Days Payable Outstanding (DPO)
Find out how many days your company takes to pay suppliers and whether you're using trade credit intelligently.
What is DPO?
DPO (Days Payable Outstanding) measures the average number of days your business takes to pay its suppliers. It's one of the three pillars of the Cash Conversion Cycle, alongside DSO (collections) and DIO (inventory).
A higher DPO means you're financing your operations with free credit from suppliers — which can be an advantage. But there's a limit: under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, the default B2B payment term in the UK is 30 days unless contractually agreed otherwise, and excessive DPO damages supplier relationships and can trigger statutory interest claims.
For example: if you have £85,000 in accounts payable and £420,000 of quarterly purchases (90 days):
DPO = (85,000 ÷ 420,000) × 90 ≈ 18.2 days — a fairly low DPO.
How to interpret your DPO
There's no universal "ideal" DPO — it depends on the sector and trading structure. That said, ONS and BACS data put the UK SME average at around 50 days, and these are the benchmarks most commonly used:
| Zone | DPO | Meaning | Cash impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Too low | < 20 days | Paying too early; losing float | Negative — losing liquidity unnecessarily |
| Optimal | 20 – 45 days | Good use of supplier credit | Positive — maximises float without risk |
| High | 45 – 60 days | Stretching credit; relationship tension | Mixed — liquidity gain but rising risk |
| Risky | > 60 days | Likely breach; statutory interest | Negative — penalties and loss of trust |
3 ways to optimise your DPO
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1Negotiate terms formally
Most SMEs pay by habit, not by contract. Agree 30 to 45 day terms in writing with your main suppliers — many accept without penalty if the relationship is stable, and it sits comfortably within the Late Payment Act 1998.
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2Use Confirming for flexibility
With confirming (supplier finance), the supplier is paid upfront via Advanta and your company settles later — no relationship strain. You get the best of both worlds: higher DPO for you, faster payment for the supplier.
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3Pay on the exact date — not before, not after
Paying early destroys liquidity for no benefit. Paying late exposes you to statutory interest (currently Bank of England base rate + 8%, around 13.25% per annum in the UK) plus a fixed sum compensation per invoice. Set up payment alerts and process on the agreed date.
Caution: when DPO exceeds 60 days you enter the risk zone for statutory late payment interest under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998. The interest rate is the Bank of England base rate plus 8%, fixed for six-month periods. Calculate the late payment interest →
How much does Confirming cost your business?
Based on the figures you entered in the DPO calculator, see the real cost of using confirming to extend your payment terms.
Frequently Asked Questions
Track this metric automatically
Connect your ERP and see this metric in real time on your Advanta dashboard.
Extend your payment terms with Confirming
With confirming, the bank pays your suppliers on time — and your company reimburses in 60 to 90 days. No impact on supplier relationships, no personal guarantees.