Trade credit is an agreement between a company and customer where goods or services are provided upfront and payment is made later, within an agreed upon time period. There are various forms of trade credit used across industries to efficiently leverage capital for business objectives. While cash discounts incentivize early payment, late payments are penalized with interest charges usually between 1-2% per month, costing up to 12-24% in penalties if unpaid for a full year. Common examples of companies offering trade credit terms include furniture stores DFS and Bed Shed as well as car dealerships Arnold Clark and Carpet Master.