UK company payment practices checker
Look up any large UK company and see how quickly they actually pay their invoices. Based on official government data.
Type at least 2 characters to search across 9,000+ UK companies.
How the UK payment practices data works
Since 2017, large UK companies have been legally required to publish reports on how quickly they pay their suppliers. These reports are filed every six months with the UK government and include the average number of days it takes the company to pay an invoice, the percentage of invoices paid within 30 days, and the percentage not paid within agreed terms.
The reporting duty applies to companies and LLPs that meet at least two of these criteria: more than 250 employees, turnover above £36 million, or a balance sheet total above £18 million.
We pull this data directly from the government’s Payment Practices Reporting service and present it in a way that is useful for freelancers and small businesses. This data is self-reported by companies. The government publishes it but does not independently verify the figures. The rating labels shown in search results (e.g. “Good payer”, “Often outside terms”) are PennyFetch’s own classifications based on the reported percentages, not government ratings.
What do PennyFetch’s ratings mean?
85% or more of invoices paid within the company's own agreed payment terms.
70% to 85% of invoices paid within agreed terms. Some invoices slip past the deadline.
50% to 70% of invoices paid within agreed terms. A significant number fall outside the company's own terms.
More than half of invoices fall outside the company's own agreed payment terms.
What if a company you work with is a slow payer?
If you are owed money by a company that regularly pays late, you have legal options. Under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts Act 1998, you can charge statutory interest at 8% plus the Bank of England base rate on any overdue invoice. You can also claim fixed compensation of £40 to £100 per invoice depending on the amount.
Most freelancers never claim what they are legally owed because chasing payments is time-consuming and awkward. That is exactly what PennyFetch was built to handle.
Related tools and guides
Late payment interest calculator
Work out exactly what you are owed in interest and compensation.
How to chase an unpaid invoice
Step-by-step guide with email templates.
Letter Before Action guide
The formal step before taking a client to court.
Your late payment rights as a freelancer
What UK law says about overdue invoices.
PennyFetch sends automatic payment reminders on your behalf, calculates statutory interest on overdue invoices, and generates Letters Before Action as PDFs. Free for up to 5 clients.
Get started freePayment statistics are self-reported by companies to the UK Government Payment Practices Reporting service. The government publishes this data but does not independently verify the figures. Published under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Rating labels (e.g. “Good payer”, “Often outside terms”) are PennyFetch’s own classifications based on the reported data. They are not government ratings. This tool is for informational purposes and should not be taken as financial or legal advice.
If you believe data shown here is incorrect or needs additional context, please email corrections@pennyfetch.co.uk.