Bruce Clark Business-to-Business Team Leader

Let’s be honest—no business wants to chase payments. Delayed receivables cripple cash flow, create stress, and chip away at operational stability. And while late fees and collections are sometimes necessary, there’s a growing shift in strategy: early payment incentives.

As 2026 looms on the horizon, Canadian businesses find themselves at a crossroads. With economic forecasts predicting weaker growth and shifting market conditions, credit professionals must navigate an increasingly complex financial terrain.

In today’s economy, the phrase Revisiting Credit Terms takes on added weight. With slower growth, vulnerable sectors, and tighter credit flows across Canada, it’s smart to review—yet risky to change—your payment schedules, credit limits and terms without disrupting long standing customer relationships. In this article, we’ll walk through when you should tighten terms, how to do so respectfully, and how to maintain the balance between risk‐management and relationship‐preservation.