delay the payment

Meaning

This phrase means to postpone sending or processing a financial transaction beyond the agreed-upon date. It is frequently used in business, accounting, and client relations when cash flow issues or administrative errors occur.

Examples

• Can we ask the vendor if we can delay the payment until next Monday?

  Can we ask the vendor if we can delay the payment until next Monday?

• A system glitch in the accounting software will delay the payment.

  A system glitch in the accounting software will delay the payment.

• They had to delay the payment because the invoice had the wrong billing details.

  They had to delay the payment because the invoice had the wrong billing details.

• If you delay the payment any further, we will have to charge a late fee.

  If you delay the payment any further, we will have to charge a late fee.

• The client requested to delay the payment due to temporary cash flow problems.

  The client requested to delay the payment due to temporary cash flow problems.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ We need to delay the paying.

  ✓ We need to delay the payment.

  'Payment' is the correct noun form to use after 'delay the' in business contexts.

• ✗ They delayed to pay us.

  ✓ They delayed the payment.

  The verb 'delay' is followed by a direct noun phrase or a gerund (verb-ing), not a to-infinitive.

Related Expressions

Practice

• Due to the holiday weekend, the bank might ___.

  💡 Postpone sending the money.

  Show answer

  delay the payment

• We cannot ___ because the contract clearly states a strict deadline.

  💡 Hold back or postpone the transaction.

  Show answer

  delay the payment