35 000 companies got payment default entries last year

Enterprises in the transport and building lines had especially many payment problems, but payment default entries increased also in other lines of business.

In total 200 000 new payment default entries were registered to 35 000 companies in 2011. Comparable growth to the number of payment defaults was 7.7 per cent. According to Suomen Asiakastieto Oy’s statistics, payment difficulties leading to entries grew the most in the transport and building lines. On the other hand, the smallest rise in payment defaults was experienced in industry.

Short-term and small credits unsettled ever more often
After payment delay data the fastest indication of financial difficulties are draft protests, which form over a third of all new payment default entries of companies. Last year their number increased by 11 per cent to 71 400 entries.

Exceptionally many judgments on demand for payments caused by unpaid financing company credits were given to companies last year. Their number tripled from the previous year to more than 2 700 entries in total. Also judgment entries caused by unpaid e-purchases increased rapidly, their number being 1 900 registered entries.

Companies’ payment ability should always be assessed as a whole, with e.g. financial statements data, eventual payment defaults and data on the punctuality of payments as influencing factors. Based on this data, for example Payment Ability Indicator in Asiakastieto’s Aarre.fi service provides a distinct recommendation whether it is worthwhile to sell to the customer on invoice or whether an adjustment of payment terms should be considered. 

More petitions leading to bankruptcy
Companies’ financial problems are serious remarkably often. The number of bankruptcy petitions went up again last year. Further, more petitions led to the company being adjudicated bankrupt; the number of these entries was 2 100, which is seven per cent more than in the previous year.

According to a study by Asiakastieto, bankruptcy petitions are now filed against companies with a slightly higher turnover and with a slightly bigger number of employees than before. The share of companies employing 5 – 20 persons of all bankruptcy petitions increased from 13.1 per cent to 18.3 per cent in the years 2007 – 2011.  The major part of petitions still concern companies having at most four employees, but their share of the total number has decreased slightly.

Payment default statistics for 2011 are found at the address www.asiakastieto.fi/asiakastieto/tilastot/

Additional information:
Service Director Risto Kallio, tel. 010 270 7350, risto.kallio@asiakastieto.fi