A quarter of New Zealanders surveyed on their bill-paying habits say they will make a late payment over the coming year.
The survey, conducted by the credit reporting company Dun & Bradstreet, also suggests that high-income earners are 20% more likely to skip a mortgage payment than those on low incomes.
The firm's New Zealand general manager, John Scott, says that to avoid cashflow problems and the cost of chasing payments, businesses should offer their customers incentives to pay early.
Mr Scott says more than a third of those asked simply forgot to pay their bills on time, so businesses should encourage customers to set up automatic payments.
