How fast companies in the South East pay their suppliers
976 large companies and LLPs with a registered office in the South East have filed a payment practices report for a period ending since May 2025. The typical one takes 32 days to pay an invoice, 1 day longer than the UK figure of 31 days.
32 daysTypical average time to pay (median)
63%Typical share of invoices paid within 30 days
86Companies averaging more than 60 days
130Construction reporters with retention clauses
Each company's latest report, for periods ending between 30 June 2025 and 30 September 2026. Location is the registered office on the Companies House register, which is not always where a company trades.
Council areas
Council areas with at least 5 companies filing, slowest typical payer first.
The 50 slowest payers registered in the South East
* Figures look inconsistent with the company's earlier filings, for example an average more than double its previous report, so may contain a filing error. Shown as filed.
Download all 976 companies as a CSV.
Smaller areas
Council areas with fewer than 5 companies filing. Their companies are in the regional figures above.
- AdurRicardo Performance Products Limited, Focus 4 U Ltd., Ricardo UK Limited
- DoverPfizer R&D UK Limited, Pfizer Limited
- EastbourneGardners Books Limited, C.Brewer & Sons Limited, Caffyns Public Limited Company
- Folkestone and HytheEurotunnel Services Limited, Channel Tunnel Group Limited(the)
- GosportLighthouse Learning Trust
- GraveshamBritannia Refined Metals Limited
- Isle of WightVestas Offshore Wind Blades UK Ltd
- RotherPark Holidays UK Limited, Aurora Academies Trust, Hastings Insurance Services Limited
- ThanetFujifilm Speciality Ink Systems Limited, Thanet Earth Limited, P A Crocker Limited, Coastal Academies Trust
- Tunbridge WellsThe Fresh Produce Centre Limited, M.& W.Mack Limited, Childrensalon Limited, Cripps LLP
- WaverleyCranleigh School, Phyllis Tuckwell Memorial Hospice Limited, South Farnham Educational Trust
- WealdenServomex Group Limited, Horder Healthcare, Rydon Maintenance Limited
233 companies here reported construction contracts and 130 said they hold back retention money, typically at 5%. All retention clauses.
Source: payment practices reports published by the Department for Business and Trade on Check payment practices, Open Government Licence v3.0. Registered office from Companies House. Free to use with credit to Fair Payment and a link to this page. Notes for journalists.