Definition
An outstanding balance is the total amount of money that remains unpaid on an account, invoice, loan, or credit facility at any given point in time. It represents a financial obligation that has been incurred but not yet settled, and it appears as either a liability (for the party that owes the money) or a receivable (for the party that is owed).
Outstanding Balances in Accounts Receivable
In the context of accounts receivable, an outstanding balance refers to invoices issued to customers that have not yet been paid. A business might have $50,000 in total receivables, of which $30,000 is still outstanding and due within 30 days, while $20,000 is overdue beyond its payment terms. The age of each outstanding balance matters as much as the total amount.
Managing Outstanding Balances
Managing outstanding balances in accounts receivable requires regular debtor management. This involves sending statements to customers that show what is owed and how overdue each invoice is, following up with reminder communications as invoices approach and then pass their due dates, and escalating to formal collection action when balances remain unpaid beyond an acceptable threshold.
Days Sales Outstanding (DSO)
Days sales outstanding (DSO) is the standard metric for tracking how quickly outstanding balances are being collected. A lower DSO means customers are paying faster. A rising DSO can signal collection problems or customer financial stress, and it directly affects the business’s cash position regardless of how profitable it is on the profit and loss statement.
Managing Outstanding Balances by Customer
For businesses with recurring billing, monitoring outstanding balances by customer allows the credit controller to identify customers who are consistently slow to pay and adjust credit terms accordingly. Offering early payment discounts, requiring payment upfront for new customers, or placing accounts on credit hold until overdue balances are cleared are tools used to manage this exposure.