Prompt Payment
Note: If you are paying the bill for an agency credit card, see How to pay a Federal Agency's Credit Card Bill. A credit card bill is different from the vendor invoices we are covering on this page.
If a vendor submits a proper and valid invoice to the right people in a federal agency, the agency must pay the invoice on time. If not, the payment is late.
For a definition of "on time" see the Frequently Asked Questions.
What happens if a payment is late?
In most cases, when an agency pays a vendor late, the agency must pay interest.
The Prompt Payment interest rate for July 1, 2022 – December 31, 2022 is 4.000%.
To determine the amount of interest, use the Prompt Payment interest calculator.
May an agency pay early?
Discounts for early payments. A vendor may offer the agency a discount if the agency pays within a specified shorter time.
To determine the amount to pay with the discount, use the Prompt Payment discount calculator.
Accelerated payments. Agencies should pay vendors early in these cases:
- The agency has received a proper invoice, and
- It is in the best interest of the government, and
- Any one of these 3 conditions is true:
- The invoice is under $2,500, or
- The payment is to a small business, or
- The payment is related to an emergency, disaster, or military deployment
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EARLY PAYMENTS ON-TIME AND LATE PAYMENTSResources
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