Payment discipline in Central European transport: what Q1 2026 tells us about Czechia, Slovakia and Poland
Late payments aren’t just an inconvenience for transport companies – they’re a business challenge. When invoices don’t clear on time, cash flow suffers, bills pile up, and growth stalls. Our Q1 2026 Malcom Payment Index, based on data from more than 300,000 financed invoices across the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland, shows where payment behaviour is heading as 2026 begins.
The headline: all three markets improved year on year, but the story is now about structure, not just totals. Agreed payment terms shortened across the board, while the delay after the due date moved in different directions in each country.
Slovakia – 55 days (best of the three). Payment terms averaged 50 days with just 5 days of delay. That’s the lowest index Slovakia has recorded since measurement began, down from 62 days a year earlier and 57 the previous quarter.
Czechia – 59 days. Terms of 53 days plus 6 days of delay. Year on year this is a marginal improvement (from 60), but quarter on quarter it rose from 57, as the delay after the due date climbed from 2 to 6 days. Czechia remains among Europe’s most disciplined markets, but its long downward trend paused this quarter.
Poland – 63 days (most demanding). Terms fell sharply to 43 days – the shortest of the trio – but the delay jumped to 20 days, the highest in the region. Poland improved from 66 days a year earlier, yet the renewed delay shows discipline after the due date loosened again.
The most interesting shift in Q1 2026 is that shorter agreed terms did not automatically mean faster money. Poland is the clearest example: on paper it has the shortest terms, but in practice its carriers wait the longest, because buyers pay an average of 20 days after the due date.
For a carrier, only one date matters – the day cash actually lands. Costs (fuel, driver wages, leasing, servicing, tolls, insurance) fall due immediately, while revenue arrives weeks later. That gap is the real challenge, regardless of how the total splits between terms and delay.
The report covers 18 European markets. In Q1 2026, the lowest delays were in Germany and Switzerland, where average values were negative – meaning invoices were paid before the due date. Germany paid on average 18 days early and posted the single biggest quarter-on-quarter improvement (−26 days). Belgium and Slovenia paid roughly on time.
At the other end, the longest delays were in Lithuania (33 days), Denmark and Spain (25 days each), Austria (24) and Poland (20). The sharpest deteriorations versus the previous quarter came in Denmark (+19 days), Austria (+18) and Lithuania (+17). Against that backdrop, Czechia (6 days) and Slovakia (5 days) sit firmly in the disciplined group.
The Malcom Payment Index shows how many days on average pass from issuing an invoice to actually being paid. It combines the agreed payment term (maturity) and the average number of days past due (DPD). The lower the index, the faster carriers get paid and the healthier the market.
It is built from invoice-level data on transport-sector invoices financed by Malcom Finance, drawing on more than 300,000 financed invoices and a database of 90,000 verified debtors across Europe. Czech data is analysed from Q1 2021, Slovak data from Q1 2022 and Polish data from Q1 2023. Each published quarter is one full quarter behind the current date, so that late-arriving invoices are settled before analysis.
Payment discipline in Czechia, Slovakia and Poland improved year on year, but the message is consistent: payments still take too long. Even in the strongest market, carriers wait the better part of two months, and in Poland the delay after the due date is back at 20 days.
In an industry built on tight margins and uneven payment cycles, that makes verifying debtors, tracking their payment history and using liquidity tools such as factoring part of day-to-day risk management rather than an optional extra.
We offer comprehensive support for TSL companies through:
- fast invoice financing,
- invoice insurance,
- debtor verification and a database of more than 90,000 checked companies,
- transparent terms,
- additional short-term financing.
Schedule a no-obligation consultation with our advisor, who will discuss your company’s current situation and propose optimal solutions: Michal Kopriva, kopriva@malcom.app.
- Share:
- Email ↗
- Facebook ↗
- LinkedIn ↗
Your money will be available immediately with no hidden fees.
You always have enough money for operating costs and unexpected expenses.
You have a strong partner in case your customer fails to pay on time.
Verify their payment history and reduce the risk of financial loss.