Managing Customer Credit to Reduce the Company's Risk and Overdue Credits

Abstract

Most companies give credit to customers when selling products or providing services. It has advantages as more customers may be willing to negotiate with the company, but it increases the company's risk. Therefore, the company must analyze the pros and cons of giving credit. This chapter summarizes all information needed for a company to establish credit policy for each customer or group of customers. First, credit risk and customers' credit risk are explained to call the attention to the need to manage it. Then it shows how a company can manage credit to maximize its value and reduce its risk. The inputs needed to determine a customer credit policy are explained. Credit risk models are presented. And finally, a recovery method to collect overdue credits is presented. This chapter aims the help the company to solve liquidity and solvency problems and to stablish long-term relationships with customers.