European Payments Report: UK Edition
The European Payment Report (EPR) is published by Intrum, Europe’s leading credit management company. The EPR 2026 provides insights into payment trends and behaviours among UK & European businesses, including late payments, invoice payment practices and financial risk.
Executive Summary
The UK economy didn’t grow at the beginning of 2026 following lacklustre performance in 2025. This was largely due to a slowdown in the services sector. Unemployment has risen to its highest level in five years following changes to employee rights and taxation that have made hiring staff more expensive. Any hopes of rate cuts have also been dimmed, with borrowing costs rising to the highest level since 2008 in March 2026 given economic disruption from war in the Middle East. In this weaker environment, UK businesses appear to be more cautious about adopting new technologies in their payments processes than many of their European counterparts.
In that context, our report focuses on three critical findings:
1. Businesses are prioritising growth, despite uncertainty
While businesses remain aware of the risks created by uncertainty, they are still striving for growth. More organisations are prioritising growth than at any point in the last five years, though the number exceeding their forecasts for revenue was slightly down on 2025.
- 36% exceeded their 2025 revenue forecast
- 64% are prioritising growth
Late payments are worsening, becoming a barrier to growth
More businesses report that customers are taking longer to settle bills. The level of revenues received late is unsustainable and affecting the ability of businesses to grow. As such, more and more businesses are taking decisive action to mitigate this risk.
- 49% missed growth targets due to late payments
- 51% expect the risk to increase in the next year
AI is delivering results, but adoption is uneven
The adoption of AI in payments management continues to grow, with businesses reporting clear benefits in efficiency, late payment reduction and customer engagement. However, the UK is proving slower to adopt AI solutions than its European peers, with skills gaps and regulatory uncertainty slowing progress.
- 61% of businesses use AI in payments
- AI could drive a 20% cost reduction
EPR 2026: UK Edition
Intrum UK
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