Terry KS A new Payapps survey found that slow payment practices are influencing subcontractor bidding and pricing decisions across Australia and New Zealand. To address this, Payapps has launched an Early Payment feature to help builders improve cash flow support while maintaining financial control.
AUSTRALIA, 14 APRIL 2026 – Slow and unreliable payments are increasingly affecting how subcontractors price and bid for future projects, according to a new Payapps survey. In response, Payapps has introduced an Early Payment feature aimed at improving cash flow transparency and reducing payment-related friction across construction supply chains.
Slow and unreliable payment practices are having a growing impact on subcontractor pricing, bidding behaviour and financial confidence, according to preliminary findings from a recent survey by Payapps, an Autodesk company.
The survey, which gathered responses from 754 subcontractors across Australia and New Zealand, found that 77% of subcontractors said a builder’s payment reputation directly influences their decision to bid or price future work.
In addition, 57% of respondents said they had increased rates or added a risk margin to compensate for slow or unreliable payments. The findings highlight how payment practices are becoming a significant commercial factor for builders, affecting not only subcontractor cash flow but also pricing certainty, confidence and broader supply chain resilience.
The survey also revealed that delayed payments most commonly lead to tighter cash flow, increased stress and greater difficulty paying suppliers. Around 40% of respondents said they would consider an optional early payment arrangement for approved progress claims, even if it meant accepting a slightly reduced amount.
To address these challenges, Payapps has launched Early Payment, a new feature that enables main contractors to manage optional early payment requests directly within existing progress claim workflows.
The feature is designed to replace informal arrangements and manual processes with a more structured and transparent system. Builders can configure eligibility rules, payment timeframes and discount settings while integrating requests into established approval and finance workflows.
According to Scott Lockwood, Head of Customer Success at Payapps, traditional early payment arrangements often create governance and scalability challenges because they attempt to speed up payments while adding administrative complexity.
The new Early Payment feature aims to solve this by embedding requests directly into the claim and approval process, giving builders greater visibility, control and commercial discipline while supporting subcontractor cash flow.
The feature has already been trialled with selected customers during its early rollout. Sarah Constructions was among the early users testing the feature in live project environments.
Lewis Skittrall, Head of Commercial at Sarah Constructions, said the system gives subcontractors more flexible access to funds when needed without changing underlying contract terms, while helping builders maintain strong governance.
The launch reflects a broader shift in the construction sector, where companies are under pressure to improve operational efficiency while responding to cash flow concerns across their supply chains.