GOOGLE UK LIMITED
Company number: 03977902
Reporting period:
1 January 2026 to 30 June 2026
Report filed on:
30 July 2026
Approved by:
Val Bohan
Contracts and payments
Do any of this business's construction contracts with its suppliers include retention clauses? Yes
Payment statistics
Average time taken to pay invoices: 46 days
Total value paid:
- within 30 days: £651,249,349 (65%)
- in 31 to 60 days: £338,633,661 (34%)
- in 61 days or more: £14,966,209 (1%)
Invoices paid:
- within 30 days: 22%
- in 31 to 60 days: 73%
- in 61 days or more: 5%
Late and disputed:
- total value of payments due in the reporting period which have not been paid within the agreed period: £47,191,882
- payments due in the reporting period which have not been paid within the agreed period: 10%
- not made in the reporting period due to a dispute: 1%
Payment terms
Shortest standard payment periods
45 days
Longest standard payment period
60 days
Standard payment terms
The company enters into a range of agreements for the activities it undertakes, typically relying on the standard terms of the Google group. Standard terms include the Google Supplier Purchase Order Terms and Conditions and the Google Inbound Services Agreement. The terms state that the company will pay undisputed invoices within 60 days of receipt.
For more information, and to view the Google Supplier Purchase Order Terms and Conditions in full, please visit https://www.google.com/corporate/suppliers.
The company’s billing systems, which record and administer invoices, do not contain information about contract type. As such, while the majority of invoices in the system are expected to relate to qualifying contracts, the system is unable to distinguish qualifying contracts from non-qualifying contracts and some such data may be included in the reported statistics.
Were there any changes to the standard payment terms in the reporting period?
No
Were suppliers notified or consulted about these changes before they were made?
N/A
Maximum contractual payment period agreed
60 days
No further comment provided
Any other information about payment terms
No further comment provided
Retention clauses
How does this business use retention clauses?
Retention clauses are used in specific circumstances:
Retention clauses are included only in qualifying construction contracts with suppliers in specific circumstances:
Retention clauses are applied to contracts for works or design & build works, using an amended JCT clause.
Retention clauses are not applied to consultancy contracts.
Does this business only use retention clauses in construction contracts above a specific contract sum?
No
Does this business use a standard percentage rate in retention clauses?
Yes: 3%
Does this business apply retention clause practices that are no more onerous than those applied to it on the same project?
No
Releasing money under a retention clause
Process for releasing money this business has deducted or retained under a retention clause
Release mechanisms are aligned with the standard form of the JCT (Joint Contracts Tribunal) contract.
50% of the retention is released at practical completion; 50% is released following the issue of the Certificate of Making Good.
The first 50% of retention is returned via the final account, by way of standard invoice. The final 50% is released upon the submission of a separate invoice. Invoices are subject to the terms & conditions laid out in the contract and are processed accordingly.
Is the money released in stages?
Yes:
Release mechanisms are aligned with the standard form of the JCT (Joint Contracts Tribunal) contract.
50% of the retention is released at practical completion; 50% is released following the issue of the Certificate of Making Good.
The first 50% of retention is returned via the final account, by way of standard invoice. The final 50% is released upon the submission of a separate invoice. Invoices are subject to the terms & conditions laid out in the contract and are processed accordingly.
Amount retained from suppliers in the reporting period
Amount retained stated as a percentage of the money retained from this business by its clients
0%
Amount retained stated as a percentage of the total construction payments made by this business
3%
Dispute resolution process
Google will only initiate invoice disputes in good faith, and will provide a written description of the disputed amount. Upon Google’s request, Supplier will issue separate invoices for undisputed and disputed amounts. Payment of undisputed amounts will not compromise Google’s right to object to the disputed amounts.
Other payment information
Has this business signed up to a code of conduct or standards on payment practices? If so, which?
For example, signatories to The Fair Payment Code must commit to paying 95% of their invoices within 60 days.
No, this business has not signed up to a code of conduct or standards on payment practices.
Does this business offer e-invoicing in relation to qualifying contracts?
This is where suppliers can electronically submit and track invoices. It's not just allowing suppliers to email them an invoice.
Yes
Does this business offer supply chain finance?
This is where a supplier who has submitted an invoice can be paid by a third-party finance provider earlier than the agreed payment date. The business would then pay the finance provider the invoiced sum.
No
Under its payment practices and policies, can this business deduct sums from payments under qualifying contracts as a charge for remaining on a supplier list?
No
During the reporting period, did the business deduct sums from payments as a charge for remaining on a supplier list?
No