The main difference is when they're used. Invoice factoring is used after a business sells goods or services. PO financing, available only to businesses that sell tangible goods, is used before selling anything. In addition, invoice factoring is usually faster than PO financing.
Forfaiting is the provision of medium-term financial support for the import and export of capital goods. Major sources of export financing are working capital financing, countertrade, factoring, and forfaiting.
Factoring and forfeiting differ in eligible receivables terms and risk coverage. Factoring and bills discounting both provide short term financing but differ in recourse, collection responsibilities, additional services, and treatment of individual bills.
Purpose: Factoring is typically used to obtain short-term financing, while forfaiting is used to manage long-term trade receivables. Types of assets: Factoring involves the sale of accounts receivable, while forfaiting involves the sale of trade receivables, such as promissory notes and bills of exchange.
Letter of Credit (L/C) forfaiting allows an exporter to receive up–front payment for selling L/C–based receivables at a discount on a non–recourse basis.
Forfaiting is a mechanism where an exporter's rights to export receivables such as letters of credit or bills of exchange are purchased by a financial intermediary called a forfaiter without recourse to the exporter.
Factoring involves the sale of short-term accounts receivables, typically due within 90 days or less, while forfaiting involves the sale of medium to long-term accounts receivables.
Forfaiting example The exporter and importer form a sales contract. The exporter delivers the goods to the importer. The importer's bank provides a payment guarantee. Trade documents are exchanged between the importer and the exporter.
Recourse factoring is the most common and means that your company must buy back any invoices that the factoring company is unable to collect payment on. You are ultimately responsible for any non-payment. Non-recourse factoring means the factoring company assumes most of the risk of non-payment by your customers.
Difference between forfaiting and discounting Forfaiting is a non-recourse financing arrangement, in which the exporter is no longer liable for the receivables if the importer defaults. Discounting is a recourse financing arrangement, in which the exporter remains liable for the receivables if the importer defaults.