In: Finance
Stretching AP payments out beyond their due date can add to positive cash flow. But, at some point, vendors become nervous and begin to demand their payment. How do you know when you have gone too far? What are the warning signs? What are the consequences of delaying AP payments too far?
Delaying of account payment will help the firm by increasing the net working capital due to lagging of the payments.
There are certain points beyond which payment should not be stretched, because the vendors will be becoming nervous and they will be refraining from providing with any credit in the future, as this could be reflected through various warning signs as follows-
A. They will be continuously making repeated attempts to collect their account payables
B. They would be refraining from issuing fresh credit
C. They would be trying to charge a higher rate of interest than other parties
D. They would be trying to make their debt collateralised.
Delaying of accounts payables can lead to getting off credit at higher rate of interest and there should be various restrictions and time frame within which fresh credits are to be repaid and it can also impact the relationship between vendor and supplier with the company .