UK Marketing & Sales Payment Practices: A Wide Divide Emerges in 2025

The Numbers

• Companies analysed: 75
• Average PaymentCheck Score: 71.5/100
• UK average (all sectors): 50.0/100
• Difference between Marketing & Sales average and UK average: +21.5 points
• Top Payer average score: 99.6/100
• Bottom Payer average score: 26.9/100
• Highest regional average: West Midlands, 91.0/100 (1 company)
• Lowest regional average (with significant sample size): South East, 66.1/100 (4 companies)

What Stands Out

While the Marketing & Sales sector outperforms the UK average by a healthy 21.5 points, a closer look reveals a significant disparity between the best and worst payers, with a staggering 72.7-point gap between the average top 5 and bottom 5 scores. London dominates the sample size with 62 companies, so its average score of 72.2 significantly influences the sector's overall performance.

Best Payers

1. THE BROOKLYN BROTHERS LIMITED - 100/100
2. CHASEDESIGN WORLDWIDE LIMITED - 100/100
3. WELLSET REPRO LIMITED - 99.6/100
4. MRM WORLDWIDE (UK) LIMITED - 99.2/100
5. RAPPORT OUTDOOR LIMITED - 99.2/100

Worst Payers

1. ZENITH INTERNATIONAL (MEDIA) LIMITED - 18.1/100
2. DIGITASLBI LIMITED - 25.1/100
3. ESSENCE GLOBAL LIMITED - 28.1/100
4. KINESSO LIMITED - 29.9/100
5. KSO SOLUTIONS LIMITED - 33.5/100

Regional Patterns

The West Midlands boasts the highest regional average at 91.0, but this is based on data from a single company, making it statistically insignificant. Yorkshire and The Humber's average of 83.1, based on three companies, offers a slightly more reliable indication of stronger payment practices than London's 72.2. The South East lags behind with an average score of 66.1 across four companies, suggesting potentially slower payment timelines.

Worried about late payments? Use our late payment calculator to understand the potential impact on your business.

The key takeaway is that while the Marketing & Sales sector's average PaymentCheck score is 71.5, suppliers should carefully vet potential clients, as the bottom 5's average score of just 26.9 signals considerable payment risk.

2025: The Story

2025 saw a noticeable dip in payment performance across the Marketing and Sales sector, with the average score falling by 2.8 points to 71.5/100. While the sector average declined, individual performances varied wildly, reflecting significant internal shifts. THE BROOKLYN BROTHERS LIMITED, for instance, soared to a perfect 100.0/100, marking a significant 35.9-point improvement, while FCB EUROPE LIMITED made an even more dramatic jump of 63.4 points to reach 98.4. Conversely, several major agency groups saw their scores dip, with IPG STUDIOS UK LIMITED falling 6.8 points to 55.5/100 and PUBLICIS LIMITED dropping 6.0 points to 60.0/100. This clustering of declines within major holding groups like IPG and Publicis suggests potential operational or financial pressures affecting these larger entities. Furthermore, the arrival of new low scorers like ESSENCE GLOBAL LIMITED (28.1/100) also contributed to the overall negative shift. Suppliers should closely monitor payment trends within these large holding groups, as their individual scores indicate varying degrees of risk.