Factoring, fraud, and frontier tech:Insights from Comarch on resilience in receivables finance

At the FCI 57th Annual Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Trade Treasury Payments (TTP) caught up with Karol Leszczyński, Product Development Manager at Comarch, to explore why factoring continues to stand out in times of financial stress, and how technology is reshaping the landscape.

Leszczyński said, “The biggest reason factoring is more resilient is because of the real diversity. When we have a factoring agreement, there are debtors that, at the end of the day, are paying for your invoices.” By spreading risk across multiple debtors, rather than relying on a single borrower, factoring provides lenders with stronger protections and more diversified exposures than traditional loans or overdraft facilities.

That risk profile is further strengthened by the involvement of trade credit insurers and the depth of due diligence required. “The knowledge about the debtors, about the counterparties, is much bigger than with the usual credit line,” said Leszczyński.

Looking ahead, frontier technologies are set to transform how factoring firms manage risk, automate workflows, and detect fraud. Leszczyński pointed to the growing role of artificial intelligence in streamlining operations, freeing up staff to focus on client relationships and more complex tasks. “Thanks to improvements with the use of AI, the people who are currently working on daily basis tasks that are repeatable can put their energy into other aspects,” he said.

But technological transformation also brings new responsibilities, especially when it comes to data. “Data is almost a new currency in the world. We need to be sure that we are protecting the data, treating the data with respect,” he said.

That includes aligning with emerging regulations, particularly in areas such as e-invoicing, which he believes will play a key role in reducing fraud. While no system can eliminate fraud entirely, Leszczyński believes there can be considerable improvements. “Maybe not to zero,” he said, “but much more than we have right now.”

Solutions like Comarch’s can help the factoring industry adapt to a more digital, data-driven future, all while ensuring that it stays rooted in fundamentals like risk diversification.

This case illustrates how established risk-sharing models (factoring, insurance, due diligence) are converging with frontier technologies to create a more resilient receivables finance industry. It underscores the need for firms to innovate without losing sight of core risk-management fundamentals.