New Analysis Finds Average Garage Has £6,000 Tied Up in Unpaid Invoices

The analysis examined nearly 300,000 invoices processed between January and June 2026 across approximately 2,300 garages in the UK, Ireland and the Channel Islands. Together, the BACS transactions were worth around £125 million in total.

Klipboard’s payments solution, Klipboard Money, offers garages easy ways to get customers to pay faster.

Key findings

• The average garage has around £6,000 tied up in unpaid invoices at any one time.
• BACS payments take around 20 days for customers to settle on average
• This compares to one day with Pay by Link and same day by credit or debit card.
• While the analysis covered around £125 million of BACS invoice value in total, the average garage is owed around £6,000 at any one time, contributing to an estimated £13 million in outstanding payments across the analysed garage base.
• 83% of active garages still use BACS to get paid by customers.

That means, across the UK's 30,000+ garages, £180 million in cash is locked up in outstanding invoices at any one time.

While BACS can help garages avoid card processing fees, the findings suggest that the resulting payment delays may create hidden costs through slower cash flow, increased administration and greater risk of overdue and unpaid invoices.

With around £6,000 outstanding at any one time for the average garage, completed work can remain unpaid for weeks after a vehicle has left the workshop. Businesses often spend extra time chasing payments and matching bank transfers against invoices, adding administration and increasing the risk that overdue invoices could eventually become bad debts or be written off.

The analysis also found that garages using Pay by Link receive payment in around one day on average.

The garage sector has accepted slow payments for a long time. Waiting weeks to be paid for completed work has become normal, but our analysis shows the impact that can have on cash flow and day-to-day operations.

Across the garages we analysed, millions of pounds are tied up in work that has already been completed but is still awaiting payment. For many businesses, that means less flexibility to invest in the business, manage costs and plan ahead with confidence.

The good news is that garages don't have to choose between making things convenient for customers and getting paid promptly. As customer expectations continue to evolve, there’s a clear opportunity for businesses to reduce administration, improve cash flow and create a better payment experience at the same time.”

Lochan Sim, VP Payments at Klipboard

About the research

Based on analysis of around 2,300 active garages and 297,992 BACS invoices processed through Autowork Online between January and June 2026. Average days-to-pay is calculated on an invoice-weighted basis; individual garage averages vary, with a typical garage-level figure of around two weeks. Average invoice values are rounded.