What is a Late Payment Score?
Updated 28 June 2026
A Late Payment Score is a free, AI-generated assessment of how exposed your business is to being paid late by its B2B customers. It produces a single grade from A (Excellent) to E (Critical), backed by a breakdown across five dimensions and a short action plan.
It is designed for UK small and medium-sized businesses that invoice other businesses on credit terms, where a single late or disputed invoice can put real pressure on cash flow.
The five dimensions
The score is not just about who pays late today — it weighs the structural factors that make late payment more or less likely to hurt you:
- Sector risk — some sectors (for example construction) have longer payment chains and higher dispute rates.
- Customer concentration — how much of your revenue depends on a single client. High concentration turns one late payer into an existential risk.
- Payment terms maturity — the length and clarity of the terms you offer, and whether they are documented.
- Dispute readiness — whether you have written, signed terms and a documented process for handling disputed invoices.
- Cash flow resilience — how well the business could absorb a delayed payment.
How the grades work
Each dimension is scored and combined into an overall grade. A and B indicate strong-to-good protection; C means there are gaps worth closing; D and E indicate significant-to-critical exposure that warrants action.
The grade is a starting point for a conversation about risk, not a credit score or a guarantee. It reflects the information you provide about your own business.
How to use your score
Use the dimension breakdown to find your weakest area, then work the action plan: tighten payment terms, document a dispute process, reduce reliance on a single client, and make sure you are claiming the statutory interest you are owed on overdue invoices.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Late Payment Score free?
Yes. The assessment and your graded report are free, and you can view your score without signing up.
How long does it take?
About 60 seconds — it is a short set of questions about your business, with your score building as you answer.
Who is it for?
UK SMEs that invoice other businesses on credit terms and want to understand and reduce their exposure to late payment.
Is it a credit score?
No. It assesses your business's exposure to late payment based on the information you provide; it is not a credit rating and does not check third-party credit files.
Know your own Late Payment Score
Get a free, AI-generated assessment of your business's late-payment risk in about 60 seconds.
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