Late payment guides

Practical, plain-English guides to getting paid on time as a UK business — your statutory rights, how to reduce late payments, and sector-specific risk.

• Basics
  What is a Late Payment Score?
  A Late Payment Score grades your UK business's exposure to late payment from A to E across five dimensions. Here's what it measures and how to read it.
• Your rights
  UK statutory interest on late payments
  Under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, UK businesses can charge interest and fixed compensation on overdue B2B invoices. Here's how much.
• Practical
  How to reduce late payments
  Seven practical steps UK SMEs can take to get paid on time — clear terms, credit checks, shorter terms, deposits, reminders, statutory interest, and a dispute process.
• Sector
  Late payments in construction
  Construction is one of the highest-risk sectors for late payment. Here's why — long payment chains, retentions and disputes — and how to protect your cash flow.
• Practical
  Payment terms best practice
  How to set payment terms that get you paid on time — length, deposits, written agreements, and a statutory interest clause. A practical guide for UK SMEs.
• Practical
  How to chase an overdue invoice
  A calm, escalating process for chasing late B2B invoices in the UK — reminders, statutory interest, formal demand, and what to do if a customer still won't pay.
• Basics
  Customer concentration risk
  If one client is a large share of your revenue, a single late payment becomes a crisis. Here's how to measure concentration risk and reduce it.
• Sector
  Late payments in recruitment
  Recruitment agencies face a cash-flow squeeze: contractors are paid weekly while clients pay on 30–60 day terms. Here's how to manage late-payment risk.
• Sector
  Late payments for freelancers and contractors
  Freelancers and contractors have little buffer when a client pays late. Here's how to protect your income — deposits, clear terms, and your statutory rights.
• Sector
  Late payments in manufacturing and wholesale
  Manufacturers and wholesalers tie up cash in materials and stock, then wait on long customer terms. Here's how to manage late-payment and cash-flow risk.