Walmart pays on terms that generally run 30 to 90 days, and the order has to be made first. How brands fund both halves, with Walmart's own early-pay program compared.
Last edited 5 min read
30 to 90 days is the range Walmart's supplier payment terms generally run, by its own annual report, and the order has to be made and delivered before that clock even starts.1 Most brands fund a Walmart purchase order in two halves: purchase order financing pays the supplier before production, and invoice factoring carries the wait after shipping.
This post is for a food, beverage or personal-care brand holding a big Walmart order. It covers Walmart's published terms, Walmart's own early-pay program, and one order from purchase order to payment. We sell two of the options, so check our work. It is not legal or financial advice.
What are Walmart's payment terms for suppliers?
Walmart's annual report says the payment terms it has with suppliers in its supplier financing programs "generally range between 30 and 90 days."1 Your own terms are in your supplier agreement.
Two more things decide when cash actually arrives. Deductions come off first: Walmart's on-time, in-full program has charged suppliers 3% of the cost of goods on deliveries that miss its window.2 And the terms only start once the goods have arrived and been invoiced, so the weeks spent buying ingredients, booking a run and trucking to a distribution center come before them.
Why does a Walmart order need funding before Walmart pays?
Because you pay for the goods long before Walmart pays for them.
Say a $150,000 Walmart order costs $90,000 to make. The co-packer wants a deposit to book the run, packaging is paid on order, and freight is paid on pickup. If production takes six weeks and the terms are 60 days, the brand carries that $90,000 for more than three months. A brand with $30,000 in the bank either finds the rest or turns the order down.
Doesn't Walmart's own early-pay program solve this?
It shortens the back half of the wait, not the front. Walmart works with banks that pay participating suppliers' confirmed invoices, and a supplier can agree with the bank to be paid early, at a discount; Walmart still pays the bank on the original due date.1 Joining is optional and up to the supplier. But an invoice is confirmed only after the goods have shipped, so the program does nothing for the cost of making them.
| Question |  Supplier financing program |  PO financing + factoring |
|---|---|---|
| Pays for production? | No1It pays a confirmed invoice, after the goods ship | YesYour supplier is paid against the signed order |
| When the money comes | After Walmart confirms the invoice1Early, at the bank's discount | Before production, then at invoiceThe invoice advance tops up the order funding |
| Who you deal with | A bank in Walmart's program1You agree terms with the bank directly | SpringOne account for both halves |
| What changes for Walmart | Nothing1It pays the bank on the original due date | Where it paysA Notice of Assignment points payment to an account Spring holds for you |
| Price | A discount on the invoice1Agreed with the bank | 12% to 36% a yearCharged only on the days the money is out |
How does a Walmart purchase order get funded, step by step?
Five steps, from the order to Walmart's payment.
- The order arrives. Spring can read it straight from your retailer portal or EDI, so there is nothing to re-key.
- The notice goes to Walmart. Before the first funding, Walmart's accounts payable team receives a Notice of Assignment with Walmart's own factor form, and points payment to an account Spring holds for you.
- The supplier is paid. Purchase order financing pays the co-packer and packaging supplier directly for most of the cost of goods. Production starts.
- You ship and invoice. The goods go to Walmart's distribution centers and you invoice Walmart. Invoice factoring advances against that invoice, so you are not waiting out the terms.
- Walmart pays. On the due date Walmart pays the invoice into the account named in the notice. The funding and the fee are settled out of that payment, and the rest is released to you.
Each retailer you sell to pays Spring on its own account number, so a Walmart payment is never mixed up with a Target one.
What should you know before using Spring for a Walmart order?
That Walmart will know. Spring needs a Notice of Assignment for purchase order financing and invoice factoring: a letter asking Walmart's accounts payable team to pay your invoices to an account Spring holds for you. Your first funding waits until Walmart acknowledges it, which usually takes days and occasionally a couple of weeks. Retailers process these routinely; here is what one actually does.
When is something else the better choice?
- You are already in Walmart's early-pay program and production is not the problem. Use the program before adding a funder.
- You will use the money all year. A bank or an asset-based line is usually cheaper for steady, year-round need.
- There is no order yet. Purchase order financing needs a signed one. Bridge Funding needs no order and no Notice of Assignment.
Frequently asked questions
How do I fund a Walmart purchase order?
Most brands use two products. Purchase order financing pays your co-packer and suppliers against the signed Walmart order, so production can start. Invoice factoring then advances the invoice once the goods ship, so you are not waiting out Walmart's payment terms. Walmart's payment settles both. Spring offers both.
What are Walmart's payment terms for suppliers?
Walmart's annual report for fiscal 2026 says the payment terms it has with suppliers in its supplier financing programs generally range between 30 and 90 days. Your own terms are set in your supplier agreement, and deductions such as on-time, in-full charges come off before you are paid.
Can I get receivables financing for invoices to Walmart and Target?
Yes. Invoice factoring advances most of an invoice soon after you ship, and both retailers are the kind of customer a factor wants. With Spring, each retailer pays on its own account number, so both run side by side. Target's terms are longer: how to fund a Target purchase order.
Does Walmart's supplier financing program pay for production?
No. It pays an invoice Walmart has confirmed, so the goods have already shipped. It can shorten the wait for payment, but the cost of making the order has to be funded some other way, usually with purchase order financing.
Will Walmart know I am using a funder?
Yes, with Spring and with most factors. A Notice of Assignment, with Walmart's own factor form, asks Walmart's accounts payable team to pay your invoices to an account the funder holds for you. What a NOA is and what it does.
Is purchase order financing the same as Kickfurther's inventory funding?
No. Kickfurther funds the inventory and you repay it as the stock sells. Purchase order financing funds the retailer's order and is repaid by the retailer's payment on the invoice. Consignment inventory funding vs PO financing works one order through both.
How much does it cost to fund a Walmart order with Spring?
12% to 36% a year, charged only on the days the money is out. On $90,000 out for 100 days, that is about $2,959 at 12% and about $8,877 at 36%.
If you have a Walmart order to fill, get started or talk to the team.
1 Walmart Inc., Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2026, "Supplier Financing Program Obligations", read October 2026.
2 Supply Chain Dive, Walmart tightens on-time, in-full rate for suppliers to 87%, March 2019, quoting a Walmart spokesperson on the 3% charge, read October 2026.
