Half of all Aussie SME invoices are paid late, that’s a $1.1 billion hit to the economy every year. For business owners, it means sleepless nights wondering if wages, suppliers, or the next fuel bill can be covered.
Zip has teamed up with Xero and Stripe to take a swing at the problem and it shows that cash flow is officially big business. However, while big tech’s play is interesting to observe, it’s not a true solution.
The News in a Nutshell
Zip is bringing its ‘buy now, pay later’ model to invoicing, through Xero and Stripe, SMEs can now get paid upfront while customers settle later, it’s essentially buy now pay later but for business cash flow.
How they’ve done this is smart. it’s integrated with platforms many already use, meaning it can streamline payments, and boost cash flow without chasing late payers. It also validates just how critical late payment tools have become.
What This Means for SMEs
For SMEs, this partnership is promoting:
- Ease: Built straight into Xero and Stripe.
- Speed: Upfront payments.
- Relief: Less stress from slow payers.
But there are catches: eligibility hurdles, fees, and limited clarity on reconciliation. Most importantly, it’s tech first, relationships second. If your business doesn’t fit neatly into their model, you may be left waiting and cash flow doesn’t wait.
Why Invoice Finance Still Wins
Brunswick can fund invoices in under 24 hours, no integrations, no new systems, no hoops.
Our model is human-first, real people assess your situation, tailor funding, and understand industries like transport, logistics, and manufacturing. Invoice finance works across more invoice types than the ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ models, giving flexibility that pure automation can’t.
The tech giants won’t pick up the phone when you’re stuck, we will.
Takeaway
Big tech’s move into cash flow is good news, it raises awareness of a problem SMEs have battled for years, but when timing is everything, you don’t need another app, you need speed, flexibility, and people who get it.
Struggling with late payments? Let’s fix it today.