In Adfin's early data on invoices paid to recruitment agencies in 2025 and 2026, the typical invoice was paid about 9 days after its due date, and only about 1 in 5 arrived on or before it. About a third were paid more than 14 days late. Temp and shift invoices ran slightly later than perm fees.
In this article
The short version
- In Adfin's 2025 to 2026 data, the typical invoice to a recruitment agency was paid about 9 days after its due date.
- Only about 1 in 5 invoices were paid on or before the due date, and about 1 in 6 more than 30 days late.
- Temp invoices ran slightly later than perm fees, with a median of about 11 days late.
- The data comes from an early, small set of agencies, so it's directional, not a benchmark.
- Statutory interest on a £6,900 fee paid 9 days late is £19.99, plus a £70 fixed sum.
What the payment data shows
There's no current published survey of how late recruitment clients pay. The industry figures you'll find are mostly from 2015 to 2020.
So we looked at invoices paid to recruitment agencies using Adfin in 2025 and 2026. Each invoice is measured from its due date to the day the money arrived, whatever the payment method, including payments made by other routes and recorded against the invoice. The data comes from an early, small set of agencies, with a few businesses making up much of it, so treat it as directional.
Across all of those invoices:
- about 1 in 5 were paid on or before the due date
- the typical (median) invoice was paid about 9 days after its due date
- about a third were paid more than 14 days late
- about 1 in 6 were paid more than 30 days late
Put another way, on 30-day terms the typical invoice in this data would arrive around day 39, and one in six took more than 60 days from the invoice date.
For wider context, REC member data in its 2024/25 status report shows 35% of recruitment firms had bad debt in the past year, against 29% across sectors.
Perm fees and temp invoices compared
The typical perm fee in the data was about £6,900, and about a third of perm fees were paid more than 14 days late.
Temp and shift staffing invoices were much smaller, with a typical invoice of about £870, and slightly later. The median temp invoice arrived about 11 days after its due date, and nearly 4 in 10 were more than 14 days late.
A perm fee paid late leaves a hole in one month's cash. A temp invoice paid late covers wages you've already paid. If you invoice a client £870 every week and the typical invoice lands 11 days after its due date, you'll have run at least one more weekly payroll for that client before it arrives.
Late perm fees also affect rebates. Published agency terms often make the rebate or guarantee conditional on the client paying on time. If yours work that way, a fee paid two weeks late may already have cost the client their rebate if the candidate leaves, which is worth pointing out when you chase.
What 9 days late means in pounds
A business client that pays late owes you statutory interest at 8% above the Bank of England base rate, currently 11.75% a year, plus a fixed sum per invoice.
On a £6,900 perm fee paid 9 days late, the interest comes to £19.99 and the fixed sum is £70. On an £870 temp invoice paid 11 days late, the interest is £3.08 and the fixed sum is £40. The interest on one invoice is small, but with a third of invoices more than two weeks over, it adds up across a year of placements.
It's easy to leave uncharged. Done by hand, working out days late, raising a separate invoice and chasing that as well can cost more time and goodwill than the sum is worth.
How agencies can respond
None of this data says which payment method or tool gets an agency paid sooner, so it shouldn't be read that way. It does show how common late payment is. Four in five invoices arrived after the due date, and a sizeable minority well after it.
A few habits tend to help whichever system you use. Agree the payment term when the client signs your terms, and put the due date and payment details on every invoice. Send the first reminder on the due date, while the placement is still fresh in the hiring manager's mind. Keep a short personal message for the clients who ignore automated emails.
If you'd rather not run that by hand, Adfin's AI Customer Agents can take that on, chasing by email, SMS and WhatsApp within rules you approve, adding statutory late payment interest to overdue business invoices, and pausing for any client where the relationship calls for a lighter touch.
Common questions
How late do recruitment clients typically pay? In Adfin's 2025 to 2026 data, the typical invoice was paid about 9 days after its due date, and about a third more than 14 days late.
Do temp clients pay later than perm clients? Slightly, in this data. The median temp invoice arrived about 11 days late against about 9 days across all invoices, and nearly 4 in 10 temp invoices were more than 14 days late.
Is there an industry benchmark for recruitment debtor days? There's no current published survey. Older figures from 2015 to 2020 exist, but they describe a different market.
How much interest can I charge on a late perm fee? 8% above the Bank of England base rate, currently 11.75% a year. On a £6,900 fee paid 9 days late that's £19.99, plus a fixed sum of £70.
What payment terms do recruitment agencies usually give? Published agency terms commonly ask for payment within 7, 14 or 30 days of the invoice, which is usually raised on the candidate's start date.
How long can large clients make agencies wait? The REC has said hirers have demanded terms of up to 120 days from suppliers of agency workers.
Sources
- REC - Recruitment Industry Status Report 2024/25 (accurate as of October 2026) https://www.rec.uk.com/our-view/research/recruitment-and-industry-status-report/uk-recruitment-industry-status-report-202425
- REC - REC responds to new package on late payments (accurate as of October 2026) https://rec.uk.com/our-view/news/press-releases/rec-responds-new-package-late-payments
- GOV.UK - Late commercial payments: charging interest on commercial debt (accurate as of October 2026) https://www.gov.uk/late-commercial-payments-interest-debt-recovery/charging-interest-commercial-debt
- Bank of England - Interest rates and Bank Rate (accurate as of October 2026) https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/monetary-policy/the-interest-rate-bank-rate
