How to prevent B2B payment defaults in Portugal

Insolvency is the end of the line—the risk starts much earlier

Only 5.8% of the value of recognized claims was paid in the proceedings analysed by Portugal's Directorate-General for Justice Policy. In 64.7% of the sampled proceedings, no payment was made. The average time to the final review stage was 52 months.

The figures do not mean that an overdue invoice will end in insolvency. They show something more useful: by the time a case reaches the end of the judicial process, the creditor controls very little.

If your company sells on credit in Portugal, focus on the three moments when action is still possible:

• before the sale: check the B2B Debtor List;
• at the first payment default: gather documents and register the case;
• during settlement: notify, follow up and maintain a traceable history.

Important: these indicators describe an official sample of 334 proceedings, drawn from 2,546 court proceedings in Portugal. They are not Check NicePayer customer data and cannot predict insolvency or recovery in a specific case.

Late payments strain cash flow long before a court case

In 2024, 52% of European companies reported problems caused by late payments. The average B2B payment term reached 60.3 days, according to the EU Payment Observatory.

The impact spreads across operations: according to the annual report, 31% of companies delay their own payments because they are paid late. The official infographic also shows that 56% accept payment terms beyond their comfort level and that administrative collections take about 10 hours per week.

In practice, those are hours taken away from sales, management and planning—and liquidity that is unavailable when the business needs it.

Two sector indicators from Portugal

In the second quarter of 2025, the average payment period in construction was 89 days. In transport and storage, the average collection period was 57 days. These are sector-specific BPstat indicators and should not be generalized to the whole economy.

How to act at three key moments

1. Check before selling on credit

Before approving trade credit, increasing a limit or accepting a new order, check whether the company appears on the B2B Debtor List. It is a specific signal of a recorded payment default—not a generic company credit report or an automated credit decision.

2. Register the payment default with supporting documents

If the invoice becomes overdue and remains unsettled, gather the contract, invoice, proof of delivery, contact history and other supporting documents. A structured record reduces conflicting information and creates traceability for the applicable checks.

3. Notify and track settlement

In Portugal, the process may include registered post through CTT and email, with a traceable history. When applicable and after validation, the integrated SIBS flow may generate a payment reference. The reference makes payment easier, but it does not guarantee settlement.

How Check NicePayer structures the process

For companies operating in Portugal, Check NicePayer structures a specific workflow around the B2B Debtor List. It does not replace credit analysis, credit policy or decision software.

If you are building the prevention stage, read more about what a Debtor List is, how it works and how to check it before selling on credit.

On the same platform, a company can:

• check payment defaults before selling on credit;
• register the case and its supporting documents;
• track notifications sent by registered CTT post and email;
• maintain a traceable history of communications and statuses;
• track settlement and, where applicable, the SIBS payment process;
• use the platform, CSV or API according to operational volume.

The commercial decision remains with the company. Check NicePayer adds context and process discipline, but it does not guarantee collection, predict insolvency or replace document validation.