CFO & Finance Leaders The Hidden Cost of Net Terms: How AdTech CFOs Can Reclaim Trapped Capital If you’re a CFO in AdTech, you’ve experienced this frustration: the campaigns are live, the results are in, the revenue is technically yours – yet the cash is nowhere to be seen. Welcome to the quiet drain on your balance sheet: net terms. In our industry, net 60, net 90, or even net 120 payment schedules aren’t the exception, they’re the norm. Across programmatic buyers, affiliate networks, and publishers, millions in earned revenue sit locked on AR (accounts receivable) ledgers, unavailable for reinvestment. It’s capital that should be in motion (fuelling campaigns, scaling spend, and driving growth) but instead, it’s stuck in limbo. The Cash Flow Strain of Net Terms According to PwC’s 24/25 analysis, the average DSO (Days Sales Outstanding) has increased by 6.6% in the past 5 years, meaning millions of earned revenue that is taking even longer to deploy. At 90 days, this means roughly a whole additional week of waiting on invoices to be paid. For growth-stage businesses, this isn’t just inconvenient, it’s decisive. Delayed access to capital means slower reinvestment, reduced campaign agility, and missed opportunities to seize market share. For established businesses, that is the difference between funding opportunities to outpace competitors, or not. The report also estimates that there is 1.56 trillion euros of excess working capital available. The issue is thus systemic and needs solutions that can work right away and across different industries. Why This Hurts Capital Efficiency Capital that’s trapped is capital that costs you twice. First, in opportunity cost, the returns you could generate if that money was working. Second, in financing cost, because most businesses fill the gap with credit lines or term loans. That means paying interest on borrowed funds while your own revenue sits idle. It’s inefficient. And it drags on your IRR (Internal Rate of Return) for every campaign you run. CFOs are measured on both liquidity and balance sheet strength. High AR not only ties up liquidity, it pushes you towards on-balance-sheet debt – adding risk and eroding capital efficiency. Reclaiming Capital with a Pre-Invoice Model This is where a modern capital platform changes the playbook. By integrating directly with monetisation platforms and verifying transactions at the source, Revving advances capital before an invoice is even raised. That means: No 90-day wait No loan liabilities No dilution It’s a true off-balance-sheet solution that accelerates your access to revenue without compromising your financial optics. What That Unlocks For CFOs, collapsing payment cycles from months to days isn’t just a funding improvement – it’s a performance multiplier. Instant access to capital enables: Faster reinvestment mid-campaign Higher IRR on every pound of spend Operational control over cash cycles The ability to scale with confidence, not constraint The Takeaway Net terms aren’t simply a payment delay – they’re a costly performance drag hiding in plain sight. In a market where speed and agility define competitive advantage, waiting for revenue is no longer an operational necessity. CFOs who unlock trapped capital stop reacting to revenue. They start leading with it. Book a demo with Revving and see how pre-invoice funding can put your capital back where it belongs, working for you.
