# Australia small business payment times and late payment statistics

Small businesses in Australia waited an average of 24.2 days to be paid in September 2026, and invoices were paid 6.7 days after their due date on average. Across the July to September 2026 quarter, the period Xero headlines in its own commentary, the average wait was 24.3 days, with invoices 6.9 days late.

Source page: https://www.paidnice.com/accounts-receivable-statistics/australia

## Headline numbers

- Small businesses in Australia waited an average of 24.2 days to be paid in September 2026, against 24.4 days a year earlier.
- Invoices in Australia were paid an average of 6.7 days after their due date in September 2026, against 7.0 days a year earlier.
- Small business sales in Australia grew 4.3% year on year in September 2026.
- Small business jobs in Australia grew 3.6% year on year in September 2026.
- Small business wages in Australia grew 1.0% year on year in September 2026.

Australia is the fastest payer of the five countries we track. Across the September 2026 quarter, Australian small businesses waited an average of 24.3 days to be paid and settled invoices 6.9 days past due, up from 23.5 days and 6.3 days in the June 2026 quarter ([Xero Small Business Insights](https://www.xero.com/us/resources/small-business-insights/latest-australia/), published 29 October 2026). The monthly figures below sit under those quarterly averages, and single months can move sharply before Xero revises them. The Payment Times Reporting scheme, which makes big businesses publish how quickly they pay small suppliers, has kept payment behaviour under a public spotlight since 2021.

## How long do Australian small businesses wait to be paid by industry?

- Manufacturing: small businesses in manufacturing in Australia waited 32.3 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 8.6 days late (0.0 days on a year ago).
- Mining: small businesses in mining in Australia waited 32.0 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 5.8 days late (-8.9 days on a year ago).
- Wholesale Trade: small businesses in wholesale trade in Australia waited 31.2 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 8.2 days late (-1.9 days on a year ago).
- Education and Training: small businesses in education and training in Australia waited 30.6 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 9.4 days late (+1.2 days on a year ago).
- Utilities: small businesses in utilities in Australia waited 29.5 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 11.0 days late (-2.2 days on a year ago).
- Public Administration and Safety: small businesses in public administration and safety in Australia waited 29.5 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 5.7 days late (0.0 days on a year ago).
- Transport, Postal and Warehousing: small businesses in transport, postal and warehousing in Australia waited 27.3 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 6.2 days late (-0.7 days on a year ago).
- Professional, Scientific and Technical Services: small businesses in professional, scientific and technical services in Australia waited 27.1 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 7.6 days late (-0.1 days on a year ago).
- Information Media and Telecommunications: small businesses in information media and telecommunications in Australia waited 26.5 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 7.0 days late (-5.8 days on a year ago).
- Construction: small businesses in construction in Australia waited 26.4 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 9.0 days late (-0.5 days on a year ago).
- Administrative and Support Services: small businesses in administrative and support services in Australia waited 25.1 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 7.0 days late (+0.5 days on a year ago).
- Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services: small businesses in rental, hiring and real estate services in Australia waited 22.6 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 7.7 days late (+1.0 days on a year ago).
- Arts and Recreation Services: small businesses in arts and recreation services in Australia waited 22.3 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 8.1 days late (+0.4 days on a year ago).
- Retail Trade: small businesses in retail trade in Australia waited 21.0 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 8.0 days late (+0.8 days on a year ago).
- Other Services: small businesses in other services in Australia waited 21.0 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 6.2 days late (-0.4 days on a year ago).
- Financial and Insurance Services: small businesses in financial and insurance services in Australia waited 18.7 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 3.3 days late (+1.4 days on a year ago).
- Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing: small businesses in agriculture, forestry and fishing in Australia waited 18.6 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 3.7 days late (-0.4 days on a year ago).
- Health Care and Social Assistance: small businesses in health care and social assistance in Australia waited 14.7 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 3.6 days late (-0.7 days on a year ago).
- Accommodation and Food Services: small businesses in accommodation and food services in Australia waited 10.9 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 2.8 days late (-1.0 days on a year ago).

## Which Australian states and territories wait longest to be paid?

Small businesses in Victoria waited longest to be paid in September 2026, at 26.0 days on average, and those in the Australian Capital Territory were paid fastest, at 19.4 days.

- Victoria: small businesses in Victoria waited 26.0 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 7.6 days late (+0.3 days on a year ago).
- Western Australia: small businesses in Western Australia waited 24.9 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 6.0 days late (-0.9 days on a year ago).
- New South Wales: small businesses in New South Wales waited 24.4 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 6.8 days late (-0.1 days on a year ago).
- Northern Territory: small businesses in Northern Territory waited 23.7 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 7.3 days late (+0.3 days on a year ago).
- South Australia: small businesses in South Australia waited 22.8 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 6.5 days late (-1.6 days on a year ago).
- Queensland: small businesses in Queensland waited 22.5 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 5.8 days late (+0.1 days on a year ago).
- Tasmania: small businesses in Tasmania waited 21.8 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 4.2 days late (-0.6 days on a year ago).
- Australian Capital Territory: small businesses in Australian Capital Territory waited 19.4 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 3.7 days late (-5.3 days on a year ago).

## Which large Australian businesses pay their suppliers slowest?

2,613 large businesses reported (Jul–Dec 2025). The median takes 25.0 days on average to pay its suppliers. 1.6% average more than 60 days and 65.6% average 30 days or less. Source: Payment Times Reports Register, register.paymenttimes.gov.au (Australian Government).

See [how long large Australian businesses take to pay small business suppliers](https://www.paidnice.com/payment-times/au) and [the list of large Australian businesses that pay small business suppliers late](https://www.paidnice.com/payment-times/au/late-payers).

## Is late payment getting worse in Australia?

Payment times in Australia are improving. The average wait was 24.2 days in September 2026, against a five-year average of 24.9 days. The fastest month since January 2017 was June 2026 at 22.2 days, and the slowest was December 2017 at 29.3 days. Invoices were paid 6.7 days late, 0.3 days less than a year earlier. Days paid late have ranged from 5.5 to 11.1 days. The RBA cash rate target (monthly avg) stood at 4.36% in September 2026.

## Frequently asked questions

### How long do small businesses in Australia wait to be paid?

As of September 2026, small businesses in Australia waited an average of 24.2 days from issuing an invoice to receiving full payment (-0.2 days vs a year ago). This is the actual observed payment time across anonymised Xero invoices, not the stated payment terms.

### How late are invoices paid in Australia?

Invoices in Australia were paid an average of 6.7 days after their due date in September 2026 (-0.3 days vs a year ago). The historical range runs from 5.5 days (June 2026) to 11.1 days (December 2017).

### Which industry waits longest to be paid in Australia?

Manufacturing has the longest wait, at 32.3 days on average in September 2026. Accommodation and Food Services is the fastest paid, at 10.9 days. Measured by days past the due date, Utilities fares worst at 11.0 days late on average.

### Which state has the slowest payment times in Australia?

Victoria is currently the slowest, with businesses waiting 26.0 days on average to be paid. Australian Capital Territory is the fastest at 19.4 days, a gap of 6.6 days.

### Are payment times in Australia getting better or worse?

Payment times are improving. The average wait of 24.2 days in September 2026 compares with 24.4 days a year earlier and a five-year average of 24.9 days.

### Where does this data come from?

All figures come from Xero Small Business Insights (September 2026 release), which aggregates anonymised data from hundreds of thousands of small businesses using Xero. Payment metrics are calculated from invoices marked fully paid in the month, weighted by invoice value, and seasonally adjusted. Paidnice presents the data with independent analysis; the underlying dataset is published by Xero.

### What is the Payment Times Reporting scheme in Australia?

Since 2021, large businesses operating in Australia (generally those with over AU$100 million in annual income) must report how quickly they pay their small business suppliers. The reports are published on the public Payment Times Reports Register, so small businesses can check a large customer’s payment record before extending credit.

### Can I charge late payment interest in Australia?

There is no statutory late payment interest rate for business-to-business invoices in Australia. You can charge late fees or interest if your terms of trade provide for them and the amounts are reasonable rather than punitive. Tools like Paidnice apply these charges automatically once they are set out in your terms.

## Methodology

- Time to be paid: average days from invoice issue to full payment, from invoices marked fully paid in the month, weighted by invoice value, and seasonally adjusted. Invoices without payment terms are excluded.
- Late payments: average days an invoice is paid beyond its due date, seasonally adjusted.
- Source: Xero Small Business Insights, September 2026 detailed results for Australia (https://www.xero.com/au/resources/small-business-insights/), monthly from January 2017. Paidnice's analysis is independent of Xero.

This page reports how long small businesses wait to be paid, from Xero Small Business Insights. How long large companies take to pay their suppliers is a different measure from government payment filings, and it is on the payment times pages.

## Cite

Australia small business payment statistics, analysed by Paidnice. https://www.paidnice.com/accounts-receivable-statistics/australia

## Related

- [Accounts receivable statistics for all countries](https://www.paidnice.com/accounts-receivable-statistics)
- [debtor management software in Australia](https://www.paidnice.com/debtor-management-software)
- [Debtor management in Australia](https://www.paidnice.com/blog/debtor-management-software-australia)
- [What is debtor management?](https://www.paidnice.com/dictionary/debtor-management)
- [Late fees in Australia](https://www.paidnice.com/blog/late-fees-in-australia)
- [Collecting debt in Australia](https://www.paidnice.com/blog/full-guide-collecting-debt-in-australia)
- [Accounts receivable software](https://www.paidnice.com/accounts-receivable-software)
- [DSO calculator](https://www.paidnice.com/calculators/days-sales-outstanding)
- [Net 30 calculator](https://www.paidnice.com/calculators/net-30-calculator)