A company has stretched its two payment periods
Some statutes have a real impact on everyday life of businesses. The law of modernization of the economy passed August 4, 2008 falls into this category. One of his goals was to reduce payment delays by requiring companies to pay their bills more than 60 days after issuance. This measure was intended to restore oxygen-financial corporations.
The subject is sensitive. France had the time of payment among the longest in Europe with an average of 67 days against 57 days. Many blamed the major professional groups to use the time for payment to undermine their SME suppliers.
The law has achieved its goal.The eighth barometer Atradius Payment Practices conducted among more than 3,900 companies located in 22 countries including France, "it produced a reduction in the time of payment in constant decline since its establishment, whose average approximates now the average payment periods, ie the date set by contract between buyer and seller. "The payment period stipulated by French companies was reduced to 32 days for French customers and 34 days for foreign customers. These figures allow France to be in the middle of the 22 countries surveyed.
The Germans are the best customers
But the crisis and the Basel II banking standards have undermined the reform."It has sometimes countered the positive effects of the law to modernize the economy by forcing companies to extend their payment periods not to meet cash flow problems," say the experts Altradius. 50% of French companies have had to accept a postponement of the date of their bills over the last six months. 44% have ensured that customers had changed the deadline for payment without talking to them.
About 13% of invoices were paid slightly late, ie "in the week following the due date." 11% with a delay ranging "from one week to one month." And 8% very late, ie "more than one month." The companies have not suffered the consequences of payments difficulties because the amounts of unpaid bills were low.
Questioned the quality of their foreign customers, most companies hexagonal ensure that the Germans are their best customers. They pay relatively quickly. And deadbeat German are below 10%.