Accounts Receivable (AR)
Also known as: AR
Accounts receivable (AR) is the money a business is owed by its customers for goods or services that have been delivered but not yet paid for.
AR appears as an asset on the balance sheet and represents sales made on credit. For a supplier, managing AR means invoicing promptly, tracking what is outstanding, and collecting on time so cash keeps flowing. It is the mirror image of the buyer's accounts payable — one company's receivable is the other's payable.
Slow-paying customers tie up cash and can strain a supplier's working capital, which is why terms, credit checks and collection discipline matter. Tools such as invoice financing or supply chain finance can release cash held in receivables before customers pay.
Frequently asked questions
- What is accounts receivable?
- Accounts receivable is the money customers owe a business for goods or services already delivered on credit but not yet paid — recorded as an asset on the balance sheet.
- What is the difference between accounts receivable and accounts payable?
- Accounts receivable is money owed to you by customers; accounts payable is money you owe to suppliers. One company's receivable is another's payable.
Related terms
Accounts Payable (AP)
Accounts payable (AP) is the money an organisation owes its suppliers for goods and services received but not yet paid for, and the team that manages those payments.
Read definitionDays Sales Outstanding (DSO)
Days sales outstanding (DSO) is the average number of days a business takes to collect payment after making a sale on credit.
Read definitionInvoice Financing
Invoice financing is borrowing against unpaid customer invoices to release cash before those invoices are due to be paid.
Read definitionExplore related across the knowledge graph
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