Irish small businesses waited 44 days on average to be paid in the first quarter of 2026, according to ISME's survey of SME owners, five days longer than the quarter before. That's two weeks past the 30-day default that applies between businesses when no payment date has been agreed. In the same survey, 82% said they don't charge interest on late payments.
In this article
The short version
- ISME's Q1 2026 survey found SMEs waited 44 days on average to be paid.
- That is two weeks past the 30-day default between businesses.
- Most SMEs surveyed don't charge interest on late payments.
- A €3,000 invoice paid on day 44 carries €11.97 interest plus €70 compensation.
- You can work out your own average from recently paid invoices.
What ISME's latest survey found
ISME's quarterly Prompt Payments Report asks SME owner-managers how long they wait to be paid. The Q1 2026 report drew on 80 SME owner-managers, which is a small sample, so read the figures as a direction of travel and not a national measurement.
- The average wait for payment was 44 days, up five days on Q4 2025.
- 82% don't charge interest on late payments.
- 13% are afraid to charge for late payment in case they lose the customer.
Taken together, the wait got longer while most of those surveyed don't charge the interest the law allows on late invoices to businesses.
How 44 days compares with the payment rules
Between businesses, and between a business and a public body, the European Communities (Late Payment in Commercial Transactions) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 580 of 2012) set the defaults. If your contract gives no payment date, payment falls due 30 calendar days after the later of the customer receiving your invoice or you delivering the goods or service. You can agree longer, but a term beyond 60 days between businesses has to be expressly agreed and mustn't be grossly unfair to you.
Public bodies have a separate administrative policy of paying suppliers within 15 days of receiving a valid invoice. It isn't law, and the Regulations themselves set a 60-day ceiling on payment terms agreed with public bodies.
Here's what a 44-day wait looks like on a single invoice. You send a business customer a €3,000 invoice that they receive on Monday 2 November 2026, with no payment date agreed. The 30-day default makes it due on Wednesday 2 December. Paid on day 44, Wednesday 16 December, it's 14 days late.
For those 14 days, statutory interest at 10.4% a year, the rate from 1 July 2026, comes to €11.97 (€3,000 × 10.4% × 14 ÷ 365). On top of that, you're entitled to fixed compensation of €70, because the invoice is over €1,000 and not over €10,000, and you don't have to send a reminder first. The interest rate is reset each 1 January and 1 July, so check it before you calculate. None of this applies to consumers.
How to work out your own average
ISME's figure gives you a benchmark, but your cash depends on how long your own customers take, and you can work that out from your sales ledger.
- Take the invoices paid in the last three months.
- For each one, count the days from the invoice date to the date the money arrived.
- Add the days up and divide by the number of invoices.
- Then sort them by customer, or by type of customer, and look at each group on its own.
Say five invoices took 18, 29, 35, 47 and 81 days. The average is 42 days (210 ÷ 5), close to ISME's figure. The middle invoice, though, took 35 days, and a single customer at 81 days is pulling the average up by about ten days, since the other four average just over 32. Chasing that one account may move your average more than changing terms for everyone.
Splitting by customer type can show a pattern like the one in ISME's survey, with a few large customers or public bodies paying on a different clock from everyone else. Adfin's free Essential credit control includes an aged debtors view that shows what each customer owes and for how long, with an owner and next steps for each debtor, and it syncs with Xero and QuickBooks. Unlimited reminders by email, SMS and WhatsApp are included under a fair use policy, so the slow payers on your list get followed up on a schedule. If your customers are businesses, Adfin's Enhanced credit control, at 0.3% per paid invoice when used, can add statutory late payment interest to overdue invoices automatically, with grace periods and waivers for individual customers.
Common questions
What is the average time to get paid in Ireland? ISME's survey of SME owners for Q1 2026 found an average of 44 days, five days longer than the previous quarter. The survey had 80 respondents, so treat it as an indication.
When is an invoice late in Ireland if no payment terms were agreed? Between businesses, payment is due 30 calendar days after the later of the customer receiving the invoice or delivery of the goods or service. Interest can run from the day after that.
Can payment terms be longer than 60 days in Ireland? Between businesses they can, but a term over 60 days must be expressly agreed in the contract and must not be grossly unfair to the supplier.
How quickly do Irish public bodies pay suppliers? Public bodies follow a government policy of paying within 15 days of receiving a valid invoice. It's administrative rather than law, and the Late Payment Regulations set a 60-day ceiling.
Do Irish businesses charge interest on late payments? In ISME's Q1 2026 survey, 82% of SME owners said they don't charge it, and 13% said they're afraid to in case they lose the customer.
How do I calculate how long my customers take to pay? For each invoice paid recently, count the days from invoice date to payment and take the average. Look at the middle value too, since one very slow payer can pull the average up.
Sources
- ISME - Prompt Payments Report Q1 2026 (accurate as of November 2026) https://isme.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Q1-2026-Prompt-Payments.pdf
- Irish Statute Book - S.I. No. 580 of 2012, Late Payment in Commercial Transactions Regulations (accurate as of November 2026) https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2012/si/580/made/en/print
- Irish Statute Book - S.I. No. 196 of 2014, Late Payment in Commercial Transactions (Amendment) Regulations (accurate as of November 2026) https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2014/si/196/made/en/print
- Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment - Late payment interest rate (accurate as of November 2026) https://enterprise.gov.ie/en/what-we-do/supports-for-smes/late-payments/late-payment-interest-rate-
- Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment - Prompt payment returns (accurate as of November 2026) https://enterprise.gov.ie/en/what-we-do/supports-for-smes/late-payments/prompt-payment-returns/
