Supplier payment terms in Italy: only 42.3% paid on time, and 30.5% rely on one customer

TUESDAY, 20 OCTOBER 2026

The Cribis Supply Chain Outlook 2026 shows small suppliers, often tied to a single customer and paid late even by large companies: what to check before setting terms with a foreign supplier.

Supplier payment terms in Italy: in the third quarter of 2026 only 42.3% of payments between Italian companies were made on the due date. The figure comes from Cribis, whose same analysis shows a supply base made up largely of small suppliers, often tied to a single customer.

The Cribis Supply Chain Outlook 2026

Cribis, a Crif group company specialising in business information, presented the first edition of its Supply Chain Outlook on 15 October at the IBM Studios in Milan. The picture combines two different datasets: the supply relationships recorded in Synesgy, the group's platform for ESG assessment of supply chains, and the quarterly Payment Study, which measures how punctually companies settle their invoices.

The message from chief executive Marco Preti is that the balance sheet alone is no longer enough to judge a supplier: a financially sound company can halt a supply chain because of a compliance issue, a problem with beneficial ownership or a cyber incident. At the centre, though, are two measurable facts: who the suppliers are and how long they wait to be paid.

The figures, one by one

• Payments on the due date, third quarter of 2026: 42.3% of the total; delays over 90 days: 4.3%.
• Punctuality by size: micro companies pay on time in 42.8% of cases, large companies in 21.4%; large companies make 72.1% of payments between 1 and 30 days after the due date.
• Severe delays among micro companies: 5.0% of payments over 90 days late.
• Structure of active suppliers: 76% micro and small firms; 42.3% with turnover up to 2 million euros; 65.7% not part of a corporate group.
• Dependence: 30.5% of suppliers have a single recorded lead company; 52% of lead companies source only in Italy, 84.3% when those with no more than 10% foreign suppliers are included.

Who pays late and who bears it

The clearest figure concerns large companies: they pay on time in one case in five, less than half the rate of micro companies. The typical delay is short, however, since almost three payments in four arrive within a month of the agreed date. It is micro companies that show the highest share of severe delays, 5% beyond 90 days, against 4.3% on average.

On the supplier side, the Synesgy picture shows small, poorly diversified businesses. Almost 70% work for more than one lead company, but 30.5% have only one. Nor are lead companies necessarily large groups: almost two in three are small or medium-sized firms, and 60% coordinate networks of more than 100 suppliers.

It is worth keeping apart what the data measure. The Payment Study shows how punctually invoices are paid in Italy, not how many suppliers are in difficulty; the share of suppliers with a single customer measures the concentration of the recorded relationships, not their risk of insolvency. Taken together, though, they point to a delicate spot: a small supplier with one customer and late payments has little cash to absorb a shock.

Supplier payment terms: what it means for importers

National rootedness is the figure that matters most to those who buy abroad. More than half of the lead companies analysed source only in Italy, and more than eight in ten have foreign suppliers for no more than 10%. Cribis itself notes that concentration on a single market is a source of exposure, just as greater international openness brings new risks to manage.

For companies that add suppliers in China or South-East Asia to their Italian supply base, the reading suggests a few concrete checks. The first is how much your order weighs on the supplier's turnover: if you are its only significant customer, any payment delay falls directly on its ability to buy raw materials. The second is to align payment terms with the production calendar, with deposits and balances tied to verifiable milestones, such as the approved sample or the pre-shipment inspection. The third is not to stop at the balance sheet: it is worth checking who the beneficial owners are and whether the supplier holds the certifications your market requires.

There is also an effect on the importer's cash. If your Italian customers pay late, as the data show, and the foreign supplier asks for a deposit, working capital stays tied up for longer. It is worth factoring this in before signing the order, not after.

The next step

With La Merce, payment terms with an Asian supplier are set on checked milestones, sample, production and inspection before loading: with only 42.3% of Italian payments made on the due date, knowing when and against what you pay is part of assessing the supplier.

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