Lender review · Invoice finance (selective)

Hydr

4.0 / 5 £1k to £150k per invoice · Same day to 24 hours

Wrexham-based fintech running fully-digital selective invoice finance. Borrowers upload an invoice, receive an advance the same day, and pay a flat fee on settlement. No long-term contract, no whole-turnover commitment. Pitched at SMEs and freelancers underserved by traditional factors.

OM

Oliver Mackman

Director, BestBusinessLoans

Oliver leads BestBusinessLoans's editorial reviews and methodology. With a background in UK commercial finance, he oversees lender research, rate verification and review independence.

Last reviewed: 8 May 2026

At a glance

Product
Invoice finance (selective)
Ticket size
£1k to £150k per invoice
Typical rate
Flat fee per invoice
Decision time
Same day to 24 hours
Soft search at quote
Yes
Limited companies only
Yes
FCA regulated
No
Companies House
08314725
Founded
2012

Scores against our methodology

  • Rate transparency4/5
  • Eligibility clarity4/5
  • Decision speed5/5
  • Decline handling4/5

Full methodology.

How Hydr works

Hydr operates as a invoice finance (selective) provider in the UK SMB market. Wrexham-based fintech running fully-digital selective invoice finance. Borrowers upload an invoice, receive an advance the same day, and pay a flat fee on settlement. No long-term contract, no whole-turnover commitment. Pitched at SMEs and freelancers underserved by traditional factors.

The product mechanic is straightforward in shape but the underwriting is sector-specific. Tickets sit in the £1k to £150k per invoice band, decisions land within Same day to 24 hours, and the published rate range is Flat fee per invoice. Soft search at quote means no impact on your credit file at the eligibility stage. Like most UK lenders to limited companies, the standard SMB lending sits outside the FCA perimeter.

Where Hydr fits best: selective single-invoice finance, b2b smes and consultancies, freelancer and small ltd companies. Where it does not fit: whole-turnover factoring, six-figure-per-invoice tickets, long-tenor working capital.

Pricing examples

Worked examples using Hydr's published rate range (Flat fee per invoice). This lender prices by factor rate or bespoke quote, so we show the structure, not a worked APR.

Ticket Term Estimated total cost Approx monthly
£25,000 24 months See lender quote See lender quote
£50,000 36 months See lender quote See lender quote
£100,000 48 months See lender quote See lender quote

Indicative only. Confirm on a Hydr quote.

Eligibility

  • Trading time: typically 12 to 24 months minimum for the cleanest pricing.
  • Turnover floor: not always published. As a working figure, expect a £100k+ turnover requirement for term loans of £50k+. Smaller tickets and MCA structures have lower floors.
  • Sector exclusions: Whole-turnover factoring; Six-figure-per-invoice tickets; Long-tenor working capital.
  • Credit profile: Clean credit preferred; older satisfied items often acceptable.
  • Company structure: Limited companies only.
  • Best fit: Selective single-invoice finance; B2B SMEs and consultancies; Freelancer and small Ltd companies.

Pros

  • + Fully digital onboarding; no broker between borrower and lender.
  • + Flat fee per invoice rather than per-month interest, easier to compare.
  • + Same-day funding for verified invoices.
  • + No whole-turnover commitment.

Cons

  • − Per-invoice ticket cap excludes mid-market borrowers.
  • − Selective only; not a substitute for whole-turnover factoring.
  • − Smaller balance sheet than mainstream factors.

Best for

  • · Selective single-invoice finance
  • · B2B SMEs and consultancies
  • · Freelancer and small Ltd companies

Weak at

  • · Whole-turnover factoring
  • · Six-figure-per-invoice tickets
  • · Long-tenor working capital

When to use Hydr

Use Hydr when

Your application matches the best-fit profile: selective single-invoice finance, b2b smes and consultancies, freelancer and small ltd companies. The published ticket range (£1k to £150k per invoice) covers your ask, the decision speed (Same day to 24 hours) fits your cash-gap timeline, and the rate range (Flat fee per invoice) is acceptable to you given your credit profile. Soft search at quote means there is no downside to running an eligibility check before committing.

Do not use Hydr when

Your profile sits in the weak-at list: whole-turnover factoring, six-figure-per-invoice tickets, long-tenor working capital. Hydr will likely decline, and the decline itself can sit on broker records for 90 days. If you have any of these flags, route directly to a specialist (post-decline lender, MCA against card flow, asset-backed alternative) rather than using Hydr as a screen.

FAQs

What is the minimum trading time for Hydr?

Hydr typically asks for 12 to 24 months of trading. Newer businesses can sometimes qualify against alternative underwriting (card flow for MCA, asset security for asset finance), but the cleanest pricing tends to require two full sets of accounts.

Does Hydr require a personal guarantee?

Most UK SMB lenders require a personal guarantee from at least one director. Hydr is no exception in the standard case. The few exceptions: asset-backed lending where the asset itself stands as security, and a small number of MCA structures where card flow is the underwriting basis. For invoice finance (selective) specifically, expect a PG to be requested.

How fast does Hydr fund?

Hydr quotes Same day to 24 hours for an underwriting decision. Funding to bank account typically follows within one to three working days of acceptance, subject to KYC, signed documents, and (where applicable) registration of any debenture or charge.

What rate should I expect from Hydr?

Hydr's published range is Flat fee per invoice. The headline number is rarely the offered number. Rate transparency on this lender scores 4/5 in our methodology. Expect the cleaner end of the band only if you have 2+ years of trading, clean credit, and turnover comfortably above the lender's stated floor.

What happens if Hydr declines me?

If Hydr declines, you have three realistic next steps. First, ask for the decline reason in writing, most reputable UK lenders will tell you. Second, route the application to a specialist post-decline lender (Bizcap, JPM Capital, Bolton Finance) where credit issues are the constraint, or to an asset-backed alternative where security is available. Third, use a broker panel to fan the application across the lenders most likely to accept your specific decline reason. Hydr scores 4/5 on decline handling in our methodology.

Where to apply

Apply directly via hydr.co.uk, or use our free quote form to be matched across the UK broker panel most likely to approve your specific profile, not just Hydr.

Specialty alternatives

See all lender reviews for alternatives.

Reviewed by Oliver Mackman, Director. Last reviewed: 8 May 2026. Lender website: hydr.co.uk.

Trusted comparison data sourced from

UK FinanceABFABusiness MoneyFundInvoiceBCR PublishingThe Gazette
85 providers compared Updated April 2026 Independent editorial