ business bank statements
  • Pro-forma invoice
  • Purchase order
  • Commercial invoice
  • Contract of sale
  • Transport document / bill of lading (if shipped)
  • Buyer and supplier names and addresses

FAQ

Drawn from qedfinance.com and the way the UK market actually underwrites these facilities.

Can I offer open-account terms to win the order?

That is the usual aim. The financier and insurer take the non-payment risk; you get paid against the invoice.

How does this help me win orders?

You can offer open-account terms to overseas buyers because the financier (often with export credit insurance) funds you against the invoice. That removes a common barrier to international sales.

Is this the same as export factoring?

Export finance is often packaged as export factoring — funding plus collections and insurance against overseas invoices.

Why not just pay by telegraphic transfer?

A plain TT is fast but puts all risk on the buyer — you may pay for goods that never ship or fail quality. An open account does the opposite and loads the exporter. Trade finance is the middle path.

Can products be combined?

Yes. Import finance is often paired with a letter of credit and then repaid from invoice finance once goods are sold on.

Ready to discuss this facility?

Start a short application and QED will help you compare the available market.

Start an application

QED is a broker, not a lender. A low credit score can limit options with some houses; a search with us does not place a hard search on the business or directors until you proceed with a chosen lender.