Late payments: 13 billion euros missing from small firms' cash
Banque de France, bulletin no. 266, 16 October 2026: payment times are at their lowest since 2007, yet more than one large company in two still pays suppliers after the 60-day legal limit.
- The Banque de France (bulletin no. 266, 16 October 2026) reports payment times at their lowest since 2007, with customers paying at 42 days of sales.
- More than one large company in two still pays after 60 days, a cash advantage of 13 billion euros that is missing from SMEs.
- For an agency, chasing payment is repetitive and an assistant can prepare reminders; the figures say nothing about your own clients.
According to the Banque de France (bulletin no. 266, 16 October 2026), supplier payment times fell again in 2025 (−0.8 purchase days, versus −1.2 in 2024) and customer payment times stayed almost flat at 42 days of sales: both are at their lowest since 2007. Micro-enterprises cut supplier payment times by nearly 2 days for the second year running.
One hard spot remains: more than one large company in two pays its suppliers after the 60-day legal limit. Some of them gain a cash advantage of 13 billion euros, which the Banque de France says is missing, in the same amount, from SMEs' cash. The trade balance of companies equals a financing need of 12 days of sales (7 days for micro-enterprises).
For AppH
- For a domiciliation agency that bills subscriptions and services to many clients, chasing payment is repetitive work: spotting overdue invoices, writing a polite reminder, noting the reply.
- At AppH, an assistant can prepare those reminders and track due dates; a person at the agency approves each message before it goes out and decides what comes next, for example a formal notice.
Against / the honest limit
- The Banque de France figures describe companies as a whole, mainly large payers: they say nothing about your own clients' behaviour or solvency.
- Chasing sooner does not make a client pay who cannot. AppH gives no legal advice and does no debt collection: beyond the friendly reminder, that is up to your team and its advisers.
A late payment first costs follow-up time. Automating the friendly reminder frees that time, as long as the relationship with the client stays in a person's hands.
Reviewed by an AppH human