How long does it take to get paid?
Based on anonymized invoicing activity from small businesses on Novo, the median business gets paid in 8 days — but it varies a lot by industry.
8 days
Median time to get paid
24 days
75% of invoices paid within
30%
Paid within 2 days
Typically by card
66%
Paid after the stated due date
Invoices created January 2026 onward. “Paid late” reflects that many businesses set very short terms — even due on receipt.
Days to get paid, by industry
| Industry | Median days to get paid | % paid after due date |
|---|---|---|
| Pest Control | 0 | 28% |
| HVAC & Plumbing | 1 | 68% |
| Appliance & Equipment Repair | 1 | 59% |
| Concrete, Masonry & Other Trades | 2 | 58% |
| Legal Services | 3 | 63% |
| Roofing, Siding & Exterior | 4 | 71% |
| Septic, Waste & Remediation | 5 | 55% |
| Landscaping & Lawn Care | 5 | 59% |
| Cleaning & Janitorial | 6 | 65% |
| General Construction & Remodeling | 6 | 77% |
| Accounting, Bookkeeping & Tax | 6 | 65% |
| Other Professional & Creative | 7 | 61% |
| Painting, Flooring & Finishing | 7 | 65% |
| Design & Creative | 8 | 65% |
| Consulting | 10 | 69% |
| Advertising & Marketing | 11 | 73% |
| Electrical | 12 | 63% |
| Heavy & Civil Construction | 14 | 66% |
| Architecture & Engineering | 15 | 64% |
| IT & Software Services | 15 | 64% |
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License & reuse
This report's data, charts, and figures are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). You're free to share, adapt, and use this data, including commercially, provided you give appropriate credit to Novo Platform Inc. and link back to this page.
Suggested citation:
Novo Platform Inc., “2026 Payment Speed Report,” https://www.novo.co/small-business-resources/payment-speed-report.
Data source: anonymized, aggregated Novo invoicing activity (as of June 2026). Figures are medians and directional, not financial advice.
Copyright © 2026 Novo Platform Inc. Data licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Frequently asked questions
Across anonymized Novo invoicing data, the median small business gets paid in about 8 days, with three-quarters paid within 24 days. Speed varies by industry — home-service trades like HVAC and repair are often paid within a day or two, while professional services like IT, architecture and consulting typically take 10–15 days.
Send the invoice immediately, accept card and ACH payments, request a deposit up front for larger jobs, and set clear short terms. Businesses that let customers pay online are paid materially faster than those waiting on checks. A Novo account lets you invoice and accept card/ACH so payments land directly in your checking.