Free tool, runs in your browser
Pay or wait calculator: quick-pay, factoring or wait for the broker
A broker invoice is unpaid and diesel, payroll or a truck payment will not wait. Enter the invoice, the broker's terms, the quick-pay fee and the factoring offer. You get the net cash from each choice, what the wait costs you in borrowed or lost money, and the broker pay day at which waiting stops being the cheaper choice.
We quote no rates and we are not a factor
The numbers pre-filled in the form are Example values (EXAMPLE VALUES). They are not offers or market rates. Replace each one with the figure from your rate confirmation, your broker's quick-pay terms and the factoring schedule you were quoted.
Result
Runs in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere. Example numbers are invented (EXAMPLE VALUES). This is a calculator, not financial, tax or legal advice.
How we calculate
Every option is a list of cash payments with a day for each. The tool adds them up, subtracts fees, then charges simple interest on any part of your cash need that has not arrived yet.
days still to wait = expected total days - days since invoiced wait: invoice arrives on that day, no fee quick-pay: fee = invoice x fee %, cash = invoice - fee on the quick-pay day factoring: advance = invoice x advance % extra blocks = ceil(max(0, days to wait - 30) / 10) fees = invoice x fee % + invoice x extra % x extra blocks reserve paid at the end = invoice - advance - fees cost of money = uncovered need x yearly % / 365 x days until cash covers it net after cost of money = cash received - cost of money simple yearly rate of a fee = fee / cash received x 365 / days sooner
The break-even day comes from running the same model for every broker pay day from today to two years out, in quarter-day steps, and finding the first day waiting falls behind the option. If you leave the cash need blank, the whole invoice counts as money you could use today, so the cost of money is invoice x yearly % x days / 365.
Each dollar line is rounded to the cent and the totals add the rounded lines. The yearly rate is a simple comparison figure, not an APR under any law.
Worked example (Example values)
Invoice $2,400, sent 10 days ago, net 30, but this broker usually takes 45 days, so you wait 35 more days. Quick-pay costs 3% and lands in 2 days. Factoring costs 3% plus 0.5% for each extra 10 days after day 30 (one block here) with a 90% advance in 2 days. Cash costs 24% a year and you need $900 in 3 days.
| Option | Fees | Cash received | Cost of money | Net after cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wait 35 days | $0.00 | $2,400.00 | $18.94 | $2,381.06 |
| Quick-pay | $72.00 | $2,328.00 | $0.00 | $2,328.00 |
| Factoring | $84.00 | $2,316.00 | $0.00 | $2,316.00 |
Waiting is $53.06 ahead of quick-pay even after paying 24% on the $900 gap for 32 days ($18.94). Quick-pay works out to about 34.2% a year and factoring about 43.0%. Waiting stays ahead until the broker takes about 125 days to pay. The catch is the $900 hole on day 3: waiting only wins on paper if you can really cover that gap at 24%.
What this tells you that a fee percentage does not
- Days sooner is the real price. A 3% fee looks the same on a net 15 and a net 60 broker. It is far cheaper per day on the net 60. The yearly rate column puts them side by side.
- The cash gap matters more than the fee. If waiting leaves you short on the day diesel or payroll is due, the question is no longer which option is cheapest. It is which one keeps the trucks rolling at an acceptable cost.
- Factoring fees grow with slow payers. Many schedules add a percent for each block of days past the first period. The slower the broker, the bigger the gap between a flat quick-pay fee and a factoring fee.
- Your cost of money is yours alone. A fleet with an unused credit line at a modest rate and a fleet living on cards are in different places. Test both numbers.
Fuel is the cash need most carriers feel first. At the U.S. average of $6.199 a gallon (EIA weekly diesel, week of Oct 5, 2026), a 100-gallon fill is 100 times that, before any fleet discount. That is public context, not your card price. When the broker is 35 days from paying, a few fills add up fast.
When each choice tends to make sense
- Wait when the broker pays reliably inside the terms, you can cover the next two weeks of costs without borrowing, and your cost of money is low.
- Quick-pay when it is offered on a one-off basis, the fee is stated in writing and the cash lands faster than any other source you have.
- Factoring when many invoices run slow every month and a steady advance is worth the schedule of fees, the contract terms and the loss of direct contact with the broker's accounts payable. Read the contract before the rate.
What this tool does not know
- Whether the broker will pay at all. Credit risk, recourse terms and disputes are not modelled.
- Reserve release fees, wire fees, monthly minimums and contract exit costs unless you fold them into the fee percent.
- Late-payment interest the broker may owe you under your agreement.
Pair it with the factoring cost calculator for two-offer comparisons and the broker payment delay tool to find how long each broker really takes.
Questions
What is the difference between quick-pay and factoring?
Quick-pay is an early-payment option offered by the broker for a fee, usually per invoice. Factoring is a financing arrangement with a separate company that advances cash on your invoices and collects from the broker. Terms, fees and recourse differ, so compare the written terms. See factoring vs quick-pay.
What should I enter as my cost of money?
Use what the next dollar of cash would really cost you: the yearly rate on your credit line or card, or the rate of a loan you would take. If you have idle cash that earns little, use a low number. Enter 0 to see the pure fee difference, and then waiting will always keep the most dollars.
Why does the tool ask how long the broker really takes?
Net 30 on paper is often 40 or 50 days in practice. The model uses the days you expect, not the printed terms, because that is what you will actually wait. The broker payment delay guide shows how to measure it from your own invoices.
What if the invoice is already past its expected pay day?
The tool asks for a later expected day, counted from the invoice date. It cannot guess how much longer a late payer will take.
Is the yearly rate an APR?
No. It is the fee divided by the cash you receive, scaled to a year, with no compounding. It is meant for comparing options, not for quoting an APR.
Is anything I type sent or saved?
No. The page does the arithmetic in your browser. Nothing is posted, stored or logged, and reloading clears the form.
Does this replace checking the contract?
No. It is arithmetic on the numbers you enter. Recourse, reserve release, minimum volumes and termination terms can change the answer. See factoring vs direct billing before you sign.
Related: 13-week cash flow, invoice aging, cashflow simulator. Want this on your last 20 loads? Get the free audit or see an example report.
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