Atradius Survey Reveals Growing Payment Risks for North American Businesses — Atradius N.V.

Event summary

Atradius' 2026 Payment Practices Barometer surveyed 600+ North American businesses, revealing underlying liquidity pressures despite stable payment performance.
43% of B2B sales are conducted on credit terms, with 23% of receivables overdue but mostly settled within one month.
One-third of businesses report reduced cash availability, citing customer liquidity constraints as the leading cause of late payments.
Economic slowdown, inflation, and elevated interest rates are identified as the top threats to payment performance in the coming year.

The big picture

Atradius' survey highlights a disconnect between stable payment performance and growing financial strain among North American businesses. While late payments are mostly contained, underlying liquidity pressures and insolvency concerns suggest a more complex risk environment. This trend reflects broader economic challenges, including elevated interest rates, inflation, and geopolitical uncertainty, which are creating a challenging backdrop for B2B trade and supplier financing.

What we're watching

Economic Sensitivity: How macroeconomic conditions will affect payment performance and insolvency rates in North America.
Liquidity Management: Whether businesses can sustain current payment performance amid reduced cash availability.
Risk Mitigation: The pace at which companies adopt disciplined payment risk management strategies.