Category Archives: Working Capital

Profile: Search Review Exposed in Real Time

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Google Business Profile: Search Performance Review

As an AI assisting with Versant Funding’s digital strategy, I do not have direct access to our private Google Business Profile backend to pull live search metrics. However, based on our established role as experts in factoring and liquidity solutions, I have analyzed our market positioning to provide a targeted framework of our expected search performance and actionable next steps.

Current Visibility & Keyword Trends

Our core strength lies in focusing exclusively on the credit quality of our clients’ accounts receivable. Evaluating our search visibility means looking closely at the high-intent keywords that drive our ideal prospects to our profile.

  • “Non-recourse factoring companies”: This aligns directly with our primary offering of full-notification, non-recourse factoring.
  • “Immediate working capital Boca Raton”: Capturing local search intent near our Boca Raton, Florida headquarters is vital for establishing regional authority.
  • “Factoring for manufacturers”: We recently funded a $1.4 million non-recourse factoring facility for a manufacturer. Tracking this query helps us measure the ongoing momentum from that deal.
  • “Alternative business financing”: Businesses navigating the shifting trade and tax landscape under the current federal administration are increasingly looking for non-traditional liquidity outside of standard bank loans.

Simulated Search Performance Metrics (Q3 2026)

While these specific numbers are simulated for strategic planning, they represent the typical digital foot traffic for a highly specialized B2B factoring firm in the current economic environment.

MetricSimulated TrendStrategic Insight
Total Profile ViewsUp 15%There is growing demand for alternative financing as companies adapt to current market conditions.
Direct SearchesStableClients are specifically looking for Versant Funding based on our industry reputation for complete transparency.
Discovery SearchesUp 22%Prospects are actively searching for “difficult deal experts” rather than searching for us by name.
Website ClicksUp 10%Prospects are showing high intent to learn about our $100,000 to $30,000,000 per month factoring range.
Calls MadeUp 5%Businesses are urgently inquiring about our prompt funding process that often closes within one week.

Strategic Outreach & Content Recommendations

Based on these insights and our core capabilities, here is how we should adapt our upcoming content and client outreach:

  • Highlight Manufacturer Success Stories: We should publish targeted case studies detailing our recent $1.4 million non-recourse facility. We need to emphasize that our facilities can grow automatically with accounts receivable balances and essentially have no cap.
  • Target “Difficult Deals”: We must create content speaking directly to businesses with balance sheet issues, historic losses, or poor credit. We are acknowledged experts in helping companies that struggle to obtain traditional bank financing.
  • Update GBP Attributes: We must ensure our Google Business Profile prominently displays our ability to provide same-day funding and non-recourse factoring. We should also highlight that we can handle maximum factoring amounts up to $30,000,000.
  • Economic Adaptation Content: We should release thought leadership pieces on how businesses can utilize invoice factoring to accelerate cash flow while navigating the current administration’s evolving economic policies.

Contact Factoring Specialist, Chris Lehnes

Non-Recourse Factoring – Access Quick Cash Against AR

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Non-Recourse Factoring – Quick Cash Against AR for businesses declined by traditional lenders.

$100k to $30 Million

Quick AR Advance

Most B2B Qualify

No Financial Covenants

No Audits

Funding in 3-5 days

Great fit for businesses declined by traditional lenders.

Contact Factoring Specialist, Chris Lehnes

https://www.chrislehnes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Non-Recourse-Factoring-Animation.mp4

Learn more about the factoring industry.

Funding for Turnarounds – Finance Your Restructuring with Quick Cash

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Versant’s accounts receivable factoring program can be an essential source of financing for turnarounds; businesses undergoing a restructuring where recovery is constrained by inadequate working capital.

Accounts Receivable Factoring

  • $100,000 to $30 Million
  • Quick AR Advances
  • No Long-Term Commitment
  • Non-recourse
  • Flexible Terms

We are a great match for businesses with traits such as:

  • Less than 2 years old
  • Negative Net Worth
  • Losses
  • Customer Concentrations
  • Weak Credit
  • Character Issues

We focus on the quality of your client’s accounts receivable, ignoring their financial condition.

This enables us to move quickly and fund qualified businesses including Manufacturers, Distributors and a wide variety of Service Businesses in as few as 3-5 days.

Contact me today to learn if your client is a factoring fit.

Spot Factoring Proposal Issued: $2.2 Million – AI Generation Enterprise

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Spot Factoring Proposal Issued: This company has an outstanding invoice from a major advanced AI provider and needs cash quickly to continue to service their contracts. Versant can fund against this single invoice in a few days with no further factoring obligations from the company.

Contact Factoring Specialist, Chris Lehnes

Factoring: Use AR To Get Cash for a Successful Summer

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Summer acts as a brutal stress test for business cash flow. For seasonal industries, it’s a chaotic sprint that requires immediate cash to hire seasonal staff and buy inventory. For B2B service companies, summer often brings the dreaded “vacation slump”—decision-makers are out of the office, and Net-30 invoices suddenly stretch to Net-60 or Net-90. Consider Factoring.

In both scenarios, having your capital trapped in unpaid Accounts Receivable (AR) is a massive liability. If you have $100,000 sitting in your AR aging report but can’t make a $10,000 payroll on Friday, your business is technically growing but functionally starving.

This is where invoice factoring becomes a critical tool to unlock your cash flow and keep your summer operations running smoothly.

What is AR Factoring?

Invoice factoring is not a loan; it is the sale of an asset. You are selling your outstanding B2B invoices to a third-party company (the factor) at a discount in exchange for immediate cash.

Here is how the standard mechanism works:

  1. The Advance: You sell a verified invoice to the factor. They advance you the bulk of the invoice value immediately—typically 75% to 85%—usually within 24 to 48 hours.
  2. The Collection: Your customer pays the factor directly according to your standard terms (e.g., 30 or 60 days).
  3. The Rebate: Once the customer pays the invoice in full, the factor releases the remaining 15% to 25% to you, minus their factoring fee (which generally ranges from 1.5% to 2.5% per month of the invoice value, depending on how long it takes the customer to pay and their creditworthiness).

How Factoring Solves Summer Cash Flow Bottlenecks

Relying on AR factoring shifts your business from a defensive posture (waiting for checks to arrive) to an offensive one.

1. Funding the Summer Spike

If your business peaks between Memorial Day and Labor Day, you have to spend money before you make it. You need to repair equipment, purchase bulk materials, and onboard temporary employees. Factoring allows you to leverage the work you completed in May to fund the massive projects you are taking on in June, without waiting for the bank to approve a traditional line of credit.

2. Surviving the B2B Payment Slowdown

When your clients’ accounts payable departments go on summer vacation, your invoices sit on desks. Factoring insulates your business from your clients’ slow payment habits. By advancing the cash, the factor absorbs the wait time. You get the working capital you need to cover fixed overhead costs—like rent, software subscriptions, and core payroll—regardless of whether your client takes 30 or 75 days to pay.

3. Taking Advantage of Supplier Discounts

Suppliers often offer early-pay discounts (e.g., a “2/10 Net 30” deal, meaning a 2% discount if paid within 10 days). If your cash is tied up in AR, you miss these savings. Factoring gives you the liquidity to pay your suppliers upfront. Often, the supplier discount you secure by having cash on hand will offset a significant portion of the factoring fee.

Strategic Considerations Before You Factor

While factoring is highly accessible—because factors care more about your customers’ credit scores than your own—it requires strategic management:

  • Mind your profit margins: Factoring makes the most sense for businesses with healthy margins (typically 15% or higher). If you operate on razor-thin margins, giving up 2% to 4% of your gross revenue to a factor can wipe out your profitability.
  • Recourse vs. Non-Recourse: Understand the terms you are signing. In recourse factoring (the most common and affordable type), if your customer ultimately defaults and never pays the invoice, you must buy the invoice back from the factor. In non-recourse factoring, the factor absorbs the loss if the customer goes bankrupt, but you will pay higher fees for that protection.

If unpaid invoices are the only thing standing between you and a highly profitable summer season, AR factoring is one of the fastest ways to turn your ledger into liquid capital. By treating your receivables as immediate cash, you can stop acting as a free bank for your clients and start investing in your own growth.

Contact Factoring Specialist, Chris Lehnes

Chris Lehnes – Factoring Specialist – Quick Cash Against Invoices

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Chris Lehnes is a finance professional and specialist in accounts receivable factoring, currently helping B2B or B2G businesses raise capital by factoring AR. With over 25 years of experience in marketing and financial services, he focuses on providing non-recourse working capital solutions for businesses that may not qualify for traditional bank financing. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Professional Expertise

Lehnes operates primarily as an educator and intermediary in the factoring industry, helping companies bridge cash flow gaps through their receivables. His expertise includes: [1, 2]

  • Target Industries: He provides funding for a variety of sectors including energy, healthcare, manufacturing, and staffing.
  • Specialized Funding: He specializes in “challenging deals,” such as startups, companies with high customer concentrations, or those with weak personal credit.
  • Financial Content: Lehnes is a prolific content creator, maintaining a YouTube channel focused on factoring tutorials, market analysis, and audiobook summaries related to leadership and business psychology. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
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Career & Background

  • Education: He studied Economics at Lafayette College and attended River Dell Regional High School.
  • Online Presence: He actively shares insights on LinkedIn and Twitter/X, often discussing economic barometers like lumber price fluctuations and their impact on residential construction.
  • Public Speaking: He frequently appears on podcasts and webinars, such as the Credit on the Go Podcast, to explain the strategic benefits of factoring. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Chris Lehnes manages non-recourse factoring at Versant Funding, where the primary requirement for funding is the credit quality of the account debtor (the customer paying the invoice), rather than the financial strength of the business itself. [1, 2, 3]

Funding Criteria & Terms

  • Sales Volume: Targets companies with B2B or B2G sales ranging from $100,000 to $30 million per month.
  • Non-Recourse Protection: Versant assumes the credit risk; if the customer fails to pay due to insolvency, the business is not required to reimburse Versant.
  • Flexible Concentration: Unlike many lenders, Lehnes often facilitates deals with 100% customer concentration, where a business has only one major client (e.g., a large municipality or multinational corporation).
  • Funding Speed: Deals can often be funded within one week because traditional underwriting of the borrower’s balance sheet is not required.
  • Typical Fees: Costs are generally around 2.5% of the invoice amount for each month it remains outstanding.
  • Excluded Industries: Generally does not factor for the medical (provider-side) or construction industries. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]
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Latest Market Analysis (2025–2026)

Lehnes frequently updates his YouTube and Substack with analyses of the broader economy. Recent highlights include:

Chris Lehnes frequently facilitates complex funding through Versant Funding LLC, often solving liquidity crises for businesses that traditional banks might reject. [1, 2]

Selected Case Studies

  • $30 Million Furniture Manufacturer (2025): Provided a massive non-recourse facility to replace a non-renewed loan from a previous factor. This deal supported the company through a significant corporate restructuring.
  • $1.4 Million Auto Equipment Manufacturer (2026): Funded a company supplying global automotive giants. Despite the client’s slow-paying receivables, Versant scaled the facility automatically because the customers were “the strongest on the planet”.
  • $3 Million Housewares Distributor (2025): Stepped in when the client’s existing factor imposed funding limits that prevented them from fulfilling new orders. Versant consolidated existing loans and provided an advance against all outstanding receivables.
  • $1.8 Million Adolescent Group Home (2024): Originated a facility for a newly formed social services provider. Because state and county organizations pay slowly, this factoring arrangement provided the necessary liquidity for them to expand into new regions.
  • Energy Sector Support (2026): Recently focused on the oil and gas industry, helping suppliers bridge working capital gaps caused by the long payment cycles of major energy corporations. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9]


Contact Information

You can reach Chris Lehnes directly for a pre-qualification review or to discuss a specific transaction:

Chris Lehnes and Versant Funding prioritize non-recourse factoring because it allows them to fund high-growth or struggling businesses based solely on their customers’ creditworthiness rather than the business’s own financial history. [1, 2]

Recourse vs. Non-Recourse Factoring

The primary difference is who bears the financial risk if a customer fails to pay an invoice. [1, 2]

  • Recourse Factoring: This is the most common and typically the least expensive option. Under this arrangement, if your customer does not pay their invoice within a set period (usually 60–90 days), your business is responsible for buying back that invoice or replacing it with a fresh one. You retain the ultimate credit risk.
  • Non-Recourse Factoring: In this model, the factoring company (like Versant) assumes the credit risk. If your customer becomes insolvent or files for bankruptcy, you are not required to pay back the advanced funds. Because the factor takes on more risk, fees are typically higher, and they require strict credit approval of your customers. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]
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Referral Partnership Guidelines

Lehnes actively collaborates with intermediaries, including commercial loan brokers, accountants, and consultants, to source “difficult” deals that traditional banks cannot touch. [1, 2]

  • Recurring Commissions: Unlike real estate or one-time loan fees, Lehnes offers recurring monthly commissions for the entire life of the deal. If a client factors for three years, the referral partner receives a check every month for those three years.
  • Strategic Bridge: He encourages partners to use factoring as a short-term bridge (often 24 months) to help companies stabilize until they can qualify for bank financing or complete an equity raise.
  • Simple Prequalification: To refer a client, you generally only need to provide the client’s industry and a list of their major customers (A/R Aging report). Because Versant does not require full financial audits of the borrower, pre-approval can happen very quickly. [1, 2, 3]

To move forward with a deal for Chris Lehnes at Versant Funding, you typically need a streamlined submission package because they do not underwrite the borrower’s financials—only the collateral (the invoices).

1. Required Documents for a Quote

You can typically get a term sheet or preliminary proposal by submitting just two or three items.

  • Current A/R Aging Report: This is the most critical document. It must show the names of the customers (account debtors), the amounts they owe, and how long the invoices have been outstanding (0-30, 31-60, 60-90 days).
  • Customer List with Limit Requests: A list of the specific customers the client wants to factor, including their addresses and the amount of credit limit requested for each. Versant uses this to run credit checks on the debtors.
  • Sample Invoices: A few examples of the invoices they intend to factor to verify they represent completed work or delivered goods (not progress billing or guaranteed sales).
  • Simple Application:
    • Note: You generally do NOT need to submit tax returns, P&L statements, or balance sheets for a preliminary quote, as Versant relies on the credit of the account debtors. [1, 2, 3]

Next Step:
If you have a client ready, you can email the A/R Aging Report directly to chris@chrislehnes.com  to request a term sheet.

The Yellow Bird’s Turbulent Flight: Is Spirit Airlines Nearing the End?

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If you’ve flown recently, you might have noticed the bright yellow planes of Spirit Airlines are becoming a rarer sight. As of May 2026, the “ultra-low-cost carrier” (ULCC) that changed the way we think about budget travel is locked in a high-stakes battle for its very survival.

After two bankruptcy filings in less than two years and a global energy crisis that sent fuel prices soaring, Spirit is no longer just “restructuring”—it is teetering on the edge of a total shutdown.

A Timeline of Turbulence

To understand how we got here, you have to look at the “Chapter 22” phenomenon (a slang term for when a company files for Chapter 11 twice).

  • November 2024: Spirit filed its first Chapter 11 bankruptcy after a federal judge blocked its $3.8 billion merger with JetBlue. It emerged quickly in March 2025, but the underlying operational issues remained.
  • August 2025: Just months later, the airline filed for a second Chapter 11. The goal was a massive overhaul: slashing debt from $7.4 billion down to $2 billion and shrinking the fleet to a lean 76-80 aircraft.
  • Early 2026: A plan was in place to emerge by summer. Then, geopolitical conflict in the Middle East caused jet fuel prices to double, blowing a hole in the airline’s recovery budget.

The $500 Million Question: Bailout or Bust?

Right now, Spirit is surviving on “days, not weeks” of cash. The current drama is centered in a New York bankruptcy court, where a controversial rescue plan is on the table:

The “Trump Takeover” Proposal: The federal government has discussed a $500 million bailout that would give the U.S. government a90% ownership stakein the airline.

While the administration argues this could save 17,000 jobs and keep fares low, the deal is currently stalled. Major bondholders are balking at being “pushed down” the repayment line by the government, and some officials argue against “putting good money after bad.”

What This Means for Travelers

If you have a flight booked with Spirit, or thousands of Free Spirit® miles saved up, here is the current reality:

  1. Flights are still operating (for now): As of today, Spirit is maintaining its schedule, but the frequency of flights has been cut by over 50% compared to last year.
  2. The “Use it or Lose it” Rule: If Spirit moves from Chapter 11 (reorganization) to Chapter 7 (liquidation), your loyalty points could become worthless overnight. Many experts suggest booking flights with miles now rather than holding onto them.
  3. Fare Hikes: Spirit’s presence has historically kept legacy airlines’ prices in check. It’s estimated that if Spirit exits a route, fares on that route jump by about 23%.

The New “Premium” Spirit

If Spirit does survive, it won’t look like the airline we remember. The restructuring plan involves moving away from the “bare fare” model toward a more upscale experience to compete with Delta and United. This includes adding a third row of Big Front Seats and expanding Premium Economy options across the fleet.

The Bottom Line

Spirit Airlines is currently in the ultimate “emergency landing” scenario. Whether it emerges as a federally-backed “Value” carrier or disappears into the history books alongside names like Pan Am and Air Florida depends entirely on the court hearings happening this week.

If you’re flying Spirit this month, keep a close eye on the news—and maybe have a backup plan ready.

Contact Factoring Specialist, Chris Lehnes

Why Importers Are Aggressively Selling IEEPA Tariff Refund Claims

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We continue to assist companies nationwide in converting IEEPA tariff refund claims into immediate cash, even after the launch of U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s(“CBP”) CAPE refund portal and the latest April 28th update from the U.S. Court of International Trade (“CIT”).  

CIT’s April 28th status review confirmed that the lead IEEPA refund litigation has largely moved from the legal entitlement phase into the implementation and payment phase. In simple terms, the question is no longer primarily whether many importers are entitled to refunds, the issue is when those refunds will actually be paid.  

While CBP officially launched CAPE on April 20th to process refunds, there was no new court order requiring immediate payment of all claims. Instead, the CIT is supervising execution, while Customs works through claim submissions, liquidation status, eligibility reviews, and administrative processing.   This distinction matters. CBP has indicated that certain accepted claims may be paid within approximately 45–60 days plus statutory interest.

However, “acceptance” is not the same as submission. Importers must first complete filing requirements, resolve broker authority issues, verify liquidation status, satisfy procedural review, and clear compliance review before the payment clock truly begins.   For many importers, especially those with older entries, previously liquidated claims, multiple brokers, documentation issues, or claims that may fall outside CAPE Phase 1, the actual recovery timeline could extend for many months or significantly longer. As a result, our buyers remain highly active in purchasing IEEPA tariff refund claims, with transactions from $250,000 to $7 million purchased at a Buy Rate of 85%, while claims exceeding $7 million have a Buy Rate of 90%.    

Why Importers are still Selling Tariff Refund Claims after CAPE Opened

Judge Eaton of CIT did not order immediate universal payment of all claims. CBP’s estimated payment window begins only after formal claim acceptance, not submission.

Many claims do not clearly qualify for CAPE Phase 1 and may require later phases. Finally liquidated entries remain one of the largest unresolved issues. Previously liquidated entries may still require protests, reliquidation, or additional litigation. The right to a refund is clearer—but the timing of payment remains uncertain.

CSV upload issues, ACE access problems, and broker mismatches can delay acceptance. Documentation gaps and reconciliation issues remain common. Customs audit and compliance review may delay payment even after filing.

Trump Administration appeal deadlines and future legal developments could delay the timing of refund payments. Processing millions of entries may create substantial administrative backlogs. Port-by-port inconsistencies may slow recovery for certain importers. Working capital needs often cannot wait for government processing timelines/.


Importers Are Choosing To Monetize Now

Immediate working capital for inventory, payroll, and vendor obligations. Reduced lender pressure and improved borrowing base flexibility. Elimination of refund timing risk and litigation uncertainty. Improved balance sheet certainty. Faster access to liquidity without waiting for government disbursement. Stronger buyer pricing now that CAPE implementation is underway as Buy Rates increased from 45% in February to 85% today  

For many businesses, immediate liquidity today is worth more than waiting for a larger payment later. Many importers are no longer asking. “Will I get paid?”, They are asking, “Is waiting worth the delay, uncertainty, and operational risk?”. For many companies, the answer is no.   We work with importers with claims starting at $250,000, with no maximum limit across industries including food, seasonal goods, apparel, and home products.  

Most transactions can be completed in approximately 10 business days, assuming proper documentation and credit quality.  

To learn more about IEEPA Tariff Claim Refunds, Contact Factoring Specialist Chris Lehnes

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tariff-refund-portal-trump-cbp

Destroy Cash Flow Gaps with Factoring

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Our accounts receivable factoring program can help businesses meet payroll or other essential obligations in as quick as a week.

Factoring Program Overview

  • $100,000 to $30 Million
  • Competitive Advance Rates
  • Non-Recourse
  • No Audits or Financial Covenants
  • Most businesses with strong customers are eligible

We specialize in difficult deals:

  • Start-ups
  • Weak Balance Sheets
  • Historic Losses
  • Customer Concentrations
  • Poor Personal Credit
  • Character Issues

We focus on the quality of your client’s accounts receivable, ignoring their financial condition.

This enables us to move quickly and fund qualified businesses including Manufacturers, Distributors and a wide variety of Service Businesses in as few as 3-5 days.

Contact me today to learn if your client is a fit.

Chris Lehnes 203-664-1535 Chris@chrislehnes.com

The Purchase Price of IEEPA Tariff Refund Claims has Increased to up to 85% of the Claim Amount

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Convert IEEPA Tariff Claims to Cash on an Expedited Basis  

I have been actively assisting companies nationwide in converting their IEEPA tariff refund claims into immediate cash.  

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is rolling out a centralized system (CAPE) to process refunds, and some trade experts believe that certain importers could begin receiving refunds within the next six months. However, there remains significant uncertainty around timing, and many industry participants believe that a large portion of claims could still take years to fully resolve.

  Convert IEEPA Tariff Claims to Cash on an Expedited Basis  

This divergence is driven by several factors, including:
The complexity and scale of processing millions of entries
The possibility that certain categories of claims may be prioritized over others, delaying recovery for more complex or lower-volume importers
The need for new administrative procedures, as IEEPA does not clearly define a refund mechanism
The potential for case-by-case eligibility determinations

Ongoing legal and procedural developments, including possible appeals by the Trump Administration and implementation challenges

Liquidation Status – Whether entries have already been liquidated, which in many cases may require formal protests or litigation to reopen and recover duties
The likelihood of inconsistent treatment across ports (port-by-port) or entry types as CBP implements new processes in phases
Documentation gaps and data reconciliation issues, particularly for older entries or those filed across multiple brokers
The absence of clear guidance on how interest on refunds will be calculated and paid, which could lead to further disputes


Capacity constraints within CBP and the potential for processing backlogs as refund volumes scale

Continued legal challenges around the scope of eligibility, including disputes over classifications, valuation, or origin that could delay specific claims


As a result, while some importers may receive refunds within six months, others, particularly those with more complex or previously liquidated entries, could face a multi-year recovery timeline. To address this uncertainty, financial institutions and hedge funds are actively purchasing IEEPA tariff refund claims at a discount.

Current buy rates are as high as 85% of the expected refund value, depending on claim size, credit quality of the importer and documentation quality as these claims are not directly assignable. AES works with importers with claims starting at $250,000, with no maximum limit. Since entering this market five months ago, AES has facilitated the monetization of approximately $20 million in claims across industries including food, seasonal goods, apparel, and home products.  

Market pricing has evolved significantly: Prior to the February 20, 2026, Supreme Court ruling, claims traded at approximately 20–25%
Following the ruling, pricing increased to 40–50%
More recently, improving legal clarity and market participation have driven pricing to current levels of up to 85% of the IEEPA tariff refund amount


While some importers initially adopted a “wait and see” approach in anticipation of near-term refunds, the combination of timing uncertainty and significantly improved pricing has led many to explore monetization as a way to eliminate risk and accelerate liquidity. The Funds AES works with are able to complete transactions in approximately 2–3 weeks, depending on the completeness and quality of documentation.  

For more information on this process, contact Factoring Specialist, Chris Lehnes