Payment difficulty

Early warning signs your company may struggle to repay

The best time to deal with repayment difficulty is before it actually arrives. Companies rarely run out of road overnight; there are usually signals weeks ahead. Learning to read them lets you act while options are widest.

Cash-flow signals

  • Customer payments are arriving later than they used to.
  • You are increasingly relying on the buffer to cover routine costs.
  • You are timing supplier payments more tightly each month.

Trading signals

  • A major customer or contract has been lost or is at risk.
  • Order volumes are softening without a clear seasonal reason.
  • Margins are being squeezed by rising input costs.

Behavioural signals

If you find yourself avoiding the bank balance, putting off financial admin, or feeling uneasy about an upcoming payment, treat that instinct as data. It often means part of you has already spotted a problem.

What to do when you see them

Do not wait for certainty. Run a quick projection of the next few months, and if any payment looks tight, contact us to plan ahead. Acting on an early warning, whether your borrowing is Credicorp Flex or Credicorp Slice, almost always means a calmer, cheaper outcome than waiting for the difficulty to land.

Useful next steps include contacting us early about cash-flow pressure, building a simple cash-flow forecast and free business debt advice organisations in the UK.

See also: A debt collection agency has contacted me - is it genuine?, Can my accountant or another representative deal with you on our behalf?, Can I get a payment extension?.

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