Invoice Payment Time Statistics
Last updated: 2026-10-28 · 10 sourced statistics
How long does it take to get an invoice paid? For small businesses that use Xero, the wait from issuing an invoice to receiving full payment was about 29 days in the June 2026 quarter in both the US (29.3 days) and the UK (29.1 days), and roughly 8 of those days fell after the due date. Official UK statistics for large businesses show a similar picture from the payer's side: a median 32 days to pay suppliers in 2025, ranging from 21 days in financial services to 45 days in manufacturing. This page measures time to payment, the days-sales-outstanding view. For how often invoices are paid late, see the late payment statistics page.
Key takeaways
- US small businesses waited an average 29.3 days to be paid in the June 2026 quarter, up 0.7 days, and were paid 8.5 days late on average (Xero).
- UK small businesses waited 29.1 days to be paid in the June 2026 quarter and were paid 8.3 days late, both better than their 2025 averages (Xero).
- Large UK businesses paid suppliers in a median 32 days in 2025, down from 35 days in 2018 (Department for Business and Trade).
- Sector matters more than region: UK manufacturing took 45 days to pay suppliers against 21 days in financial and insurance activities.
- Atradius finds North American suppliers' cash cycles typically run to around two months from invoicing, while Western European DSO averages just over one month.
At a glance.
Every figure on this page in one table, each linked to its named source. Scroll down for the full context behind each number.
| Figure | What it measures | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29.3 days | US small businesses waited an average 29.3 days to be paid after issuing an invoice in the June 2026 quarter, 0.7 days longer than the previous quarter, which Xero says likely reflects longer payment terms. | Xero Small Business Insights, United States (published 30 July 2026) | 2026 |
| 8.5 days late | US small businesses were paid an average 8.5 days after the due date in the June 2026 quarter, 0.5 days less late than the previous quarter. | Xero Small Business Insights, United States (published 30 July 2026) | 2026 |
| 29.1 days | UK small businesses waited an average 29.1 days to be paid in the June 2026 quarter, after 28.8 days in the March quarter and 29.3 days on average in 2025. | Xero Small Business Insights, United Kingdom (published 30 July 2026) | 2026 |
| 8.3 days late | UK small businesses were paid an average 8.3 days late in the June 2026 quarter, up from 8.0 days in the March quarter but better than the 8.6-day average for 2025. | Xero Small Business Insights, United Kingdom (published 30 July 2026) | 2026 |
| 4.5 to 9.7 days | In the December 2025 quarter, average days late ranged from 4.5 in New Zealand (a record low) and 6.6 in Australia to 7.8 in the US, 8.0 in the UK and 9.7 in Canada. | Xero, Small Business Insights data: late payment results (3 March 2026) | 2026 |
| 32 days | Large UK businesses paid their suppliers in a median 32 days in 2025, unchanged from 2023 and 2024 and down from 35 days in 2018 (11,178 valid reports). | Department for Business and Trade, Large businesses' payment practices and performance statistics: 2025 | 2025 |
| 45 days | Large UK businesses in manufacturing took the longest to pay suppliers in 2025, a median 45 days, against 21 days in financial and insurance activities and 31 days in professional, scientific and technical activities. | Department for Business and Trade, Large businesses' payment practices and performance statistics: 2025 | 2025 |
| 27 vs 38 days | By region, large businesses in London paid suppliers fastest in 2025 (median 27 days) and those in the West Midlands slowest (38 days). | Department for Business and Trade, Large businesses' payment practices and performance statistics: 2025 | 2025 |
| ~2 months | Because most overdue B2B receivables in North America are settled within a month of the due date, suppliers' cash conversion cycles typically extend to around two months from invoicing, as reflected in days sales outstanding. | Atradius, B2B payment practices trends in North America 2026 (16 September 2026) | 2026 |
| Just over 1 month | Days sales outstanding has edged higher across Western Europe, sitting slightly above agreed payment terms, with most markets clustered around a regional average of just over one month and Italy the longest. | Atradius, B2B payment practices trends in Western Europe 2026 (20 May 2026) | 2026 |
The statistics
US small businesses waited an average 29.3 days to be paid after issuing an invoice in the June 2026 quarter, 0.7 days longer than the previous quarter, which Xero says likely reflects longer payment terms.
Source:Xero Small Business Insights, United States (published 30 July 2026)2026
US small businesses were paid an average 8.5 days after the due date in the June 2026 quarter, 0.5 days less late than the previous quarter.
Source:Xero Small Business Insights, United States (published 30 July 2026)2026
UK small businesses waited an average 29.1 days to be paid in the June 2026 quarter, after 28.8 days in the March quarter and 29.3 days on average in 2025.
Source:Xero Small Business Insights, United Kingdom (published 30 July 2026)2026
UK small businesses were paid an average 8.3 days late in the June 2026 quarter, up from 8.0 days in the March quarter but better than the 8.6-day average for 2025.
Source:Xero Small Business Insights, United Kingdom (published 30 July 2026)2026
In the December 2025 quarter, average days late ranged from 4.5 in New Zealand (a record low) and 6.6 in Australia to 7.8 in the US, 8.0 in the UK and 9.7 in Canada.
Source:Xero, Small Business Insights data: late payment results (3 March 2026)2026
Large UK businesses paid their suppliers in a median 32 days in 2025, unchanged from 2023 and 2024 and down from 35 days in 2018 (11,178 valid reports).
Large UK businesses in manufacturing took the longest to pay suppliers in 2025, a median 45 days, against 21 days in financial and insurance activities and 31 days in professional, scientific and technical activities.
By region, large businesses in London paid suppliers fastest in 2025 (median 27 days) and those in the West Midlands slowest (38 days).
Because most overdue B2B receivables in North America are settled within a month of the due date, suppliers' cash conversion cycles typically extend to around two months from invoicing, as reflected in days sales outstanding.
Source:Atradius, B2B payment practices trends in North America 2026 (16 September 2026)2026
Days sales outstanding has edged higher across Western Europe, sitting slightly above agreed payment terms, with most markets clustered around a regional average of just over one month and Italy the longest.
Source:Atradius, B2B payment practices trends in Western Europe 2026 (20 May 2026)2026
When these numbers don't apply
Aggregate statistics hide a lot. Read these caveats before quoting a figure as if it describes your specific situation.
- Time to be paid and days late are different measures. Xero's time to be paid counts days from invoice to full payment; days late counts only the time past the due date. Most of a 29-day wait is the agreed payment term, not lateness.
- Xero's figures come from invoices issued by small businesses that use Xero, weighted to each country's industry mix. They exclude invoices not yet fully paid and invoices paid more than a year later, so the slowest debts are missing.
- The UK Department for Business and Trade figures cover only large businesses that must report under the 2017 payment practices regulations, and they are medians of reported performance. Smaller UK firms are not included.
- Atradius describes days sales outstanding (DSO) in words rather than a single number, from surveys of businesses in each region. Treat its ranges as indicative.
- Figures for different years or quarters are not directly comparable, and payment times vary widely by sector, customer size and agreed terms.
How we compiled this data
Reviewed 28 October 2026. Each figure was re-read at its publisher: Xero's latest United States and United Kingdom Small Business Insights pages (published 30 July 2026) and its 3 March 2026 late payment results post, with Xero's methodology page for how time to be paid is calculated; the Department for Business and Trade's 2025 commentary on large businesses' payment practices and performance (published 14 July 2026); and Atradius's 2026 regional payment practices reports. Earlier figures were removed: an Ardent Partners processing-time benchmark that its linked page does not state, a Nacha Same Day ACH growth figure that measures settlement rather than time to payment, and late-payment shares that belong on the late payment statistics page.
We hand-collected each figure from its original publisher rather than recycling secondary round-ups, cross-checked the headline numbers against the source documents in 2026-10-28, and link every statistic to the report it came from so you can verify it yourself. Where a publisher issues annual updates, we cite the report edition and flag the year inline.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to get an invoice paid?
For small businesses using Xero, about a month. In the June 2026 quarter the average wait from invoice to full payment was 29.3 days in the US and 29.1 days in the UK. On the payer's side, large UK businesses paid suppliers in a median 32 days in 2025.
How many days late are invoices paid on average?
Xero's June 2026 quarter data shows US small businesses paid 8.5 days late and UK small businesses 8.3 days late on average. In the December 2025 quarter the range across Xero's countries ran from 4.5 days in New Zealand to 9.7 days in Canada.
Which industries take longest to pay invoices?
In the UK official statistics for 2025, large manufacturing businesses took the longest, a median 45 days, while financial and insurance businesses took 21 days. Professional, scientific and technical businesses took 31 days.
Is invoice payment time getting shorter?
Slowly, in the UK. Large businesses' median time to pay fell from 35 days in 2018 to 32 days in 2025, though it has not moved since 2023. Xero's US time to be paid rose 0.7 days in the June 2026 quarter, which Xero links to longer payment terms, while days late fell.
What is the difference between time to be paid and DSO?
Time to be paid follows each invoice from issue to full payment. Days sales outstanding (DSO) is a balance-sheet ratio: receivables divided by sales, multiplied by the days in the period. Atradius uses DSO and finds North American cash cycles at around two months from invoicing and Western Europe at just over one month.
Put these figures to use
- Payments hub: Guides on payment terms, reminders and getting invoices paid.
- Late fee calculator: Works out simple interest on an overdue invoice from the amount, annual rate and days late.
- Late payment statistics: How often B2B and small-business invoices are paid late, by source.
- Automatic payment reminders: How scheduled reminders work before and after a due date.
Related statistics
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