Northern Ireland Outperforms UK Average on Payment Practices, But Wide Disparities Persist

The Numbers

• Companies analyzed: 59
• Average PaymentCheck Score: 67.1/100
• UK average: 50.0/100 (Northern Ireland is 17.1 points above)

What Stands Out

Northern Ireland demonstrates considerably better payment behavior compared to the rest of the UK, with an average PaymentCheck score significantly exceeding the national benchmark. However, the considerable gulf between top and bottom performers reveals that this average hides significant inconsistency across the region's businesses.

Best Payers

These firms demonstrate exemplary payment practices:

1. ALLSTATE NORTHERN IRELAND LIMITED - 99.6/100: The local arm of the insurance giant sets the gold standard for prompt payment.
2. BRS GOLF LIMITED - 98.7/100: Specialising in Golf Technology Solutions, BRS Golf pays almost flawlessly.
3. N.I.I.B. GROUP LIMITED - 97.9/100: A strong showing from a major local financial services player.
4. SSE AIRTRICITY ENERGY SUPPLY (NI) LIMITED - 96.72/100: Good performance from a large energy supplier, particularly given current pressures in the sector.
5. CREATION CONSUMER FINANCE LIMITED - 95.4/100: This finance business almost mirrors the success of NIIB.

Worst Payers

These companies need to seriously improve their payment performance:

1. TEREX GB LIMITED - 19.3/100: This heavy machinery manufacturer's score is exceptionally low, suggesting severe payment issues.
2. CUBIS SYSTEMS LIMITED - 22.1/100: Payment practices need urgent review at this specialist engineering firm.
3. SHORT BROTHERS PLC - 22.4/100: A surprisingly poor showing from a major aerospace manufacturer.
4. DIAGEO GLOBAL SUPPLY IBC LIMITED - 22.8/100: The global drinks giant clearly has payment challenges within its supply chain operations.
5. DIAGEO NORTHERN IRELAND LIMITED - 31.5/100: While better than its sister company, Diageo's local branch still falls considerably short.

Sector Breakdown

The Financial Services sector, averaging 91.0 across three companies, leads the way in payment performance. Software (89.9 avg across four companies) and Hardware (89.1 across one company) aren't far behind, displaying similar trends. However, these figures are based on small sample sizes, limiting any broad generalization. The Energy sector achieves a respectable average of 85.7, based on seven companies. The Human Resources sector, only represented by one company with a score of 81.1, offers no comparative insight.

Ultimately, while Northern Ireland’s overall average is significantly higher than the UK's at 67.1 versus 50.0, the existence of companies scoring below 23.0 highlights the urgent need for improvement in payment culture at the lower end. Consider the impact late payments could have on your business, by using this late payment calculator.

2025: The Story

Northern Ireland's payment landscape in 2025 presented a picture of stagnation, with the average score dipping slightly by 0.1 points to 67.1/100, alongside a reduction in reporting companies to 59. This minor overall shift, however, masks significant individual movements.

Leading the charge in improvement was SSE RENEWABLES SERVICES (UK) LIMITED, which boosted its score by an impressive 19.9 points, reaching a robust 85.3/100 and demonstrating a clear commitment to timely payments. CHARLES HURST LIMITED also made a substantial leap, improving by 14.9 points to 48.7/100.

On the other side, TEREX GB LIMITED saw the most dramatic decline, plummeting 13.4 points to a concerning 19.3/100, indicating potential internal challenges impacting its suppliers. DIAGEO NORTHERN IRELAND LIMITED also dropped by 8.1 points to 31.5/100. It's notable that while SSE Renewables saw significant gains, SCOTTISHPOWER RENEWABLES (UK) LIMITED experienced a 5.2-point decrease to 77.7/100, highlighting diverse performance within the energy sector.

Newcomer CME TECHNOLOGY AND SUPPORT SERVICES LIMITED debuted strongly with an excellent score of 92.0/100. Suppliers should closely monitor these individual company trajectories, as the overall stability hides significant shifts in payment reliability.