North American businesses continue to rely heavily on supplier financing, conducting 43% of sales on credit terms, but the 2026 Atradius Payment Practices Barometer points to mounting financial pressure. The survey of more than 600 businesses in the United States, Canada and Mexico found that late payments affect seven in 10 companies and overdue invoices represent an average 23% of B2B receivables. Most overdue invoices are settled within one month of their due date, helping keep receivables ageing and overall payment performance relatively stable. At the same time, about one in three businesses report reduced cash availability, with customer liquidity constraints the leading stated cause of late payment. Atradius said payment performance and financial confidence are diverging as companies continue to receive payments while becoming more concerned about insolvency. Businesses identified macroeconomic conditions as the greatest threat to payment performance over the next year, led by economic slowdown, inflation and cost pressures. Elevated interest rates are also affecting access to finance and working-capital management. Atradius said inflation moderated after a mid-2026 spike, but companies remain in a higher-cost environment amid elevated borrowing costs and geopolitical uncertainty, reinforcing the need for close economic monitoring and disciplined customer payment-risk management.