eCapital Invoice Finance Review
eCapital is a North American invoice finance and asset-based lending group with UK operations incorporating the former Optimum Finance. It has five UK offices (Reading, Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow), UK funding lines of £10m+, and highlights manufacturing, recruitment, wholesale and transport among the sectors it serves. That makes it a sensible panel option for established UK SMEs in those sectors.
Disclosure: eCapital is Market Invoice's introduction partner and pays us a fee for each business we introduce. Bear that in mind when reading this review.
What this page covers
This page covers
eCapital invoice finance minimum turnover, advance rate, pricing, UK office network and sector specialisms
Not covered here
General invoice finance education (see /guides/), sector pages (see /industries/), the full provider directory (see /providers/)
Key Facts
Sector Specialisms
eCapital highlights four UK sectors. Each has its own cash flow pattern:
- Logistics and transport. Owner-driver fleets, dedicated logistics, freight forwarders, distribution. Long customer payment terms against weekly fuel and driver pay are the defining cash flow pattern.
- Recruitment and staffing. Including healthcare staffing (medical locum, nursing, AHP) and IT contractor placements. Weekly contractor pay against monthly client invoicing.
- Wholesale and distribution. Long stock-to-invoice-to-payment cycles, trade credit insurance and customer concentration to manage.
- Manufacturing. Long production cycles, milestone billing, tier-1/tier-2 supply chain receivables.
UK Regional Coverage
eCapital lists five UK offices: Reading, Bristol (the former Optimum Finance base), Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow. For businesses that want to meet their funder, that spread covers most of Great Britain.
Pros and Cons
Strengths
- UK funding lines of £10m+ for larger files
- 5-office UK presence
- Highlights manufacturing, recruitment, wholesale and transport
- Invoice finance, confidential discounting and selective funding under one roof
- Includes Optimum Finance's former UK business (acquired 2024)
Limitations
- No published pricing or minimum turnover, so costs are hard to compare before quoting
- Less UK brand recognition than Bibby or Close Brothers
- Overseas-owned group, which some applicants weigh against a UK banking parent
Best For / Less Suitable For
Best for
- Established UK SMEs in logistics / recruitment / wholesale / manufacturing
- Larger files (UK funding lines of £10m+)
- Businesses preferring a regional UK office relationship
- Sector-specific underwriting needs (transport cycles, recruitment payroll, wholesale concentration)
Less suitable for
- Very small businesses wanting a published threshold (see the provider directory)
- Tech and SaaS businesses: Hydr or Triver may fit better
- Heavy cross-border trade: Accelerated Payments or HSBC may fit better
Pricing Reality
- Service charge: not published; quoted per facility
- Discount charge: not published; charged as a margin over base rate on the funds you draw
- Advance rate: up to 90% (eCapital invoice discounting)
- Min turnover: Not published
- Setup time: not published; once live, eCapital says cash arrives within 24 hours of submitting invoices
Our Verdict
eCapital is a solid UK panel option for established SMEs in the sectors it highlights (transport, recruitment, wholesale, manufacturing). It brings group backing with UK funding lines of £10m+, the former Optimum Finance business, and five UK offices. It doesn't publish pricing, so get its quote alongside at least one other provider's before you decide. (Remember the disclosure above: eCapital pays us for introductions.)
Official site: eCapital
Sources
- eCapital UK: invoice discounting, advance up to 90%, cash within 24 hours
- eCapital UK: products and funding lines
Figures without a link above, including starting service charges, are Market Invoice research estimates: most providers do not publish a rate card and price each facility individually. Checked September 2026.
Founder & Managing Director, Muswell Rose, founder and PSC of Best Business Loans Ltd
Adam is the founder and managing director of Muswell Rose and a founder of Best Business Loans Ltd, the company behind Market Invoice. He spent over three years as managing director of Penny, a UK invoice finance business, and his career runs through insurance, mortgages, commercial finance and fintech lending. He writes the Market Invoice library.
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