Nearly 60% of companies delay payments after they have not paid them on time

The most common reason that companies point out to postpone payments to counterparties is delayed payments to them (58.1%). Other reasons are the lack of sufficient funds (41.3%), internal processes and rules for the introduction and processing of financial documents (24.1%), as well as intentional postponement due to prioritization of cash flows in the company (17.5%).

This is shown by a Smart Factoring Blue Point survey on March 2025, which has interviewed a representative sample of companies from annual revenue between EUR 100,000 and EUR 5 million and up to 249 people on postponed issues.

Among the companies surveyed, almost half – 42.5%, indicate that postponed payments have a negative impact on the company’s relations with their partners, and 11.2% of them identify the consequences as highly negative for their business.

The study gives a realistic view of the problems of inter -company debt and the delayed payments that have faced small and medium -sized businesses in Bulgaria.

In the case of delayed payments, the issued invoice is not paid immediately, but after an agreed period between the parties to the transaction. Most often, this period is within 30, 60 or 90 days.

According to the survey, every third company in Bulgaria delayed payments to its customers and suppliers, such as

The main reason for this is precisely the postponement of payments by its customers and hence the lack of sufficient funds. This creates a vicious circle of inter -firmed indebtedness and has challenges in relations between companies.

Most often, the negative consequences of delayed invoices payment are related to delayed deliveries (32.8%), accumulated debt to the budget (19.8%), reduced or delayed payments of staff costs (17.6%), delay in investment intent (14.9%), postponement of loan payments (10.7%) (10.7%) (10.7%) (10.7%) (10.7%) (10.7%) (10.7%) (10.7%) In addition, according to 17.5% of those surveyed in the last few years, there has been an increase in delayed payments, which deepens the situation.

Companies that postpone payments indicate in the poll that they use bank loan (26.2%), overdraft (20.1%), a loan from the owner (12.8%), factoring (2.4%), etc. to resolve their problem.