Factoring with Credit Protection Guide Invoice Finance
Why are we providing this guide? As part of our commitment to treating clients fairly we want to provide you with information which is clear and gives you a good understanding of our product. This guide provides an overview of the key features of your Factoring with Credit Protection facility. Capitalised words carry the same meaning as defined in the Factoring Terms or Agreement between us. FacFlow how does it work? We realise you want to manage your account as quickly and easily as possible. With this in mind we have designed FacFlow TM a system that actually reduces your administration burden. Benefits of FacFlow Fast you can usually make requests and receive payments on the same working day. Intuitive the system is well designed and easy to use. Robust FacFlow can handle large volumes with ease. Thorough FacFlow is extremely comprehensive, and can produce reports. Well supported most customers who call our Web business support team have their queries resolved by the end of the call. Accredited FacFlow has been accredited by the Institute for Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), under its IT Accredited Product Scheme. Visit the ICAEW website for further information at www.icaew.com Online use FacFlow anywhere you have an internet connection, anytime. Submitting Invoices Schedules for Existing Customers and New Customers can be submitted through FacFlow. This will contain a listing of the dates, invoice numbers and values of the invoices. Each invoice and every copy of it, including the customer copy and your file copy, must have the Notice of Assignment. FacFlow will then be updated on the same day so you can see exactly what funds you have available to draw down. Other Adjustments to your Ledger You must send a schedule on a weekly basis as a minimum, detailing all changes to your sales ledger including invoices, credit notes, settlement discount and any other adjustments e.g. bad debt write off. Notices of Assignment All invoices raised that are notified to RBS Invoice Finance must contain the below assignment notice. This highlights to the customer that the debt belongs to RBS Invoice Finance. The debt due under this invoice has been assigned and must be paid to RBS Invoice Finance Limited, Smith House, PO Box 50, Elmwood Avenue, Feltham, Middlesex TW13 7QD. Only payment to RBS Invoice Finance Limited will discharge your liability for the debt. 2 Factoring with Credit Protection Guide May 2015
Ineligible items which may affect the mount of funding available Ineligible Debts are withheld from the payment availability calculation; reasons may include: invoices in dispute customer accounts where we have commenced legal action customer balances subject to direct payment customer balances which have exceeded the limit set by RBS Invoice Finance customer balances which have exceeded the concentration limit customer accounts which are overdue. Ineligible items can be viewed on the FacFlow Payment Availability Screen. 1. Dispute notices If we become aware that a customer is disputing an invoice or their liability to pay, a dispute notice will be notified to you via FacFlow. In such cases you must contact your customer directly in order to resolve the query or dispute. If you agree that a credit is due then a credit note must be issued and you must notify to us that you have done so. If you disagree with your customer s comments, a detailed written reply must be sent directly to them. Copies of all correspondence must also be sent to your Credit Controller, referring to our dispute notice. If a dispute is not answered within 35 working days, the invoices in question may, at our discretion, be automatically reassigned to you. 2. Legal action We have the option of resorting to legal action if outstanding invoices have not been paid following our normal collection efforts. You will be notified via FacFlow. 3. Direct payments Any customer cheques received by you in respect of invoices notified (or offered) to us must be forwarded to us immediately on receipt, together with any remittance advice(s) received. Any electronic payments received by you from your customers must be forwarded to us immediately on receipt, together with any remittance advice(s) received. 4. Limit exceeded When the balance outstanding on a customer s account exceeds the funding limit set, the difference between the set limit and the amount outstanding on the customer s account is held back from the payment availability calculation. An increase in the funding limit can be requested through FacFlow. If we provide you with a non-recourse facility we set credit limits. Again before or when your balance outstanding on a customer s account exceeds the credit limit an increase can be requested through FacFlow. 5. Concentration The concentration limit is a percentage specified by RBS Invoice Finance of the total outstanding ledger balances from all your customers. If any individual customer balance exceeds the set concentration limit percentage, the balance in excess of this will be held back from the payment availability calculation. 6. Overdue accounts Debts at your risk ( C risk) Debts at your risk will be notified via FacFlow and on Reports will be shown as C risk. Invoices become overdue when they are a number of days (as set out in the Schedule of your Factoring Agreement) past the due date i.e. 60 days. At this point, the value of the relevant invoices will be held back from the payment availability calculation. How to find detailed information on your customers Customer Listings Customer Listings are available from FacFlow and include the following information: Customer name Customer account number Customer address Customer limit Customer account status To find the information you require, select Customers which enables you to Find, Filter, Sort and View data. Factoring with Credit Protection Guide May 2015 3
The screen will also show you which items are in dispute or have become overdue, or where legal action has commenced. A Customer Details Summary Report can be printed and email messages to RBS Invoice Finance can be created in relation to specific customers. Limit increases can be requested from this screen. Notes for submitting an increase in customer limit Limited Companies We will require the full registered name of the company and the correct company registration number. Non-Limited Companies We will require details of the proprietors full names and their business address. The customer details must be completed accurately in order for a decision to be made on the limit requested. Customer Limit Availability The Customer Limit and Status report accessed from the Reports section details the customer s balance, any amounts at your risk ( C risk), the current customer limit, the amount available for your use and the status of the customer s account. Invoices at our (Factors ) risk are defined as F risk. If we have commenced legal action against any customer the limit will be removed. Please note all invoices must be notified/offered to us whether or not we have set a customer limit. Statements How do I check the activity on our facility? Client Accounting Two statements are produced each calendar month reflecting your accounts with us, the Debts Purchased Control Account and the Client Account. Summaries from both of the accounts give an overview of the information that is contained within them. The details of both statements can be viewed in the Accounts screen or from the Reports menu in FacFlow. Debts Purchased Control Account The Debts Purchased Control Account will mirror your sales ledger by showing the Notification/ Offer Schedules and Credit Note Listings received by RBS Invoice Finance, including: Invoices notified/offered to us Payments received from customers Discounts allowed to customers Credit Note Listings etc. Client Account This account records all other transactions with RBS Invoice Finance, service charges and VAT thereon. The discounting charge agreed between us is accrued on a daily basis on the balance of the Client Account and is debited to the Client Account on the last day of the month. Service charge is debited to your client account every time you notify an invoice schedule. You should retain copies of these statements for accounting purposes. Reports The reports available from FacFlow are listed below. By clicking on Reports, FacFlow will guide you through the relevant information needed, such as date ranges or specific parameters for a search. Aged Analysis Bad Debt Protection Report Aged Analysis Detail Aged Analysis Summary Cancelled and Post-Dated Cheques Customer Cash List Cleared Open Item Client Account Detail Client Non-Standard Terms Client Risk detailed/summary Customer Limit and Status Customer Limit Requests Customer Name and Address 4 Factoring with Credit Protection Guide May 2015
Customer Open Items Customer Sales Debts Purchased Account Report Direct Debits Disputes Legal Actions Overdue Open Items Client Account Transactions Report Customer Accounting Transactions Report User Administration Notification Offer of debts report The Help screens may be used to access a description of the above reports. These screens will also explain how to filter and sort through the information. Key Report Aged Debtor Analysis Report The Aged Debtor Analysis Report is an open item report available on FacFlow, that provides the total amount of outstanding invoices on each customer account, the overdue amount and any unapplied credits (UAC). Unapplied credits are included in the account balance. UACs occur where a payment has been received with no remittance advice, where a payment has been made on account or where credit notes have been issued by you. The overdue columns i.e. 1-30, 31-60, 61-90 and 90+ days, indicate the number of days past due date of outstanding invoices. The Aged Debtor Analysis Report can be found by clicking on the FacFlow Report icon and selecting from the menu. FAQs 1. What availability do I have to draw down today? This can be found on FacFlow on the payment availability screen. 2. Can invoices be loaded if they are faxed to RBS Invoice Finance? No, schedules of invoices, credit notes etc need to be notified via FacFlow. This can be done through the input menu. 3. How do I open a new debtor account? This can be set up through FacFlow using the Customer icon 4. What information is required to open up an account? The following are mandatory pieces of information for a new debtor account: Company Name Full Address Postcode Company registration number (CRN) or proprietor details (must have one of the two) Telephone number 5. What is the difference between Factoring and handling my own credit control? With Factoring, RBS Invoice Finance Collections are responsible for calling debtors to chase outstanding invoices. If you manage your own sales ledger, you handle your own Collections and call debtors directly. Collections letters are still sent by RBS Invoice Finance, but an email is sent to you prior to legal action. This service is sometimes referred to as CHOCS (Client Handles Own Collections). 6. What date are statements sent? Statements are sent once a month to all debtors. Additional statements can be manually produced if requested. Factoring with Credit Protection Guide May 2015 5
How does the Credit Protection element of my Factoring facility work? Factoring with Credit Protection is designed to help safeguard your business from losses caused by a Credit Risk Event. The charge for the Credit Protection element, integral to your Factoring facility, is incorporated into the Service Charge but protection is only provided on Customers where Credit Limits have been agreed. All Credit Limits are inclusive of VAT. Credit Risk Events Credit Risk Events include the appointment of an administrator, liquidator, receiver, trustee in bankruptcy or judicial factor to the Customer or the approval of a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) or Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) by the creditors of the Customer. We will only pay the purchase price of an Approved Debt following these Credit Risk Events. We will not pay the purchase price if the Customer has: Ceased trading (for any reason, other than defined above); Disappeared and cannot be tracked; or Proposed an IVA or a CVA which has not been approved by the Customer s creditors Or where you have not complied with our standard Terms and Conditions. I have heard of Trade Credit Insurance is Factoring with Credit Protection the same? No. In case of Factoring with Credit Protection we agree to purchase a relevant Trade Debt from you and accept the possibility of non-payment from your Customer following a Credit Risk Event. A Trade Credit Insurer does not purchase the Debt but covers an insurable risk i.e. the risk of non payment of the Debt by your Customer. What does it cost? There is a charge for providing this service and this is reflected in the overall Service Charge for your Factoring facility. What you pay will depend on the profile of your Customer base. Do you provide protection for Export Debts? Yes, we can provide protection for both UK and Export Debts. Identity of your Customer You must ensure that all details of your Customers provided to us match the information held on your system. You should check that the name of the payee e.g. on a cheque is that of the Customer with whom you have contracted. If there is any discrepancy and, in particular, if credit has been provided to a person other than the Customer for whom a Credit Limit has been established, you will not be protected for that Customer. Payment Terms Unless we have agreed special Payment Terms for any Customer, the Due Date of each Debt will be calculated according to the Payment Terms specified in your Agreement. You must not agree with a Customer any extension to these Payment Terms without our prior written consent. If you do agree an extension of Payment Terms, this will invalidate your protection. Disputed Debts Disputed Debts will not be protected. What is First Invoice Cover? This allows you to deal with a new Customer s first invoice without reference to us providing the invoice value is under the agreed first invoice amount, detailed in your Agreement. When do I apply for a Credit Limit? When you start trading with a new Customer or sales grow with an existing Customer and you want to make sure you have the Credit Limit required. How do I obtain a Credit Limit on a Customer? New Credit Limit requests and Credit Limit changes are actioned and notified through your FacFlow facility. 6 Factoring with Credit Protection Guide May 2015
Are my Initial Debts covered? Initial Debts can be protected on application, subject to our credit risk criteria being met. Credit Limit Reduction If a Credit Limit is reduced you will be notified by FacFlow. It is your responsibility to check daily the Credit Limit report on FacFlow to monitor Credit Limits for each Customer. What happens if a Debt becomes overdue? At 40 days (or as otherwise stated in your Agreement) past the Due Date the Credit Limit will be suspended for that Customer. Any Debt relating to goods or services supplied after the 40th day will be Unapproved Debt and at your risk. This is called Credit Limit Suspension. This does not affect existing Debt within the Credit Limit. When the overall Debt is back within 40 days of the Due Date, the Credit Limit Suspension is automatically lifted. What happens if I suffer a Bad Debt? You are protected if a Credit Risk Event occurs and the Debt is undisputed. Factoring Once we receive proof of formal Insolvency Proceedings from the Insolvency Practitioner, arrangements will be made to credit your account with the amount of the Debt minus the VAT element (which can be deducted from your VAT liability) and the agreed First Loss amount. What level of protection do I get? You are protected for up to 100% of the Bad Debt that falls within Credit Limit less the VAT and also the First Loss. Example one Your Bad Debt is 6,000 Your Credit Limit is 10,000 Your eligible Debt is 5,000 (20% VAT of 1,000 deducted = 6,000 gross) Less your First Loss of 1,000 You are protected for: ( 6,000-1,000-1,000) x 100%= 4,000 Example two Your Bad Debt is 12,000 Your Credit Limit is 10,000 Your eligible Debt is 8,333 (20% VAT of 1,666 deducted = 10,000 gross) Less your First Loss of 1,250 You are protected for: ( 10,000-1,666-1,250) x 100%= 7,084 Please note that the First Loss amount is deducted from every Bad Debt you experience. Retention of Title In consultation with us, you are obligated to exercise your right to recover any goods in the possession of a Customer under a Retention of Title clause in your Terms. This should be done as soon as you are aware of any Credit Risk Events affecting a Customer s ability to discharge a Debt. Valuations relating to Retention of Title claims will be used to mitigate any loss that may be sustained as a result of the non-payment of the Debt. The Credit Protection element of your Factoring facility cover ceases on all Debts upon the Termination Date of your Agreement. If you no longer require the protection please contact your Relationship Manager. The operation of your Factoring with Credit Protection facility is explained in and subject to your Agreement and the Factoring Terms. Words used in this guide that start with a capital letter may have a special meaning which is defined in your Factoring Terms. Factoring with Credit Protection Guide May 2015 7
Factoring with Credit Protection Set up Customer on FacFlow and request Credit Limit A response will be sent to you on FacFlow Any question on the Credit Limit response contact Customer Risk Department on 020 8895 7581 If the order value exceeds the Credit Limit requested you may request an increase You have an obligation to promptly notify RBS Invoice Finance of any adverse information about your Customer that you become aware of or your protection will be invalid Should your Customer delay paying you and an invoice becomes 40 days overdue the Credit Limit is suspended This does not affect existing Debt within the Credit Limit. When the total Debt due by the Customer is back within 40 days of Due Date, the Credit Limit Suspension is automatically lifted If a Credit Risk Event occurs we will verify that the Debt is eligible for payment under the Factoring with Credit Protection facility Your account will be credited with the amount of the Debt minus the VAT element and agreed First Loss multiplied by agreed percentage up to 100% For more information or if you have any further questions, please contact your RBS Invoice Finance contact. RBS Invoice Finance Limited Registered office: Smith House, Elmwood Avenue, Feltham, Middlesex TW13 7QD Registered in England No. 662221 90594528