SMITHS NEWS TRADING LIMITED has completed the GBP-14 Diagnostic and is certified as a Customer of Choice. Unlike a Fast Payment Score, this is a full independent assessment across 14 practice areas -- payment behaviour is one input among several, not the whole picture. The review and heatmap below are the outcome of that assessment; no single number is issued, since this diagnostic didn't produce one.
How reliably and transparently the organisation handles payment itself — timing, dispute resolution, and clarity of process.
How easy the organisation is to work with day-to-day — onboarding, purchase orders, invoicing, and reducing risk to suppliers' invoices.
How suppliers are treated directly — access to escalate issues, relationship quality, and fairness of contract terms.
Whether leadership, learning and governance reinforce good supplier practice over time, rather than relying on one team or process.
Smiths News is the UK’s largest wholesaler of newspapers and magazines, delivering to around 55,000 retail outlets every morning from a national network of distribution centres. Our early-morning supply chain depends on long-term haulage, warehousing and technology partners — and prompt, predictable payment is how we keep those relationships strong.
Our live tenders and buying opportunities are published on our supplier portal — updated as they open and close, so you always see what is currently available.
View our open RFPs →We onboard logistics, warehousing and technology suppliers year-round. If you can support fast, reliable early-morning distribution, we’d like to hear from you.
Fast Payment Score, 0–100 — the line rising means faster, more reliable payment over time; falling means it's slipping.
| Year | Avg. days to pay | % paid late | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 16.5 | 1.5% | 80 |
| 2019 | 18 | 3.5% | 79 |
| 2020 | 18.5 | 7.5% | 78 |
| 2021 | 17 | 1.5% | 78 |
| 2022 | 17 | 0.5% | 78 |
| 2023 | 17 | 2.5% | 78 |
| 2024 | 18.5 | 1.5% | 77 |
| 2025 | 18 | 2.5% | 78 |
| 2026 | 19 | 2% | 77 |
% of invoices paid within 30 days, 31–60 days, and 60+ days, each year.
Answered from Smiths News Trading's own published payment-practice reporting.
Smiths News Trading paid its suppliers in 19 days on average in its 2026 reporting period, based on the payment-practice figures UK businesses of its size must report publicly twice a year.
2% of invoices were paid outside the agreed terms in its 2026 reporting period. 85% of its invoices were paid within 30 days.
77 out of 100, which places Smiths News Trading in the Certified Customer of Choice band on the Good Business Partners directory. The score is built from average days to pay and the share of invoices paid late, across every period the company has reported. It has been recognised with a Fast Payer Award in 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.
From the Reporting on Payment Practices and Performance regulations, under which large UK businesses publish their payment performance every six months. Good Business Partners collects those filings and scores them; the figures are not supplied by Smiths News Trading.
Fast Payment Score, derived from reported average days to pay and % invoices paid late. Not a Supplier Choice Index score.
Pursue full certification →