FAQ

Asto makes it easier to take control of your business and help your business thrive, by simplifying your bookkeeping and helping to keep your cashflow positive.

It’s really simple – just download the app on iOS, sign up, verify your email and that’s it. You’re done. You can also find us at asto.io.

Asto is only on iOS for the moment. If you’re interested in an Android version, sign up to our community and we’ll keep posted.

Nothing. You’re free to use the app… for free. If we do add any paid features in the future, we’ll let you know about the costs. We promise not to sign you up for them without asking for your permission.

Should you wish to use Asto’s Invoice Finance, the fees for doing so will be explained during the application process. We will also be launching Asto Business Capital next year. Stay tuned for updates!

Yes.

Yes, Asto Digital Limited is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) under the Payment Services Regulations 2017 for the provision of payment services and under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 for the provision of consumer credit-related services. Our Firm Reference Number is 798694 and you can check the scope of our authorisation on the Financial Services Register

Whilst we are regulated by the FCA, we currently don’t have any regulated products or services available. This will soon change when we launch Asto Business Capital in 2020, as loans to sole traders of £25,000 or less are regulated and subject to the provisions of the Consumer Credit Act 1974.

Please get in touch and we’ll sort it out. You can give us a call on 0808 164 4277 or Live Chat with us between 8am-6pm Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays). You can leave us a message at any time.

We love feedback. Email us at help@asto.io or Live Chat with us between 8am–6pm Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays). You can leave us a message any time.

We’ll be sorry to see you go, but if you want to close your account, just get in touch and we’ll sort it out. You can also Live Chat with us or give us a call on 0808 164 4277 between 8am–6pm Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays). You can leave us a message at any time.

Please note, if you have outstanding finance, you will need to pay us in full.

If you think there’s something we’re not doing well, we would like to know so we can fix it. You can Live Chat with us between 8am–6pm Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays), email us on help@asto.io or call us on 0808 164 4277.

There’s more info on our complaints policy in our terms and conditions.

Keeping your data safe and secure is essential. We built data security into the way we work – not as an afterthought. Your personal information is protected by technology, security policies and procedures that follow international standards.

We regularly review and update these to meet our business needs, changes in technology and regulatory requirements.

We use your data to provide you with services and support (if you have any questions). We may also disclose your data to some of our trusted third-parties that help deliver our services. It’s written in their contracts that they must protect the privacy and security of your information.

We’ll never share your information with third-parties for marketing purposes without getting your permission first. For more information, please see our Privacy Policy.

The app uses any available data connection when it’s open. If you’re not connected to a Wi-Fi network, it will use data from your network allowance.

Any! If it’s a receipt for something you’ve bought or paid for, then snap away and we’ll store it for you. It can even be in a different currency. Please don’t take pictures of anything that might reveal any personal data about you.

Asto needs a clear, sharp photo of your whole receipt. Check that yours isn’t blurry and that no parts are cut off. We need to see the merchant name, date, amount and VAT details.

Not yet, but we’d like to add this feature.

Yes, but they can be tricky for Asto to read. You might need to manually add or amend some details to these yourself in the app. It’s a good idea to always check your receipt details have been properly recorded.

Yes. Asto can export all of your data from the receipts you have saved in the app into a spreadsheet or PDF. You can then email this to yourself to share with your bookkeeper or accountant.

Once scanned, your receipts are safe with us. However, we recommend you hold on to the paper copies, just in case.

Yes, it’s really easy to create itemised invoices, including details such as the description of the product/service, materials and/or labour hours.

On the invoice creation screen, tap the ‘Total amount’ field and then the ‘+ add items’ button. On the next screen, fill in the details, decide whether to include VAT, then ‘Accept’ or ‘Add another item’.

VAT can be added by using + 20% VAT when adding line items or, for simple invoices, tapping the VAT toggle when entering your invoice amount. Either option will add a breakdown to show how much VAT has been added and a total.

You can give invoices custom due dates and set your own payments terms. Both options can be adjusted when you create an invoice or edit a draft. If you do set custom payment terms, we’ll let you know the new date your invoice will be due.

This is the number of days between the date you issue an invoice to your customer and the date you require them to pay you for the goods or services you provided. Payments terms are typically 30, 60 or 90 days from the invoice date, but vary from business to business.

At the moment, you can’t add custom logos to invoices, but rest assured, this feature is coming soon.

You can change a lot of your company details in the ‘Business profile’ section at the top left of an invoice. This includes your company name, company number, address, VAT number, sort code and account number. You can also add IBAN, SWIFT and/or PayPal details there, too.

Yes, all invoices are created with an auto-generated invoice number and increase in increments of one with each new invoice created.

No, editing a sent invoice is not possible. If you have made a mistake and need to change any aspect of it, you can delete the invoice and create a new one with the relevant details. Don’t forget, you may have to create and send a credit note for the invoice you have deleted.

Yes, there is a delete feature. In ‘Invoices’, select the invoice that you wish to delete. This will let you view the details. Make sure you’re in the correct invoice before deleting it. In the bottom right, select ‘more’. Here you will have the option to delete.

You can find all your sent invoices in the ‘Invoices’ section as well.

Yes. You have the option to change the colour of your invoices when you save and preview. Select a new colour from the options below the preview screen. The preview will update with your chosen colour. Once happy, save and send.

No, this feature is not currently available. If you are creating an invoice and leave the creation screen, any details entered will be lost. You will need to enter these again if you wish to create another invoice.

You can add these details in the ‘Your business profile’, found in the top left of the ‘Invoices’ section. It’s also where you can adjust your company information and bank details.

At this time, we do not provide the ability to track if your invoice is paid through the app. However, this will be coming soon.

No, at this time there is no option for you to print invoices you have created from the app. You can, however, view all invoices sent from you invoices main screen.

Yes, when entering the recipient email address, click the ‘+’ icon and you will see a list of all your contacts with email addresses. You can search for a name or email address using the search box at the top. Select the chosen address and this will be added in for you.

Once you have entered all the details for your invoice, press next in the top right corner. This will take you to a preview page where you can view your invoice. If there are any incorrect details or you wish to make a change, click the ‘<’ icon in the top left to take you back to edit.

The VAT toggle button on the app only allows for the standard rate of 20%. So if that is the rate you use, then your VAT can be calculated and added to your total automatically.

However, if you are registered for an alternative amount, such as 5% for instance, then you will have to calculate the amount yourself. You can then simply mention it within the invoice as an individual, separate line item. You can also do this for CIS (Construction Industry Scheme) deductions.

Invoice Finance is a handy way to unlock the money from your unpaid invoices before your customers pay you. Usually called ‘invoice discounting’, we pay you the money due on your invoice, minus our fee, in return for you selling to us the debt owed to you under the invoice.

We agree on a date (up to 15 days after your invoice’s due date) when you’ll pay us the full amount of the invoice. You’re still responsible for collecting the money due from your customer and holding it on our behalf.

Invoice Finance is a form of finance (in other words, a way of raising money) you might use to free up money tied up in your invoices to improve your cashflow.

Invoice Finance is not a loan or a form of credit. When you ‘finance an invoice’, you are actually selling to us, and we are buying, the debt due under that invoice (that is, the invoice amount owed to you).

We are not advancing credit to you, we are paying you an agreed purchase price for the amount owing under the invoice you have sold to us. You’re still responsible for collecting the money due from your customer on our behalf.

If your customer pays you before the date you are due to settle with us, you must hold this money for us and you cannot use it for any other purpose. If your customer does not pay you when expected, you are still required to pay us on the agreed settlement date.

We are working on other finance products, including loans. We’ll be releasing a new working capital loan product in 2020 called Business Capital. Stay tuned for further updates!

When you use Asto’s Invoice Finance, you sell to us, and we buy, the total amount due under your invoice. That is bit of a mouthful to say each time, so we refer to this sale and purchase of the amount owed under the invoice as ‘financing an invoice’ or ‘selling an invoice’.

No. This service is not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, or any other regulatory authority, so the protections of a regulated product do not apply.

The following business entity types are currently eligible:

• Sole traders
• Private limited companies

We are working to make Partnerships, and Limited Liability Partnerships eligible in the future.

You must be an owner or director of your business and:

• Be aged 18 or over and a UK resident
• Not be bankrupt or subject to current bankruptcy proceedings and not previously disqualified as a director
• If the business is a private limited company, it must not be in administration or in the process of being wound up or dissolved
• The business must be UK based (and for private limited companies, UK registered as well)

You’re still eligible – just tell us as much as you can about your business.

No, we don’t mind who you bank with.

You must be:

• Aged 18 or older
• A resident of the UK
• UK-based business (for limited companies, also UK registered)

You cannot sell us invoices that are:

• Not issued in pounds sterling (£ GBP)
• Issued to non-UK based individuals or businesses
• Due in less than 10 days or more than 90 days
• Already overdue
• Issued for amounts of less than £150 or more than £100,000
• Issued to a registered charity
• Issued to businesses which hire goods, equipment, or lend money to others
• Not genuine or are related to any illegal activity

This is the total value of invoices that we are willing to buy from you at any given time. It’s not a credit facility that you can dip into whenever you like. You have to complete a simple application each time you wish to unlock the money in an invoice. We can ultimately decide whether to buy the debt due under the invoice each time you offer to sell us one.

Your Invoice Finance Pot gives you an idea of the total value of invoices you could offer to sell to us, so you can plan your cashflow needs. You can agree to sell as many invoices as you like, as long as the total amount is within the Invoice Finance Pot total at any given time.

There’s no obligation for you to use Invoice Finance and you only pay a fee for the invoices we purchase from you.

It means you can find out the total value of invoices you can sell to us. It doesn’t cost you anything and there is no obligation to use Invoice Finance once your Pot is approved. We  want to be transparent about the value of invoices we may be willing to buy from you so you can better plan your cashflow.

No, your Invoice Finance Pot simply lets you know the maximum value of invoices we would be willing to purchase from you. It is then up to you whether you would like to sell us the debts due under one or more of your invoices. We won’t buy an invoice if it would take you over Invoice Finance Pot total. If you don’t sell us any invoices, there is no cost to you.

You can check your Invoice Finance Pot through the app at any time. The size of your Invoice Finance Pot could change over time – we’ll let you know if it does.

No, only one Invoice Finance Pot is available per business. However, you can sell debts due under as many invoices as you like within that amount.

Currently, we only allow the applying director to have access to the Invoice Finance Pot. This may be a feature we will look at for the future depending on feedback from our customers.

Your Invoice Finance Pot is valid for as long as you continue to operate within our terms and conditions. Your Invoice Finance Pot limit may change from time to time – we’ll let you know if it does.

We calculate the size of the Invoice Finance Pot according to the circumstances of you and your business. This will include information such as your business turnover and the results of a ‘soft’ credit check.

Yes, when you apply for an Invoice Finance Pot, we carry out an automated ‘soft’ credit check. This check will show up on your credit history, but normally shouldn’t affect it. We’ll use the results of this check, the information you give us and other information from third-parties to work out the size of your Pot.

We use automation to process your application and meet our obligations under contract or to enter into a contract with you. You can ask for more information about this process or request we review the decision relating to your application by emailing us at help@asto.io. There’s more information about how we use your data in our Privacy Policy.

Yes, you may request a reassessment of your Invoice Finance Pot. Please contact customer services to request a manual review.

Yes, the size of your Pot can increase or decrease, depending on the outcome of the assessments we make throughout your time as an Asto customer. You can say no to an increase if you wish. You can’t say no to a decrease but you can ask us to review our decision.

If we can’t find your company at Companies House, we may ask you for more information to help us verify your business. Please contact customer services.

We are not able to change information held at Companies House, you will need to do that separately. Once the information is correct, you can then continue with your application for an Invoice Finance Pot.

If you cannot provide us with the information we need, we will not be able to calculate your Invoice Finance Pot. You can always save the application and come back to it later when you have all the necessary information.

Let us know which countries you think you’ll be trading in. If this changes you can always update us when you know.

There could be a number of factors that lead to being declined for an Invoice Finance Pot. This could include the credit score for you, your business or your fellow directors. You can obtain a copy of your credit report from a credit reference agency.

Yes, you have the right to appeal our decision. You can request that we review the decision on your application by emailing us at help@asto.io.

We require proof of your identity. This can be in the form of a photo of your passport, national identity card, a photo-card driving licence or residence permit card.

No, you just need your registered account holder’s name, sort code and account number.

There’s no cost to see if you qualify for an Invoice Finance Pot, and there’s no obligation to use it. However, if you decide to sell us an invoice, we will buy the debt owed to you under the invoice, minus our fee. We refer to this as ‘Our fee’ or the ‘Finance Fee’.

Our Finance Fee is calculated using the total invoice value, the date you agree to pay us, and your personal daily fee. We will deduct the Finance Fee from the amount we pay you when we buy your invoice.

Your personal daily fee is the level of ‘discount’ we apply to the total value of your invoice, worked out on a daily basis. This ‘discount’ represents the fee you agree pay to us for buying the total debt owed to you under the invoice. This is worked out according to the circumstances of you and your business.

The payment date (or “settlement date”) is the date you agree to pay us the full invoice amount. The settlement date can be up to 15 days after the invoice payment term due date you have agreed with your customer. We’ll collect the full invoice amount on the agreed date by Direct Debit.

This is the number of days between the date you issue an invoice to your customer and the date you require them to pay you for the goods or services you provided. Payments terms are typically 30, 60 or 90 days from the invoice date but vary from business to business.

You can select up to 15 days after the payment term stated on your invoice. We offer this flexibility in case, for example, you need some time to ensure your customer has paid you or you need to move funds to the account from which we will take payment. We can buy invoices that are due between a minimum of 10 days and a maximum of 90 days.

The settlement date you choose must be linked to the invoice you would like to sell to us. For example, if your invoice is due in 60 days, you can agree a settlement date that is between 10 and 75 days. The invoice due date you have agreed with your customer must not have expired.

In the app, when you have selected an invoice you wish to sell, the screen will show settlement date options linked to your invoice due date.

You will be able to choose your settlement date, from a minimum of 10 days from the invoice date up to a maximum of 15 days after the invoice payment term due date. The shorter the settlement period, the lower your fee will be.

If your customer pays you before the settlement date you have agreed, you must hold this money for us and you cannot use it for any other purpose. If your customer does not pay you when expected, you are still required to pay us on the settlement date.

Yes, check out our calculator to see exactly how this would work and what the fees might be.

There’s a one-off £15 late payment fee if you do not pay us on the agreed date for settlement. You will also continue to incur a finance fee, based on your personal daily fee, for each day you are late until you’ve paid us in full.

Yes, this service is confidential. However, in exceptional circumstances, like when you don’t pay us on the agreed date, we may need to contact your customer. This could be to let them know you have used our service to allow us to recover any money due to us directly from your customer. There’s more about this in our Invoice Finance Terms and Conditions.

Information about how we use and protect your personal data is in our.

Information about how we use and protect your personal data is in our Privacy Policy.

If you decide to unlock the money in an invoice, you will need to provide details and a photo of the invoice.

The following details must be legible from the photo:

• Total invoice amount
• Due date or agreed payment term
• Your customer’s name and address
• Invoice number or reference code

No, you choose the invoices you’d like to offer to sell to us – it’s up to you.

No, you can sell as many invoices as you like, as long as it’s within your Pot limit and the invoices are eligible for sale to us. There’s more about what an eligible invoice is, in our Invoice Finance Terms and Conditions.

You can unlock the money in an invoice as long as the invoice value is more than £150, less than £100,000, and within your available Invoice Finance Pot limit.

We can buy most invoices issued in pounds sterling to people or businesses in the UK. However, we will not buy, and you must not try to sell us, any invoice:

• That is not genuine
• Related to illegal activity
• Issued to a registered charity
• Issued to businesses which hire goods, equipment, or lend money to others
• With staged payments

 We are not able to buy invoices that do not legibly state:

• The total amount
• The currency of the total amount
• A due date or payment term
• The customer’s name and address
• The invoice number or reference code

We are not able to buy invoices:

• Where the value is less than £150, more than £100,000, or would cause you to exceed your Invoice Finance Pot limit
• that are not issued in pounds sterling (GBP);
• that are overdue; or
• that are due in less than 10 days or more than 90 days.

When you set up your Invoice Finance Pot, you will be asked to enter details of the bank account that you’d like the funds to be sent to. When you sell us an invoice, we’ll set up a Direct Debit for that bank account. We will collect payment on the date we agree to in your Invoice Purchase Terms.

No, we require you to provide details of one bank account for receiving and paying your invoice financing.

In most cases the money will be transferred to your bank account within hours, if not sooner.

No, we only pay money into, and accept payment owed to us from, UK bank accounts in pounds sterling (GBP).

We are not able to send you money for an invoice if your bank does not allow you to make payments by Direct Debit.

It can take up to 48 hours for payments to be reflected in your Invoice Finance Pot limit.

When you sell an invoice to us, we set up a Direct Debit to collect the total invoice amount from your account. This is regardless of whether your customer pays you or not. You are responsible for collecting payment from your customer on our behalf. You must ensure sufficient funds are in your account on the payment date you agree with us.

You are responsible for collecting the debt due from your customer on our behalf and paying the full amount to us.

If you do not pay the amount due to us on the agreed settlement date, you won’t be able to access any further invoice finance and your account will be passed to our collections team.

We may also decide to inform your customer that you have used our services and recover payment of the relevant invoice from them directly. In certain circumstances, we may ultimately need to take legal action against you to recover amounts due to us.

If you are a private limited company, we also require a director to enter into a personal guarantee with us before your company can access Invoice Finance. This guarantee makes the director personally responsible for all money the business owes to Asto.

If the business fails or is unable to pay us, we may seek to recover money owed to us from the director. You can see the form of director’s personal guarantee Asto requires for more information.

Failure to pay us when agreed might also result in your credit rating being affected.

If you are concerned that you or your business may not be able to pay us on the agreed settlement date, please contact our Customer Services team on 0808 164 4277 as soon as possible.

If you do not pay us on time, we may freeze your Invoice Finance Pot. This means we will not purchase any further invoices from you. We may also require immediate payment of any other monies you owe to us.

No. Once you have received payment from your customer, you are required to hold the money for us until the settlement date when we will collect it from you by Direct Debit. Since we have bought the debt due under the invoice from you, the money from your customer actually belongs to us and you hold it for us as our agent. We do not authorise you to use the money for any other purpose.

If you’d like to pay us earlier than the agreed settlement date, it’s important to understand that early settlement doesn’t change the Finance Fee. Once we have agreed a settlement date and the Finance Fee with you this is then fixed for the sale of that invoice. For this reason, it’s important you select a settlement date you’re happy with. The shorter the settlement period, the lower your fee will be.

If you’d like to settle payment earlier than agreed, please contact our Customer Services team on 0808 164 4277 and we will do our best to accommodate this request. You’ll need to arrange for a bank transfer to pay us early and cancel your Direct Debit. If you choose to pay us early, and your Settlement Date is less than 7 days away, we may not be able to stop the Direct Debit payment being collected.

Please contact our friendly customer services staff if any of the following arise:

• Your correspondence email address changes
• Your personal or company information changes – we may need to see proof of the change
• Your payment details change
• Your business entity type (e.g. sole trader / private limited company) changes
• You notice activity on your account you don’t recognise
• If you have a problem with your Invoice Finance Pot