The Atradius Payment Practices Barometer Spring 2017 survey found that Austria is one of the least inclined to sell on credit terms among Western European countries, with only 26.5% of B2B sales on credit. This is significantly lower than the overall average of 38.8% for Western Europe. Austrian respondents were more hesitant to offer credit terms to foreign (24.5%) than domestic (28.6%) B2B customers, which is consistent with other Western European countries surveyed. The higher percentage of sales on credit to domestic customers may reflect greater familiarity with domestic business practices and higher levels of trust with compatriots. The survey also found that the proportion of uncollectable debt in Austria was 0.7%, with 63% of payments made on time and 37% past due. This compares to an average of 39% of payments past due in Western Europe.
