Everything you need to explain the program
A one-page summary you can forward to a colleague, and a plain-language explainer on how early payment builds a small business's credit.
Field guides for working with government
Plain-English answers to the questions small business owners and finance teams actually have. 59 articles, updated weekly.
Why Your Best Vendors Are Quietly Walking Away
High-quality government vendors leave first because they have options. Learn the early-warning signs procurement teams miss and how to retain top suppliers.
Read the guide
How to Make Your City's Supplier Base More Resilient (Without a Grant)
Cities can build vendor resilience through structural payment changes — not grants. Learn how early payment, faster approvals, and universal access outperform subsidies.
Read the guideWhat If Your City Could Add Millions in Working Capital to Local Businesses at Zero Cost?
Your Vendors Are Struggling. Here's What You Can Do About It.
Better Contracts Start With Healthier Suppliers
Your AP Team Is a Strategic Asset. Stop Using It as a Call Center.
Accounts Receivable Financing: A Complete Guide for Government Vendors
AR Financing vs Factoring vs Line of Credit: Which Fits Your Receivables?
Audit-Ready by Default: What Your Vendor Payment Program Should Look Like
Construction Cash Flow Management on Government Contracts
DBE Program Cash Flow Support: Helping Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Survive Slow Payment
Economic Resilience Starts in Accounts Payable
The Fiscal Year-End Vendor Payment Cliff: Why Government Payments Freeze in June and September
Fraud Starts at Onboarding: Is Your Vendor Process Airtight?
GFOA Best Practices for Vendor Payment: A Practical Implementation Guide
How to Get Cash for Your Government Invoices: Every Funding Option Compared
How to Write an Overdue Invoice Email to a Government Client (With Templates)
Little Miller Acts by State: Payment Bond Rules for Public Construction
Can You File a Mechanics Lien on a Government Project? What Contractors Need to Know
Merchant Cash Advance vs Invoice Factoring: Which Is Right for Government Vendors?
The Miller Act Payment Bond Claim: A Federal Contractor's Guide
Modernizing Municipal ERP Vendor Payment Workflow Without Replacing the System
Net 30 Means Net 60: The Gap Between Stated and Actual Government Payment Terms
OpenGov Financials and Vendor Payments: A Practical Guide
Oracle Cloud ERP for Public Sector: How Vendor Payment Works
P-Card vs Invoice vs Early Payment: How Cities Should Pay Different Vendors
Stop Answering 'Where's My Check?' Calls: Free Up Your AP Team
Subcontractor Not Getting Paid by a Government Prime? Here's What to Do
Tyler Munis Vendor Payment Guide: How Local Governments Pay You Through Munis
Unsecured Business Funding for Government Vendors: Every Option Explained
Workday Government Vendor Payment: How Public Sector Workday Deployments Pay Vendors
Accounts Payable Automation for Local Government: Where to Start
Cash Flow Management for Government Contractors: A Practical Guide
2/10 Net 30: How Early Payment Discounts Work in Government
Government Contract Financing: Every Option Explained
Houston, TX Vendor Payment Guide
How Government Payment Delays Hurt Small Business Credit Scores
How to Become a City Government Vendor: Step-by-Step Guide
How to Build Business Credit as a Government Contractor
Net 30 vs Net 60 vs Net 90: Payment Terms Explained for Government Vendors
Philadelphia, PA Vendor Payment Guide
Phoenix, AZ Vendor Payment Guide
Prompt Payment Act: What Government Vendors Need to Know
Supply Chain Finance vs Early Payment Programs: What's the Difference?
What to Do When the Government Is Late Paying Your Invoice
Why Small Businesses Stop Bidding on Government Contracts
Chicago, IL Vendor Payment Guide
Dynamic Discounting for Government: What It Is and How It Works
How Early Payment Programs Help Cities Meet Small Business Set-Aside Goals
Early Payment Programs vs. Invoice Factoring: What Government Vendors Need to Know
Government Vendor Payment Terms: What to Expect and How to Plan
How Cities Can Support Local Small Businesses Without Spending a Dollar
Is Invoice Factoring a Loan? Understanding Receivables-Based Financing
Los Angeles, CA Vendor Payment Guide
New York, NY Vendor Payment Guide
The True Cost of Slow Vendor Payments for Cities
The Vendor's Guide to Getting Paid Faster by City Government
What Is Embedded Financing? A Guide for Procurement Platforms
What Is a Municipal Early Payment Program? How It Works and Why Cities Are Adopting Them
How early payment builds business credit
Small vendors are often turned down for financing not because they are risky, but because nobody has a record of them paying anything. Here is how that gap forms, and how the program closes it.
The problem: no record
Most small vendors have never had a lender or supplier report on them, so their commercial credit file is nearly empty. Lenders price that uncertainty as risk.
The fix: report the payments
Lunch files each vendor's payment performance with the commercial credit bureaus every month, so ordinary city work starts building an ordinary credit history.
The result: better terms
A real payment record means cheaper borrowing, easier bonding, and the ability to bid on larger contracts, including more work for your city.
What credit unlocks, step by step
Each rung is easier to reach once a business has a documented payment history.
Make payroll on time
Cash arrives when the work is done, not a month later.
Borrow at lower cost
A scorable file replaces guesswork with evidence.
Qualify for bonding
Surety requirements get within reach.
Bid on bigger contracts
More capacity for the city's own project list.
For cities
See what the program would look like in your agency, including the paperwork and what your team would need to do.
Talk to usFor vendors
Questions about your invoices or your enrollment go to support@lunchpayments.com.
Vendor overview