A Day in the Life of a Motor Factor: How Integrated Payments Simplify Trade Operations

Based on our experience supporting motor factors across the UK, we’ve seen how disconnected payment systems slow teams down. Manual processes, invoice chasing and multiple payment providers all add friction to what should be a fast, efficient operation.

Let’s take a look at what a typical day looks like without integrated payments. And how Klipboard Money, built directly into Autopart (formerly MAM Software), changes the picture.

The urgent phone order

A local garage calls in needing brake pads urgently. The order is placed over the phone and needs to be dispatched quickly. The team usually has two options: Take card details over the phone (time-consuming and risky), or send the parts and hope the invoice gets paid later.

Neither is ideal. Phone payments involve writing down card details, keying them into a terminal and hoping no mistakes are made. Sending parts without payment often means chasing invoices days, or even weeks later.

With Klipboard Money, the process is much simpler. The team sends a Pay by Link directly from Autopart. The customer pays securely by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, and the payment is automatically matched to the invoice. The parts are dispatched with confidence, with payment already secured.

Managing overdue invoices

As the day progresses, the admin work starts to build up. Someone has to:

• Check which invoices are unpaid.
• Send reminders.
• Call customers.
• Match card receipts to invoices.
• Investigate any discrepancies.

It’s slow, manual, and prone to error. When customers say, “I’ll pay later,” it often means another reminder, another phone call and more time lost.

With Klipboard Money, payment links are embedded directly into invoices and statements. Customers can pay instantly from their inbox or by scanning a QR code.

Importantly, this also opens up more choice in how trade customers settle their statements. While many garages still prefer to pay by BACS, this often means waiting until funds are available with means delayed payment and impacted cash flow. With Klipboard Money, those same statements can be settled via a secure payment link using a corporate or personal card. For many customers, the convenience is worth the additional cost, and for motor factors it means getting paid sooner without extra chasing.

Better still, every payment is automatically posted back into Autopart. No manual reconciliation. No guesswork.

One customer, Clarkins Car Accessories, summed it up perfectly: “Klipboard Money is perfect. It’s so easy and it’s great it’s all inside Autopart. We have one place to go, one tool to use.”

Peak-time payments at the counter

When the trade counter is busy, speed matters. Staff often have to:

• Manually key in amounts.
• Wait for transactions to process.
• Print receipts.
• Fix mistakes if the wrong figure is entered.

Even small errors can lead to refunds, reprocessing and awkward conversations.

With Klipboard Money, the payment amount is sent directly from Autopart to the terminal. Staff simply select the payment method and the customer taps their card or phone.

Payments are:

• Faster.
• More accurate.
• Automatically recorded in the system.

No re-keying. No mismatches. No wasted time.

Securing payment before delivery

For many motor factors, goods leave the depot every day without payment being confirmed. This creates risk:

• Drivers chasing payments on the doorstep.
• Credit exposure.
• Delayed cash flow.

With Pay by Link built into Autopart, businesses can secure payment before the vehicle leaves. Payment status can even be displayed clearly on delivery paperwork, so drivers know exactly which orders are paid and which are not.

End-of-day reconciliation

At the end of the day, someone still has to make sure everything adds up. Traditionally, this means:

Traditionally, this means:

• Matching card receipts to invoices.
• Checking for missing payments.
• Investigating errors.
• Preparing reports.

With Klipboard Money, reconciliation happens automatically. Payments, invoices and customer accounts stay aligned inside Autopart.

Why integrated payments matter for motor factors

For many businesses, payments have become a necessary evil – something that slows things down instead of supporting growth.

Disconnected systems create:

• Manual work.
• Delayed cash flow.
• Fraud risk.
• Poor customer experience.
• Multiple providers and contracts.

Klipboard Money changes this by embedding payments directly into Autopart.

This means:

• Faster payments.
• Less admin.
• Better cash flow.
• Improved security.
• Happier staff and customers.

Instead of working against the business, payments start working for it. When payments are integrated into your everyday workflows, everything runs more smoothly.

And your team can focus on what really matters – serving customers and keeping vehicles on the road.