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PAYMENTCHECK
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Sectors›Media and Publishing›PENGUIN BOOKS LIMITED

PENGUIN BOOKS LIMITED

PaymentCheck Score 2025
84Good
#1779 in UK
#813 in London

Industry ranking

  • 77th of 221 in Media And Publishing

Company Information

Company Number
00861590
Registered Address
20 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London, England, SW1V 2SA
Status
Active
Employee Count
792
Turnover
£247,168,000
EBITDA
£40,824,000

Additional Details

Website
https://adrianmole.co.uk/
Company Type
Private limited Company
Incorporated On
15 October 1965
Nature of Business
58110 - Book publishing
Industries
Media And Publishing
Region
London
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Eligible for Certification

Score of 84.4/100 qualifies for PaymentCheck Certification

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Payment dataScore historyFinancialsLocation

Time to Pay

Average Time to Pay
31 days
Shortest Period:30 days
Longest Period:60 days
Max Contractual:120 days

Payment Timeline

Within 30 Days
78%
31-60 Days
10%
After 60 Days
12%
Not Paid Within Terms48%

Payment Features

Participates in Codes✗ No
E-Invoicing✗ No
Supply Chain Finance✗ No

Company Review

Trend Analysis

The average time taken by PENGUIN BOOKS LIMITED to pay invoices to suppliers has increased from 30 days in the first period (Jan-Jun 2018) to 39 days in the most recent period (Jul-Dec 2020). This indicates a trend of delayed payments over time.

Volatility Analysis

The percentage of invoices paid within 30 days has fluctuated between 52% and 81% over the three periods analysed, with the highest percentage in the first period and the lowest in the most recent period. This shows a moderate level of volatility in this metric.

Summary Analysis

Based on the data analysed, PENGUIN BOOKS LIMITED has experienced a trend of delayed payments to suppliers over the past three periods. The company's average time to pay has increased from 30 days to 39 days, and their percentage of invoices paid within 30 days has decreased from 52% to 78%. The most significant improvement can be seen in the percentage of invoices paid within 30 days, which increased from 52% in the first period to 81% in the second period, but then decreased to 78% in the most recent period.

Performance Reports History

Reporting Period Filed: 2020-02-05
Reporting PeriodFiling DateAverage Time to Pay (days)Paid within 30 daysPaid 31-60 daysPaid after 60 daysNot Paid within Terms
01 Jan 2025 - 30 Jun 202513 Oct 20252989%5%6%25%
01 Jul 2023 - 31 Dec 202307 May 20241586%9%5%6%
01 Jul 2020 - 31 Dec 202016 Mar 20213978%11%11%48%
01 Jul 2019 - 31 Dec 201905 Feb 20203178%10%12%48%
01 Jan 2019 - 30 Jun 201906 Dec 20193181%7%11%43%
01 Jul 2018 - 31 Dec 201822 Mar 2019
01 Jan 2018 - 30 Jun 201825 Jul 20183052%41%7%30%

Invoice Payment Practices

This information is as reported by the business, and responses are in their own words.

Payment Terms

Standard payment terms

30 days from invoice date

Were there any changes to the standard payment terms in the reporting period?

No information available

Any other information about payment terms

No additional information

Maximum contractual payment period agreed

120

Dispute Resolution Process

Dealt with in a case by case basis and dealt with in a timely manner whilst following relevant controls and processes.

Other Payment Information

Has this business signed up to a code of conduct or standards on payment practices?

For example, signatories to The Prompt Payment Code must commit to paying 95% of their invoices within 60 days.

❌

Does this business offer e-invoicing in relation to qualifying contracts?

This is where suppliers can electronically submit and track invoices. It's not just allowing suppliers to email them an invoice.

❌

Does this business offer supply chain finance?

This is where a supplier who has submitted an invoice can be paid by a third-party finance provider earlier than the agreed payment date. The business would then pay the finance provider the invoiced sum.

❌

Under its payment practices and policies, can this business deduct sums from payments under qualifying contracts as a charge for remaining on a supplier list?

❌

During the reporting period, did the business deduct sums from payments as a charge for remaining on a supplier list?

No information available

About this company

Penguin Books Limited is a UK-registered company incorporated in 1965, with its nature of business recorded as book publishing. It is part of the wider Penguin publishing group operating within the international publishing industry. The registered entity itself functions as a publishing company rather than a holding or distribution business, consistent with its Companies House classification. No further detail on specific imprints, titles or operational structure is available from the evidence supplied. The company remains active and continues to file accounts and confirmation statements with Companies House, maintaining its registered status as a private limited company operating in the book publishing sector.

Generated from the company's website and Companies House records. Sources: find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk

Financial Metrics

Cash
£7,157,000
Net Worth
£138,519,000
Total Current Assets
£242,809,000
Total Current Liabilities
£96,431,000

Company Location

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PaymentCheck

Our mission is to change the culture of late payments in the UK and help save over 55,000 companies every year which close due to cashflow issues.

Services

  • Payment Check
  • Business Solutions
  • API Access
  • Invoice Calculator
  • Late Payment Help
  • Get Your Score
  • Get Certified
  • For Accountants

Company

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • Search Archive
  • Compare
  • EULA
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions

Awards

  • Methodology
  • 2025 Awards
  • 2024 Awards
  • 2023 Awards
  • 2022 Awards
  • 2021 Awards
  • 2020 Awards

Contact

  • office@paymentcheck.co.uk
  • +44 (0) 7915 608 057
  • Send Your Story

© 2026 Payment Check Ltd

Registered Address: 3rd Floor Suite 207 Regent Street London W1B 3HH

Made by Alastair Campbell