UK Supply Chain Payment Practices: Marginally Better Than Average, But Vast Disparities Persist

The Numbers

• 80 UK supply chain companies analysed.
• Average PaymentCheck Score: 54.1/100.
• UK average across all sectors: 50.0/100.
• Supply Chain average is 4.1 points above the UK average.
• Highest score: 94.6/100 (RAIL FOR LONDON).
• Lowest score: 14.7/100 (SWIFT ACQUISITIONS LIMITED).

What Stands Out

While the supply chain sector edges out the overall UK average in payment performance, the range of scores – from a high of 94.6 to a dismal 14.7 – reveals huge inconsistencies. The difference between the best and worst performers is stark, suggesting systemic issues beyond simple cashflow problems for some.

Best Payers

1. RAIL FOR LONDON (INFRASTRUCTURE) LIMITED - 94.6/100
2. ALD AUTOMOTIVE LIMITED - 93.4/100
3. ANGEL LEASING COMPANY LIMITED - 92.4/100
4. TENNANTS DISTRIBUTION LIMITED - 91.9/100
5. ST CLEMENTS PRESS 1988 LIMITED - 88.5/100

Worst Payers

1. SWIFT ACQUISITIONS LIMITED - 14.7/100
2. TGA INDUSTRIES LIMITED - 25.8/100
3. MCLAREN APPLIED LIMITED - 27.35/100
4. OSCAR MAYER LIMITED - 28.06/100
5. TRIVIUM PACKAGING UK LIMITED - 28.25/100

Regional Patterns

The regional data is based on a relatively small sample size so we should be wary of reading too much into it. The 'Unknown' region tops the list with an average of 90.2, but this only represents 2 companies, rendering it statistically insignificant. The South West with an average of 73.3 may be worth keeping an eye on as a regional trend (3 companies), but more data is needed to confirm this.

If late payments are affecting your business, use our late payment calculator to see how much you could be owed.

Takeaway: While the supply chain sector's average PaymentCheck score of 54.1 is marginally better than the UK average of 50.0, the gap of nearly 80 points between the best and worst payers shows just how inconsistently suppliers are being treated.