# Late Payment Statistics 2026: Freelancers & Small Business

Curated, sourced statistics on late invoice payments: how many freelancers get paid late, average delays, time spent chasing, and the cost to small businesses.

Category: blog  
Published: 2026-07-07  
Last updated: 2026-07-07  
Source: https://getdunpilot.com/blog/late-payment-statistics

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> Curated from primary surveys and industry reports. Every number links to its source. Last updated **July 2026**; reviewed annually.

## Freelancers

- **85%** of freelancers have invoices paid late at least some of the time. Source: [Remote, 2025 Late Payment Report](https://remote.com/blog/contractor-management/reversing-late-payment-culture)
- **21%** are paid late (or not at all) more often than on time. Source: [Remote, 2025](https://remote.com/blog/contractor-management/reversing-late-payment-culture)
- **29%** of freelance invoices are paid at least one day late; over 75% of those arrive within 14 days of the due date. Source: [Clockify](https://clockify.me/late-invoice-statistics)
- **39 days**: average time from invoice submission to funds availability. Source: [Jobbers, Global Freelance Payment Delay Report](https://www.jobbers.io/the-global-freelance-client-payment-delay-report-2025-why-63-of-freelancers-wait-over-30-days-to-get-paid/)
- **8-12 hours per month** spent chasing late payments. Source: [Agiled, Late Payment Statistics](https://agiled.app/statistics/late-payment-statistics)
- **$6,000**: average amount owed to a freelancer in unpaid invoices; 71% have experienced a stalled payment at least once. Source: [Clockify](https://clockify.me/late-invoice-statistics)
- Female freelancers are paid late **31%** of the time vs **24%** for male freelancers. Source: [Bonsai](https://www.hellobonsai.com/blog/late-freelance-payment)

## Small businesses (B2B)

- **55%** of all B2B invoiced sales in the US are overdue. Source: [Kaplan Group, B2B Payment Delay Statistics](https://www.kaplancollectionagency.com/business-advice/54-statistics-on-the-b2b-payment-delays/)
- **43%** of the total value of credit-based B2B sales was overdue (Atradius, 2025). Source: [Kaplan Group](https://www.kaplancollectionagency.com/business-advice/54-statistics-on-the-b2b-payment-delays/)
- **56%** of US small businesses are owed money from unpaid invoices, averaging **$17,500** per business. Source: [QuickBooks, 2025 Small Business Late Payments Report](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/small-business-data/small-business-late-payments-report-2025/)
- **47%** of businesses have invoices overdue by more than 30 days. Source: [QuickBooks, 2025](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/small-business-data/small-business-late-payments-report-2025/)
- Businesses with a higher volume of overdue invoices are **1.4× more likely** to report cash-flow problems. Source: [QuickBooks, 2025](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/small-business-data/small-business-late-payments-report-2025/)
- The average small business spends **15 days per year** chasing late payments. Source: [Agiled](https://agiled.app/statistics/late-payment-statistics)

## By industry

- **Construction & trades** has the longest average collection period of any sector: **67 days**, with roughly 60% of invoices paid late and more than 2/3 of contractors paid late. Source: [Resolve, construction payment statistics](https://resolvepay.com/blog/14-statistics-detailing-net-90-term-usage-in-construction-materials)

## What actually reduces late payments

Surveys and practitioner reports consistently point to the same levers: upfront deposits, shorter terms (net 7/14 instead of net 30), late-fee clauses that are actually enforced, and **systematic reminders on a fixed schedule**. See our [reminder templates](/templates/payment-reminder-emails) and [step-by-step playbook](/guides/what-to-do-when-client-doesnt-pay).

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*Compiled by [DunPilot](/), the collections copilot for freelancers. Cite freely with a link back to this page.*


## Frequently asked questions

### What percentage of freelancers get paid late?

85% of freelancers have invoices paid late at least some of the time, and about 21% are paid late more often than on time (Remote, 2025).

### How long does it take freelancers to get paid on average?

The global average is 39 days from invoice submission to funds availability (Jobbers, 2025).

### How much money do late payments cost small businesses?

56% of US small businesses are owed money from unpaid invoices, averaging $17,500 per business (QuickBooks, 2025).


Written by DunPilot. DunPilot chases your overdue invoices and measures which reminder brought the money in. Paste rows, upload a CSV or an invoice PDF, or sync Stripe on Pro.