Welsh Firms Lead the UK in Payment Performance, But Stark Disparities Persist

The Numbers

• Companies analysed: 71
• Average PaymentCheck Score (Wales): 69.3/100
• UK Average PaymentCheck Score: 50.0/100
• Welsh Average vs UK Average: +19.3 points
• Top Payer (LONETREE LIMITED): 97/100
• Bottom Payer (ADMIRAL LAW LIMITED): 21.5/100
• Education Sector Average: 94.9/100 (1 company)

What Stands Out

While Welsh companies, on average, significantly outperform the rest of the UK in payment practices, the disparity between the best and worst payers is alarmingly wide, with some firms lagging far behind. The limited sector data makes it challenging to draw broad conclusions about industry-specific trends.

Best Payers

These companies are setting a high bar for timely payments:

1. LONETREE LIMITED - 97/100
2. SOUTH HOOK LNG TERMINAL COMPANY LTD. - 96.2/100
3. JULIAN HODGE BANK LIMITED - 95.27/100
4. WJEC CBAC LIMITED - 94.9/100 - As the sole representative of the Education sector in this dataset, its high score is notable.
5. MOTONOVO FINANCE LIMITED - 93.6/100

Worst Payers

These companies demonstrate significant room for improvement in their payment practices:

1. ADMIRAL LAW LIMITED - 21.5/100 - This represents a significant underperformance relative to the Welsh average.
2. SAFRAN SEATS GB LIMITED - 28.8/100
3. ENERSYS LTD. - 34.36/100
4. MERITOR HEAVY VEHICLE BRAKING SYSTEMS (UK) LIMITED - 34.6/100
5. CORNING LIMITED - 37.9/100

Sector Breakdown

With data available for only five sectors, it’s difficult to draw firm conclusions:

• Education: 94.9 avg (1 companies)
• Media And Publishing: 92.7 avg (1 companies)
• Events And Venues: 92.5 avg (2 companies)
• Care Services: 88.5 avg (1 companies)
• Travel And Transportation: 86.7 avg (1 companies)

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The overall PaymentCheck Score for Welsh companies may be 19.3 points above the UK average, but some firms, like ADMIRAL LAW LIMITED with a score of 21.5, risk damaging supplier relationships due to poor payment performance.

2025: The Story

Wales saw a notable improvement in payment practices for 2025, with the average score climbing 3.2 points to 69.3/100, though with fewer companies reporting compared to the previous year. CH4 Gas Utility and Maintenance Services Limited demonstrated the most significant leap, improving by 18.9 points to reach 71.8/100, alongside SEILWAITH AMEY CYMRU's strong 10.1-point rise to 86.7/100. Conversely, Alun Griffiths (Contractors) Limited experienced the steepest decline, dropping 14.6 points to a score of 64.2/100, while Corning Limited also fell significantly by 10.1 points to 37.9/100. Interestingly, the introduction of multiple Sinclair Group companies, like Sinclair Garages Limited at 78.0/100, suggests some new market entrants are starting with robust payment scores. Suppliers should note the overall positive trend but remain vigilant about individual company performance, especially those with significant year-over-year drops.