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Get my 3 quotes →Skipton Business Finance can suit a smaller professional services firm, such as accountants, consultants, architects or surveyors, that wants confidential invoice discounting so clients are not told about the lender. Skipton publishes no formal minimum turnover, but says it has arranged confidential discounting for businesses as small as £100,000. It advances up to 90% and does not publish its fees. Market Invoice compares the UK providers that fit this need, and you can get 3 free quotes through our introduction partner, a UK invoice finance provider.
What this page covers
This page covers
what Skipton Business Finance publishes, confidential discounting for smaller professional firms, and other lenders to compare
Not covered here
Provider review across all sectors (see /providers/skipton/), law firm specifics (see /best/legal-llp-invoice-finance/)
Why confidentiality matters
With factoring, the lender collects payment from your clients, so they know a lender is involved. With confidential invoice discounting, you keep chasing your own invoices and clients are not told. Some banks set higher bars for it: HSBC publishes a £1m minimum and NatWest £300k. Skipton says it will look at smaller firms that have good systems and a strong accounts function (Skipton Business Finance).
What Skipton publishes
| Item | Skipton Business Finance |
|---|---|
| Advance | Up to 90% of the invoice value |
| Minimum turnover | No formal minimum published. It says it has arranged confidential discounting at turnover as small as £100,000. |
| Service charge and discount charge | Not published (agreed per facility) |
| Skipton Select (factoring) | Set-up fee plus a service charge set by turnover band. No figures published. |
Sources: Skipton Business Finance's website, its small business invoice discounting page and its Skipton Select page.
When Skipton is worth a quote
- Your firm turns over less than £1m and you want clients not to be told about the lender.
- You bill clients regularly and keep good, up-to-date accounts.
- You are below the £750k minimum that Close Brothers and Aldermore publish.
When to look elsewhere as well
- Your turnover is under £100,000. Bibby Financial Services and Ultimate Finance publish no minimum turnover.
- You only want to fund the odd large invoice. A single-invoice lender such as Hydr may fit better.
- Your turnover is £750k or more. Get quotes from Close Brothers and Aldermore too.
Other lenders to compare
| Lender | Published minimum turnover | Paid up front | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skipton Business Finance | None published (the smallest it says it has funded, not a formal minimum) | Up to 90% | skiptonbusinessfinance.co.uk |
| Lloyds Bank Commercial Finance | £100k (invoice discounting only) | Up to 90% | lloydsbank.com |
| NatWest Invoice Finance | £300k (invoice discounting) | Up to 90% | natwest.com |
| Bibby Financial Services | None published | Up to 85% | bibbyfinancialservices.com |
| Ultimate Finance | None published | Up to 95% | ultimatefinance.co.uk |
| Close Brothers Invoice Finance | £750k | Up to 90% | closeinvoice.co.uk |
Figures as published on each lender's own website, checked 14 October 2026. None of these lenders publishes its fees.
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Skipton Professional Services FAQ
Why look at Skipton for a professional services firm?
Skipton Business Finance is owned by Skipton Building Society. It offers confidential invoice discounting, where your clients are not told about the lender, and it says it has arranged this for businesses with turnover as small as £100,000. That suits a firm that would rather its clients did not know.
Does Skipton publish a minimum turnover?
No formal minimum. Skipton says it has arranged confidential invoice discounting for small businesses with turnover as small as £100,000, where the business has good systems and a strong accounts function. Treat £100,000 as a guide to how small it will go, not a published rule.
How does that compare with the banks?
HSBC publishes a £1m minimum for invoice discounting and NatWest £300k. Lloyds publishes £100k and Barclays publishes no minimum. Close Brothers and Aldermore publish £750k.
What does Skipton charge?
Skipton does not publish its fees. It agrees the service charge per facility. Its Skipton Select factoring product has a set-up fee plus a service charge set by your turnover band, with no figures published. Skipton publishes advances up to 90%. Get a written quote and compare it with others on the same figures.
Skipton or Close Brothers?
Close Brothers publishes a £750k minimum, so a smaller firm may only have Skipton of the two. Both advance up to 90% and neither publishes its fees. If you are over £750k, get a quote from each.