It’s essential to compare the AP turnover ratio with industry benchmarks or historical data to assess performance relative to peers or previous periods. A significantly higher or lower ratio than industry averages may warrant further investigation into the company’s payment practices, supply chain efficiency, or financial strategy. This key performance indicator can quickly give you insight into the health of your relationships with your vendors, among other things.

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The accounts payable turnover ratio indicates to creditors the short-term liquidity and, to that extent, the creditworthiness of the company. A high ratio indicates prompt payment is being made to suppliers for purchases on credit. A high number may be due to suppliers demanding quick payments, or it may indicate that the company is seeking to take advantage of early payment discounts or actively working to improve its credit rating.

Graphing the AP turnover ratio trend line over time will alert you to a break from your typical business pattern. Corporate finance should perform a broader financial analysis than an accounts payable analysis to investigate outliers from the trend. If your company uses accounts payable software, the total credit purchases are something that can be automatically generated. If not, purchases can be calculated by subtracting the starting inventory from the ending inventory and adding that to the cost of sales.

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Accounts payable at the beginning and end of the year were $12,555 and $25,121, respectively. The company wants to measure how many times it paid its creditors over the fiscal year. The investor can see that Company B paid off its suppliers at a faster rate than Company A. That could mean that Company B is a better candidate for an investment. However, the investor may want to look at a succession of AP turnover ratios for Company B to determine in which direction they’ve been moving.

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But set a goal of increasing sales and inventory turnover to improve cash flow to the extent possible. Having a high AP turnover ratio sends a clear message to vendors that your company is in good financial condition and can make on-time payments for purchases made on credit. A high turnover ratio can oftentimes be used to negotiate favorable credit terms and allows a company to take advantage of early payment discounts.

And to achieve this, AP must ensure that invoices are paid in a timely and accurate fashion. Although your accounts payable turnover ratio is an important metric, don’t put too much weight on it. Consult with your accountant or bookkeeper to determine how your accounts payable turnover ratio works with other KPIs in your business to form an overall picture of your business’s health. In and of itself, knowing your accounts payable turnover ratio for the past year was 1.46 doesn’t tell you a whole lot. Vendors also use this ratio when they consider establishing a new line of credit or floor plan for a new customer. For instance, car dealerships and music stores often pay for their inventory with floor plan financing from their vendors.

1. As a measure of short-term liquidity, the AP turnover ratio can be used as a barometer of a company’s financial condition.
2. Your cash flow improves because less cash is required to pay the vendor invoices.
3. By gaining insight into days payable outstanding, AP can define better payment timeframes and capture supplier discounts.
4. Even if your business is otherwise healthy, having a low or decreasing accounts payable turnover ratio could spell trouble for your relationship with your vendors.
5. A low ratio may indicate slower payment to suppliers, which can strain relationships and affect credit terms.

Completing the accounts payable turnover ratio formula

But there is such a thing as having an accounts payable turnover ratio that is too high. If your business’s accounts payable turnover ratio is high and continues to increase with time, it could be an indication you are missing out on opportunities to reinvest in your business. Before you can understand how to calculate and use the accounts payable turnover ratio, you must first understand what the accounts payable turnover ratio is. In short, accounts payable (AP) represent the money you owe to vendors or suppliers. Accounts payable appears on your business’s balance sheet as a current liability. A higher ratio shows suppliers and creditors that the company pays its bills frequently and regularly.

It’s a different view of the accounts payable turnover ratio formula, based on the average number of the two types of accounting are days in the turnover period. The DPO formula is calculated as the number of days in the measured period divided by the AP turnover ratio. Compare the AP creditor’s turnover ratio to the accounts receivable turnover ratio. You can compute an accounts receivable turnover to accounts payable turnover ratio if you want to. If so, your banker benefits from earning interest on bigger lines of credit to your company.

Vendors want to make sure they will be paid on time, so they often analyze the company’s payable turnover ratio. This ratio helps creditors analyze the liquidity of a company by gauging how easily a company can pay off its current suppliers and vendors. Companies that can pay off supplies frequently throughout the year indicate to creditor that they will be able to make regular interest and principle payments as well.

But in order to improve the way in which accounts payable operates in an organization– and reap the subsequent benefits – you first need a clear understanding of how it currently performs. If the cash conversion cycle lengthens, then stretch payables helping your child start a business legally to the extent possible by delaying payment to vendors. The cash conversion cycle spans the time in days from purchasing goods to selling them and then collecting the accounts receivable from customers. Achieving a high AP turnover ratio is possible, and a company can work with a reputable payment processing company like Corcentric to get its ratio where it wants it to be. That, in turn, may motivate them to look more closely at whether Company B has been managing its cash flow as effectively as possible. For businesses with seasonal sales patterns, such as retail or agriculture, the AP turnover can fluctuate significantly throughout the year.

As you can see, Bob’s average accounts payable for the year was $506,500 (beginning plus ending divided by 2). This means that Bob pays his vendors back on average once every six months of twice a year. This is not a high turnover ratio, but it should be compared to others in Bob’s industry.

Remember to use credit purchases, not total supplier purchases, which would include items not purchased on credit. Beginning accounts payable and ending accounts payable are added together, and then the sum is divided by two in order to arrive at the denominator for the accounts payable turnover ratio. As with all ratios, the accounts payable turnover is specific to different industries. Company A reported annual purchases on credit of $123,555 and returns of $10,000 during the year ended December 31, 2017.

High ratio suggests that the company manages its payables efficiently, often paying suppliers on time or even early to take advantage of discounts. Such efficiency is indicative of healthy cash flow, showing that the company has sufficient liquidity to meet its short-term obligations. Furthermore, a high ratio is often linked to strong supplier relationships, as consistent and timely payments can lead to more favorable terms and cooperation. We don’t think that this approach is comprehensive enough to get a handle on cash flow. Therefore, we suggest using all credit purchases in the formula, not just inventory and cost of sales that focus on inventory turnover. The accounts payable turnover ratio is a liquidity ratio that shows a company’s ability to pay off its accounts payable by comparing net credit purchases to the average accounts payable during a period.