Overcoming the Problem of Late Payments – Approved Accounting (2024)

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Overcoming the Problem of Late Payments – Approved Accounting (1)

It is estimated that right now around £255 billion is owed to small businesses by customers who have yet to pay them. According to SME Insider, the small business news service, one in five is owed more than £25k, one in 10 more than £100k and a staggering 43,000 SMEs are owed in excess of £1 million.

Not only does this sad state of affairs damage the national economy but it presents huge problems and challenges for the small businesses that are owed so much. Late payments cause cash flow problems and drain business resources too, in the form of working hours spent chasing them, having to negotiate late payments with their own suppliers, potentially incurring costs through, say, overdraft facilities or credit cards, and having to go, cap in hand, to the bank.

Although you may never combat the issue of late payment entirely, there are measures you can take to minimise it and the effects it can have.

How to overcome the problem of late payments

Consider the following steps to improve your invoicing and debt collection processes to mitigate the problems caused by late payments:

  1. Check who’s to blame:Before you remonstrate with your client, check that you haven’t inadvertently caused the hold-up in the payment process yourself. Have you included all the required information and references on the invoice? Some suppliers won’t pay unless you include their purchase order number or a specific reference number. And they are unlikely to let you know in a hurry if you haven’t complied with their requirements.
  2. Make it easy for them to pay you:Take a loose look at your invoicing policy. Do your invoices contain all the details customers will need to make the payment – your references, your bank details etc? Could you entice them to pay promptly with a discount or look at implementing Direct Debit or Standing Order so that your bill is paid automatically each time?
  3. Invest in online accounting services:Online accounting services solve many issues concerning billing schedules. By integrating with your bank account, records will always be up-to-date and will quickly flag a payment issue, allowing you to act swiftly on overdue accounts. Online accounting helps you feel in control of your accounts and finances.
  4. Become an invoicing wizard:Invoice promptly on the delivery of your service or product and then make contact with your customer before the payment due date to check there is not going to be a hold-up.
  5. Turn debt collector:Chase up unpaid invoices as soon as they become overdue. Make a phone call first to check if there’s a problem with the invoice (see point 1). If there’s no issue, and payment remains outstanding, first write a gentle reminder letter, followed by another call, then send a final reminder. With online accounting systems, such as Xero, you have the facility to send regular reminders. Xero also has many add-on partners offering software services to aid cash flow management, such as winner of the Add-on Partner of the Year Award at this year’s Xerocon conference, Chaser, with its automatic invoice-chasing. Your last resort will be legal action to recover the debt.

Ensuring strong cash flow

Online accounting and invoicing can help get you paid faster and reduce debtor days, which in turn ensure a strong cash flow in your business. By working closely with your accountant, you will also benefit from having potential problems flagged up and dealt with before they become cash flow bottlenecks.

If you need our expert accountants’ advice on overcoming the problem of late payment email Jon now.

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Overcoming the Problem of Late Payments – Approved Accounting (2)

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Overcoming the Problem of Late Payments – Approved Accounting (2024)

FAQs

How to recover from late payments? ›

There are a few steps you can take.
  1. Make all of your payments on time going forward. A consistent payment pattern can only help your credit score. ...
  2. Limit spending. ...
  3. Pay down your debt amounts. ...
  4. Get a secured credit card or a credit-builder loan. ...
  5. Become an authorized user. ...
  6. Check your credit report.
Jun 15, 2023

How do you respond to a late payment professionally? ›

Responding to a late payment email involves addressing the issue promptly and professionally. Start by apologizing for the delay and acknowledging any inconvenience caused. Be transparent about the reasons for the late payment, without oversharing personal details.

How can I get a late payment removed from my credit report? ›

You can start this process by sending a dispute letter to each credit bureau that reported the mistake. The dispute letter should clearly state the negative information you're disputing, include any documentation of the inaccurate information and request that the item be corrected or removed.

What are the problems with late payments? ›

Late payments can lead to cash flow problems, as the business does not have the money to pay its bills. This can make it difficult for the business to operate and even lead to bankruptcy. Increased costs. Late payments can also increase business costs.

How do I get late payment forgiveness? ›

A goodwill letter is a formal letter to a creditor or lender, such as a bank or credit card company, to request forgiveness for a late payment or other negative item on your credit report. In the letter, you typically: Explain the circ*mstances that led to the late payment or issue.

How to fix delinquent accounts? ›

How do I pay off serious delinquency?
  1. Start making payments immediately. ...
  2. Contact your credit card issuer. ...
  3. Work out a payment plan with the debt collection agency. ...
  4. Contact a non-profit credit counselor.
Oct 10, 2022

How do you apologize for late payment professionally? ›

Writing an “Apologize For a Late Payment” letter is a professional and effective way to express regret for the delay in payment. This letter should include a sincere apology for the delay, a brief explanation of the reason for the delay, and a clear timeline for when the payment will be made.

How do you handle overdue payments? ›

Reactive measures to handle overdue invoices
  1. Start with payment reminders. ...
  2. Follow up with a phone call. ...
  3. Consider extending credit. ...
  4. Charge late fees. ...
  5. Take legal action. ...
  6. Know your customers. ...
  7. Agree on clear payment terms and policies. ...
  8. Collect advance payments.
Dec 14, 2023

How do you justify late payments? ›

Here are the top late payment reasons AR professionals have probably heard, what to do about them, and how to get paid faster.
  1. "We Haven't Received the Invoice" ...
  2. "The Company Information Isn't Correct" ...
  3. "Our System is Down" ...
  4. "The Person Authorizing Payments is OOO" ...
  5. "We Already Paid the Invoice"

What is a 609 letter to remove late payments? ›

Section 609 gives consumers the right to request information related to debts listed on their credit reports. Examples of information that you may want to dispute include: Accounts opened due to identity theft. Late payments that were paid on time.

How to write a goodwill letter to remove late payments? ›

I truly believe that it doesn't reflect my creditworthiness and commitment to repaying my debts. It would help me immensely if you could give me a second chance and make a goodwill adjustment to remove the late [payment/payments] on [date/dates]. Thank you for your consideration, and I hope you'll approve my request.

What is a 609 dispute letter template? ›

A 609 letter template is a form letter that is used to dispute items on a credit report. The letter is sent to the credit reporting agency, and the purpose is to request that the disputed information be removed.

How to write a late payment explanation letter? ›

Below are a few aspects you will want to include in your letter:
  1. Your name, mailing address, and phone number.
  2. The date.
  3. The loan application number.
  4. The lender's name, mailing address, and phone number.
  5. Your explanation, along with references to any supporting documents you are including.

How many late payments is too much? ›

Anything more than 30 days will likely cause a dip in your credit score that can be as much as 180 points. Here are more details on what to expect based on how late your payment is: Payments less than 30 days late: If you miss your due date but make a payment before it's 30 days past due, you're in luck.

Can you recover from late payments? ›

The recovery time can also depend on the event. It may take a few months to recover from a hard inquiry, a few months (or years) to recover from a 30-day late payment, and much longer to recover from a 90-day late payment or other major negative mark (such as a foreclosure).

How do I recover overdue payments? ›

Steps to Collect Overdue Payments From Clients
  1. Step 1: Avoid Making the Request for Overdue Payment Worse. Stay calm. ...
  2. Step 2: Maintain Open Communication with Customers. ...
  3. Step 3: Prepare for the Worst-Case Scenario. ...
  4. Step 4: Use an Intermediary for Payment Relationship Management.

Can you get a late payment reversed? ›

If there's an incorrect late payment on your credit reports, you can file a dispute with the creditor or the corresponding credit bureau to try and get the mark removed. But if the late payment is correct, you should know you probably won't be able to get rid of the derogatory mark before its time.

Can delinquency be removed from a credit report? ›

Yes, a delinquency can be removed from a credit report, but only by your creditor. While they are not required to remove it upon your request, you can ask.

Can you have a 700 credit score with late payments? ›

It may also characterize a longer credit history with a few mistakes along the way, such as occasional late or missed payments, or a tendency toward relatively high credit usage rates. Late payments (past due 30 days) appear in the credit reports of 33% of people with FICO® Scores of 700.

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