Supplier wants cleared funds today? Your same-day options

What does your supplier actually need?

“Cleared funds by today” sounds precise, but it rarely is. Before you do anything else, get three answers from the supplier, ideally in writing:

1. What exactly do they need? Full payment of the invoice? Payment of overdue amounts only? A deposit?
2. By what time, and in which time zone? “By 3pm” in Brisbane is 4pm in Sydney from October to April.
3. What will they accept as proof? Money in their account? A payment confirmation? A lender’s letter?

The answers change your plan. A supplier who’ll release the load on a payment confirmation gives you more time than one who wants to see money land. A supplier who only needs the overdue balance cleared, not the whole invoice, might need half what you assumed.

How do fast payments affect “cleared”?

The New Payments Platform carries fast payments 24/7, and funds typically arrive within seconds. But AusPayPlus notes that some Osko payments may be held for security purposes and that banks can set their own transaction limits. A first-time payment to a new account, or a large one, is more likely to pause.

So even when a lender releases funds on time, leave a buffer. If the supplier needs money by 3pm, aim for the payment to be released by early afternoon. Our page on the four same-day cut-offs explains where payment timing fits.

What should you send with the enquiry?

To give a same-day file the best chance:

• The supplier’s invoice or statement, as a PDF.
• Their verified bank details, confirmed by phone.
• Your business bank statements, for every account.
• ID for every director.
• The deadline and time zone, in a sentence.
• Any history, such as an account on stop or a payment plan with the supplier.

Once that’s in one folder, send the enquiry. Earlier is always better.

Should the lender pay the supplier directly?

It often helps:

• The lender sees exactly where the money is going, which supports the business purpose.
• It removes a step: no waiting for funds to land with you and then paying them on.
• The supplier sees payment arriving from a lender, which some treat as extra reassurance.

The one thing it needs is verified details. Scamwatch warns small businesses about invoices they were expecting that arrive with altered payee details. A supplier under pressure to get paid today is exactly the moment someone might try it. Our payee details page has a five-minute routine for checking.

What if today isn’t possible?

Sometimes the timing just doesn’t work: the need surfaced at 2pm, a director can’t sign, or it’s a public holiday in NSW. Don’t go silent. Suppliers deal with late payers every day; what worries them is not knowing.

Try this:

• Tell them what’s in progress. “Funding is being arranged with a business lender. We expect payment first thing tomorrow.”
• Offer something today if you can: a part payment from cash on hand.
• Ask what the real consequence of a day’s delay is. Often it’s less than feared.
• Follow through. Once you’ve given a time, beat it.

Is borrowing the right answer?

Sometimes the better answer is a conversation. If the supplier is holding stock because of a long-running overdue balance, borrowing to clear it solves today but not the pattern. It may be worth negotiating terms, or looking at a facility that fits your cash cycle, once today’s pressure has passed.

If the stock is needed to fill orders that will pay you, or the supplier is offering a discount for immediate payment, borrowing to pay today can make good commercial sense. Our unsecured same-day page explains how amounts are sized.

An illustrative supplier deadline

A Gold Coast bathroom renovation company has two jobs waiting on a tile order. The supplier has put the account on stop over a $26k overdue balance and wants cleared funds before releasing the next order, by 2pm Queensland time. The owner rings the supplier at 8am and confirms the release only needs the overdue $26k cleared, not the new order. She enquires at 8:10am, sends statements and the supplier’s statement of account, and confirms the bank details by phone using the number on an old invoice. The lender pays the supplier directly at 12:50pm Queensland time. Tiles go out on the afternoon truck.

The call at 8am halved what she thought she needed.

Should you ask the supplier for better terms afterwards?

Once today’s pressure has passed, it’s worth a calm conversation. A supplier who put your account on stop, or demanded cleared funds, did so for a reason. Understanding it helps avoid a repeat:

• Was it one overdue invoice or a pattern of late payments?
• Would shorter, more frequent invoicing suit both of you?
• Is a small deposit on large orders a fair trade for a higher credit limit?
• Would a direct debit on a set date remove the friction?

Suppliers generally want to keep good customers. A payment made on time today, when they weren’t sure it would be, is a strong position from which to ask for better terms next month.

Supplier waiting on you today?

Tell us who needs paying, how much and by when. It takes about a minute and doesn’t involve a credit check, and your details stay with us, not a crowd of lenders.

A real person will call and give you an honest answer on whether today is achievable. Please be accurate about the amount and the supplier’s deadline on the form, including their time zone.

See if I can pay my supplier today →