How to pay invoices with a credit card in the UK

Quick answer

You can pay business invoices with a credit card using bill payment services. They charge a small fee (typically 1.5-2.5%) but give you 30-45 extra days of cashflow and let you earn credit card rewards on payments your suppliers only accept by bank transfer.

Why pay invoices with a credit card?

Most UK business suppliers expect payment by bank transfer. That means money leaves your account immediately — no float, no rewards, no flexibility.

But there's a better way. Bill payment services let you put those invoices on your business credit card, even when the supplier only accepts bank transfer. The service pays your supplier directly, and you pay off your credit card on your normal billing cycle.

The benefits stack up fast:

  • 30-45 extra days of cashflow on every payment
  • Credit card rewards on spend that would normally earn nothing
  • Better cash management — smooth out lumpy payment cycles
  • Emergency flexibility — cover a big invoice while waiting for your own customers to pay

How does it actually work?

  1. You receive an invoice from a supplier (rent, contractors, stock, HMRC)
  2. Upload it to a bill pay service
  3. Pay with your business credit card
  4. The service sends a bank transfer to your supplier
  5. You pay off your credit card 30-45 days later

The supplier sees a normal bank transfer. They don't need to accept card payments. You get the cashflow benefit of paying by credit card.

What does it cost?

Bill payment services typically charge 1.5-2.5% per transaction. Whether this makes sense depends on your situation:

It's a no-brainer if:

  • You're earning rewards that offset the fee (Amex points, cashback)
  • The cashflow extension saves you from an overdraft or loan
  • You need to hit a welcome bonus spend target

It's worth considering if:

  • Your business has seasonal cash gaps
  • You want to smooth out irregular payment cycles
  • You're managing growth and need working capital

Bill pay services in the UK

A few services offer this in the UK:

  • Incredible — focused on credit card bill payments, simple UI, quick setup
  • Crezco — payment platform with some bill pay features
  • Modulr — more enterprise-focused, embedded finance APIs

The space is still relatively new in the UK. We'd recommend trying a small invoice first to see how the process works before routing all your payments through it.

Which credit card should you use?

The best card for bill payments depends on your spending level. See our comparison pages for detailed breakdowns, but in short:

  • Under £2k/month: Capital on Tap (free, instant approval)
  • £2-5k/month: Amex Gold Business (rewards outweigh the £195 fee)
  • £5k+/month: Amex Platinum Business (premium perks, higher earn potential)

Getting started

Pick a bill pay service, upload an invoice, and try it with a small payment first. Most services approve you within minutes and the whole process takes under 10 minutes. Once you're comfortable, you can route larger supplier payments through it and start stacking rewards on spend that was previously invisible to your credit card.