Payment guarantee - What is a payment guarantee?

A payment guarantee provides the beneficiary with financial security should the applicant fail to make payment for the goods or services supplied.

Keep track of overdue invoices with SumUp Invoices. Starting creating invoices for free.

Payment guarantees mitigate credit or country risk when selling on an open account basis. They’re often used to cover the non-payment of debts arising under a transaction or over a period of time.

A payment guarantee sometimes offers a type of collateral in exchange for the promise of payment at a future time, effectively minimising the risk for the company conducting the sale. It usually takes the form of an agreement or contract, and there are a variety of different types.

Such guarantees generally run up to the final scheduled date of payment, and also include a grace period to allow the beneficiary to make demands in the event of non-payment.

Financial commitments

Payment guarantees are financial commitments that require the debtor to make a repayment based on the terms outlined in the original debt agreement. Sometimes, the payment guarantee is backed with some form of collateral, such as property.

Different kinds of guarantees are used for different business settings, for example, the working agreements between importers and exporters, or when a supplier of goods and services requires guarantees from a parent company when working with subsidiaries.

Advance payment guarantees

Advance payment guarantees are one of the most common types of guarantees. They’re often utilised during import-export transactions. An advance payment guarantee amount could be either a percentage or the full price of the goods to be shipped (a prepayment).

Usually, the payment is held on deposit at the seller’s bank until the order has been received and accepted by the buyer, at which point the payment is released to the seller. If the seller doesn’t take steps to fulfil their contractual obligations, then the buyer can exercise the payment guarantee.

Payment guarantees & invoicing software

If your business offers instalment payments for large sales, it would be beneficial to include detailed payment terms on your invoices. 

With SumUp Invoices, you can issue professional invoices and include detailed terms and conditions directly on the invoice, or as an attachment with the invoice email. 

You can easily access an overview of your invoices and follow up on any that are overdue. 

Start invoicing for free