Silverburn Finance Review
Silverburn Finance (UK) Ltd is an independent invoice factoring specialist based in Horwich, Bolton. It advances 96% on new accounts, and up to 98.25%, with no retention, and publishes a single fee: 4% for 60 days of credit, with no setup fee and no minimum contract term. It states a minimum turnover of £50,000 a year. Factoring is with recourse, a named client manager runs your credit control, and you can choose which customer accounts to factor (Silverburn, Silverburn FAQ).
What this page covers
This page covers
Silverburn Finance factoring product, advance rate, published fee and terms
Not covered here
General invoice finance education (see /guides/), sector pages (see /industries/), the full provider directory (see /providers/)
Key Facts
When Silverburn Finance Fits
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Manufacturing or distribution businesses with £500k-£3m turnover
Silverburn names haulage, manufacturing, wholesaling, plant hire and engineering among the sectors it factors for. A high advance and one published fee make the cost easy to model against slow-paying trade customers.
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Small businesses and start-ups that want credit control handled for them
Silverburn says start-ups are welcome and that one of its credit controllers manages each account personally. It is a disclosed factoring service, so your customers pay Silverburn.
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Businesses that only want to factor their slower-paying customers
Silverburn lets you choose which customer accounts to factor, so quick payers can stay outside the facility. It does not fund one-off invoices (spot factoring).
When to Look Elsewhere
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Recruitment agencies needing specialist temporary worker funding
Better fit: Sonovate. Sonovate's platform is purpose-built for recruitment payroll financing with daily funding cycles, which Silverburn's traditional invoice finance structure doesn't replicate.
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Businesses that want invoice finance from their high-street bank
Better fit: NatWest Invoice Finance. A bank-owned provider can sit alongside your other banking, and offers confidential discounting as well as factoring. Do not assume a bank gives you more complaint rights: ask any provider what complaints route applies to your facility.
How Silverburn Finance Compares
| Provider | Type | Min facility | Fee from | Advance to | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silverburn Finance | factoring | Not published | 4% per 60 days | 98.25% | A few days |
| Close Brothers | both | Not published | Not published | 90% | 5-7 days |
| Ultimate Finance | both | Not published | Not published | 95% | Up to 5 days |
| Bibby Financial Services | both | Not published | Not published | 85% | 5 days |
vs Close Brothers: Close Brothers offers confidential discounting and asset finance through a larger banking group, whereas Silverburn is a factoring-only specialist with one published fee.
vs Ultimate Finance: Ultimate offers confidential discounting and facilities up to £10m, advancing up to 95%; Silverburn advances more (up to 98.25%) and publishes its fee, but offers factoring only.
vs Bibby Financial Services: Bibby's international parent provides multi-currency and cross-border facilities that Silverburn doesn't typically offer, though Silverburn's independent ownership means simpler escalation for UK-only clients.
Illustrative worked example
Hypothetical: one £10,000 invoice on 60-day terms
Not a real client. Based on Silverburn's published terms of a 96% advance on new accounts, no retention and 4% for 60 days of credit with no other fees; our reading is that the 4% (£400) is the difference between the invoice and the £9,600 advance. Silverburn says a customer paying sooner than agreed may reduce the charge. Confirm the figures for your own invoices before you sign.
Setting Up With Silverburn Finance
- 1
Initial facility assessment
Silverburn says that, as long as all the paperwork is provided and correct, it should have your account up and running within a few days. It charges no setup fee.
- 2
Choose the accounts and send invoices
You pick the customer accounts to factor and send Silverburn the invoices for work or services completed. It pays out on approved invoices less the agreed discount charge.
- 3
Payment and collection
Payment goes to your account by BACS in 2 working days: invoices received on a Monday are paid on the Wednesday. Silverburn's credit controllers then collect from your customers.
FAQs
Can Silverburn fund export invoices to EU and international customers?
Silverburn does not advertise export factoring, so ask before you apply. Businesses with significant overseas sales would typically find better expertise at providers like Close Brothers or Bibby Financial Services, both of which operate dedicated export facilities with currency hedging and credit insurance integration.
What happens if a customer does not pay?
Silverburn factors with recourse: if a customer does not pay for any reason, Silverburn has the right to come back to you for payment. Because it holds no retention, you should plan how you would repay an advance on a failed debt, or ask whether credit insurance is available.
Does Silverburn require personal guarantees from company directors?
Silverburn does not publish its security requirements. Many factors ask directors of limited companies for a personal guarantee or indemnity, so ask Silverburn what it needs, and whether any guarantee is capped, before you sign.
How quickly can Silverburn increase my facility as the business grows?
Silverburn does not publish a process for this. Because you choose which customer accounts to factor, the simplest route to more funding is usually to add accounts or raise the credit limits on existing customers; ask your client manager how quickly that can be approved.
Our Verdict
Silverburn Finance is a simple, published-price factoring option for smaller businesses that want their credit control handled. The high advance, single fee and no minimum term are genuine strengths; the limits are recourse-only factoring and no confidential or one-off invoice option. Include them in your comparison alongside bank quotes to ensure you have the full picture on rates and service.
Official site: Silverburn Finance
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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