AMSTERDAM, June 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Central and Eastern European companies continue to balance cash and credit, with 54% of B2B sales paid at the point of sale and 46% made on credit. Yet the credit side is under strain. Late payments now affect 83% of suppliers with nearly one in three invoices overdue. Around six in ten companies cite customer liquidity pressure as the main cause of these delays, finds the Atradius Payment Practices Barometer Central and Eastern Europe, published today.
Senior Advisor on B2B payment trends at Atradius, Silvia Ungaro, explains how sticky inflation, rising costs, and uncertainty are reshaping payment behaviour across the region:
"At the core of this trend there is a widening liquidity gap. Inflation continues to lift costs across the region. When demand weakens, revenues fall, margins compress, and working capital tightens. This dynamic is now clearly visible across Central and Eastern Europe."
