credit control

Meaning

The system or department in a business that ensures customers pay their bills on time and do not exceed their credit limits. It involves checking clients' financial reliability and chasing late payments. It is crucial for maintaining a healthy cash flow.

Examples

• Our credit control department will contact you if the payment is overdue.

  Our credit control department will contact you if the payment is overdue.

• We had to tighten our credit control procedures because of too many late payments.

  We had to tighten our credit control procedures because of too many late payments.

• She works in credit control, so she spends her day chasing outstanding invoices.

  She works in credit control, so she spends her day chasing outstanding invoices.

• Before we offer them net-90 payment terms, we need approval from credit control.

  Before we offer them net-90 payment terms, we need approval from credit control.

• Good credit control is essential for preventing bad debt in small businesses.

  Good credit control is essential for preventing bad debt in small businesses.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ The credit control is calling you.

  ✓ Credit control is calling you.

  When referring to the department as a functional unit, it is usually used without the definite article 'the', similar to how we say 'HR is calling' or 'Finance approved it'.

• ✗ We need to make credit control to our clients.

  ✓ We need to run credit control checks on our clients.

  You do not 'make' credit control; you 'run checks', 'apply policies', or 'perform credit control functions'.

Related Expressions

Practice

• If they don't pay by Friday, ___ will suspend their account.

  💡 The department responsible for chasing unpaid invoices

  Show answer

  credit control

• We are introducing stricter ___ policies to reduce our financial risk.

  💡 Systems to manage customer credit and payments

  Show answer

  credit control