Amazon offers business buyers longer payment terms; some sellers upset

Daniel Acker | Bloomberg | Getty Images

An employee unloads a truck load of Amazon.com packages at the United Parcel Service (UPS) Chicago Area Consolidation Hub in Hodgkins, Illinois.

Amazon is trying to lure business buyers onto its fast-growing marketplace, offering them extended periods to pay for things like heavy equipment and office supplies. Sellers fear the change is coming at their expense.

In an email to sellers earlier this month, Amazon said that third-party merchants, which utilize the company’s fulfillment centers and logistics system, would be part of a new policy that gives qualified businesses 30 days to pay their bills. For consumer products, sellers are used to getting paid within a week or two.

By applying the “Pay by Invoice” service to the broader marketplace, corporate customers no longer have to rely on the specialized Amazon Business to get the benefit of a longer payment period. Starting August 8, products from general marketplace sellers would “automatically become eligible for invoiced purchasing,” according to the email, which was viewed by CNBC.

Lengthening the cash payment cycle could create a cash crunch for sellers who rely on speedier payments to buy inventory and fund their operations, said Jerry Kavesh, the CEO of 3P Marketplace Solutions, a consulting firm for Amazon marketplace sellers.

“Cash is always tight and challenging for small companies,” said Kavesh. “This policy could put sellers in a cash bind, where they may not be able to pay suppliers and employees, which is problematic at best, and worst could put them out of business.”

An Amazon spokesperson declined to provide a comment for this story.