# United Kingdom small business payment times and late payment statistics

Small businesses in the United Kingdom waited an average of 29.6 days to be paid in September 2026, and invoices were paid 8.3 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 29.5 days, with invoices 8.0 days late.

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

## Headline numbers

- Small businesses in the United Kingdom waited an average of 29.6 days to be paid in September 2026, against 29.3 days a year earlier.
- Invoices in the United Kingdom were paid an average of 8.3 days after their due date in September 2026, against 8.6 days a year earlier.
- Small business sales in the United Kingdom grew 3.9% year on year in September 2026.
- Small business jobs in the United Kingdom grew 2.3% year on year in September 2026.
- Small business wages in the United Kingdom grew 2.7% year on year in September 2026.

UK small businesses wait longer to be paid than their counterparts in Australia and New Zealand, and invoices routinely settle 8.3 days past their due date. The sector gap is stark: manufacturers wait 2.2 times as long as hospitality businesses to be paid.

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

- Manufacturing: small businesses in manufacturing in the United Kingdom waited 37.6 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 10.0 days late (-0.2 days on a year ago).
- Transport, Postal and Warehousing: small businesses in transport, postal and warehousing in the United Kingdom waited 37.2 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 8.7 days late (+0.4 days on a year ago).
- Administrative and Support Services: small businesses in administrative and support services in the United Kingdom waited 35.0 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 8.1 days late (+2.2 days on a year ago).
- Education and Training: small businesses in education and training in the United Kingdom waited 34.3 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 10.5 days late (+0.2 days on a year ago).
- Professional, Scientific and Technical Services: small businesses in professional, scientific and technical services in the United Kingdom waited 33.3 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 9.6 days late (0.0 days on a year ago).
- Information Media and Telecommunications: small businesses in information media and telecommunications in the United Kingdom waited 32.7 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 9.2 days late (-0.9 days on a year ago).
- Construction: small businesses in construction in the United Kingdom waited 29.6 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 9.3 days late (+1.1 days on a year ago).
- Arts and Recreation Services: small businesses in arts and recreation services in the United Kingdom waited 29.0 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 11.5 days late (+2.3 days on a year ago).
- Other Services: small businesses in other services in the United Kingdom waited 27.1 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 7.5 days late (+2.4 days on a year ago).
- Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services: small businesses in rental, hiring and real estate services in the United Kingdom waited 26.5 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 12.0 days late (+2.4 days on a year ago).
- Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing: small businesses in agriculture, forestry and fishing in the United Kingdom waited 25.4 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 6.3 days late (+3.1 days on a year ago).
- Health Care and Social Assistance: small businesses in health care and social assistance in the United Kingdom waited 23.7 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 7.1 days late (+2.1 days on a year ago).
- Retail Trade: small businesses in retail trade in the United Kingdom waited 20.9 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 6.2 days late (+0.7 days on a year ago).
- Accommodation and Food Services: small businesses in accommodation and food services in the United Kingdom waited 17.3 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 5.1 days late (+0.1 days on a year ago).

## Which UK regions and nations wait longest to be paid?

Small businesses in Northern Ireland waited longest to be paid in September 2026, at 33.9 days on average, and those in the South West were paid fastest, at 26.5 days.

- Northern Ireland: small businesses in Northern Ireland waited 33.9 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 12.1 days late (+2.8 days on a year ago).
- Wales: small businesses in Wales waited 32.8 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 10.5 days late (+4.0 days on a year ago).
- North East: small businesses in North East waited 32.3 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 9.4 days late (+4.5 days on a year ago).
- East Midlands: small businesses in East Midlands waited 31.6 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 8.8 days late (+1.2 days on a year ago).
- Yorkshire and the Humber: small businesses in Yorkshire and the Humber waited 30.5 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 8.3 days late (+1.6 days on a year ago).
- East of England: small businesses in East of England waited 30.4 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 7.4 days late (+0.9 days on a year ago).
- West Midlands: small businesses in West Midlands waited 30.4 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 9.1 days late (+2.3 days on a year ago).
- North West: small businesses in North West waited 30.0 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 9.5 days late (-0.9 days on a year ago).
- South East: small businesses in South East waited 29.6 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 7.8 days late (+0.6 days on a year ago).
- London: small businesses in London waited 29.3 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 8.6 days late (-1.4 days on a year ago).
- Scotland: small businesses in Scotland waited 28.9 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 8.3 days late (+1.7 days on a year ago).
- South West: small businesses in South West waited 26.5 days on average to be paid in September 2026, and were paid 6.1 days late (-0.6 days on a year ago).

## Which large UK companies pay their suppliers slowest?

5,982 large businesses reported (reports filed in the last 12 months). The median takes 31.0 days on average to pay its suppliers. 7.6% average more than 60 days and 48% average 30 days or less. Source: Check When Large Businesses Pay Their Suppliers, check-payment-practices.service.gov.uk (UK Government).

See [how long large UK companies take to pay](https://www.paidnice.com/payment-times/uk) and [the list of large UK companies that pay late](https://www.paidnice.com/payment-times/uk/late-payers).

## Is late payment getting worse in the UK?

Payment times in the United Kingdom are getting slower. The average wait was 29.6 days in September 2026, against a five-year average of 30.1 days. The fastest month since January 2017 was March 2026 at 28.2 days, and the slowest was May 2020 at 36.9 days. Invoices were paid 8.3 days late, 0.3 days less than a year earlier. Days paid late have ranged from 7.3 to 14.7 days. The Bank of England Bank Rate stood at 3.75% in September 2026.

## Frequently asked questions

### How long do small businesses in the United Kingdom wait to be paid?

As of September 2026, small businesses in the United Kingdom waited an average of 29.6 days from issuing an invoice to receiving full payment (+0.3 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 the United Kingdom?

Invoices in the United Kingdom were paid an average of 8.3 days after their due date in September 2026 (-0.3 days vs a year ago). The historical range runs from 7.3 days (June 2021) to 14.7 days (May 2020).

### Which industry waits longest to be paid in the United Kingdom?

Manufacturing has the longest wait, at 37.6 days on average in September 2026. Accommodation and Food Services is the fastest paid, at 17.3 days. Measured by days past the due date, Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services fares worst at 12.0 days late on average.

### Which region has the slowest payment times in the United Kingdom?

Northern Ireland is currently the slowest, with businesses waiting 33.9 days on average to be paid. South West is the fastest at 26.5 days, a gap of 7.4 days.

### Are payment times in the United Kingdom getting better or worse?

Payment times are getting slower. The average wait of 29.6 days in September 2026 compares with 29.3 days a year earlier and a five-year average of 30.1 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 late payment interest can I charge in the UK?

Under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, UK businesses can charge statutory interest of 8% per annum plus the Bank of England base rate on overdue commercial invoices, plus a fixed compensation amount per invoice. Paidnice indexes this automatically so the rate stays current.

### What is payment practices reporting in the UK?

Large UK companies and LLPs must publish reports on their payment practices and performance twice a year, including their average time to pay invoices and the percentage paid late. The reports are public, so small suppliers can check a large customer’s track record before agreeing 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 United Kingdom (https://www.xero.com/uk/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

United Kingdom small business payment statistics, analysed by Paidnice. https://www.paidnice.com/accounts-receivable-statistics/united-kingdom

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