TELEFONICA UK LIMITED
Company number: 01743099
Reporting period:
1 January 2026 to 30 June 2026
Report filed on:
30 July 2026
Approved by:
David Melcon
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: 92 days
Total value paid:
- within 30 days: £1,476,561,790 (55%)
- in 31 to 60 days: £472,815,920 (18%)
- in 61 days or more: £741,614,655 (28%)
Invoices paid:
- within 30 days: 19%
- in 31 to 60 days: 15%
- in 61 days or more: 66%
Late and disputed:
- total value of payments due in the reporting period which have not been paid within the agreed period: £145,379,494
- payments due in the reporting period which have not been paid within the agreed period: 3%
- not made in the reporting period due to a dispute: 0%
Payment terms
Shortest standard payment periods
30 days
Longest standard payment period
180 days
Standard payment terms
Telefonica UK adhere to payment terms ranging from 30 days to 180 days and are determined by category of spend. For example, 180 day payment terms are standard for capital expenditure associated with maintenance or development of our mobile network infrastructure; 30 day payment terms are standard for media advertising spend.
In addition, where a supplier is deemed to be a Small or Medium sized Entity (SME), 30 day payment terms are available upon request. A supplier can apply to be considered an SME by Telefonica UK if it meets 2 of 3 criteria, those being i. <£54m turnover, <£27m balance sheet, <250 employees.
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
180 days
180 days payment terms are standard for capital expenditure associated with maintenance or development of our mobile network infrastructure, as described above.
Any other information about payment terms
No further comment provided
Retention clauses
How does this business use retention clauses?
All construction contracts include retention clauses.
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: 5%
Does this business apply retention clause practices that are no more onerous than those applied to it on the same project?
Yes:
On projects, Telefonica UK Limited is the client and does not have any contractual obligations imposed on it for the delivery of construction works.
Releasing money under a retention clause
Process for releasing money this business has deducted or retained under a retention clause
5% retention is held from all payments due to be paid during the project until Practical Completion (PC), and then half is released at PC.
The remaining 2.5% retention is held from Practical Completion on all works until the end of the relevant financial year in which they were retained.
Is the money released in stages?
Yes:
(see answer to question above).
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
In the event of an invoice dispute or query, suppliers are advised to contact the dedicated accounts payable team (ap.queries@o2.com) who will aim to resolve all disputes in a fair and timely manner.
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.
No
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