Accounts Payable Around the World

APPG Quick Read

Accounts Payable Around the World (Same Job, Different Words)

AP is global. The invoices change, currencies change, even the tools change, but the mission stays the same: keep vendors paid and the business moving. What’s fun is what AP is called in different places.

One function, many names

Work in Accounts Payable long enough and you’ll notice a pattern: different languages describe AP in slightly different ways. Some emphasize “accounts.” Others emphasize “suppliers.” A few go straight to “money we owe,” which feels extremely AP.

A quick world tour

In Spanish and Portuguese, it’s refreshingly direct (literally “accounts to pay”). In French and Italian, the focus shifts to the vendor or supplier. German takes the scenic route with a longer phrase that reads like “liabilities from deliveries and services” (no shortcuts, just precision). Head north and you’ll see the “supplier debt” theme across the Nordics. In many Asian languages, the meaning lands close to “accounts that should be paid” or “purchase liabilities.”

Different words, same responsibility: trust, timing, accuracy, and strong vendor relationships.

Common translations for “Accounts Payable”

Note: These are common business and accounting terms, not just literal translations.

Language	Common term
Spanish	Cuentas por pagar
French	Comptes fournisseurs
German	Verbindlichkeiten aus Lieferungen und Leistungen (often shortened to Verbindlichkeiten)
Italian	Conti fornitori
Portuguese (Brazil / Portugal)	Contas a pagar
Dutch	Crediteuren
Swedish	Leverantörsskulder
Norwegian	Leverandørgjeld
Danish	Leverandørgæld
Finnish	Ostovelat
Polish	Zobowiązania handlowe
Czech	Závazky vůči dodavatelům
Hungarian	Szállítói kötelezettségek
Romanian	Datorii către furnizori
Greek	Υποχρεώσεις προς προμηθευτές
Russian	Кредиторская задолженность
Ukrainian	Кредиторська заборгованість
Turkish	Borç hesapları
Arabic	الحسابات الدائنة
Hebrew	ספקים / חשבונות לתשלום
Hindi	देय खाते
Chinese (Simplified)	应付账款
Chinese (Traditional)	應付帳款
Japanese	買掛金
Korean	매입채무
Thai	เจ้าหนี้การค้า
Vietnamese	Phải trả người bán
Indonesian	Utang usaha

What this tells us about AP

• Supplier-first language: Many regions talk about the vendor or supplier first (because that’s who feels the impact).
• Debt and obligations: Plenty of translations highlight “liability” or “debt,” which is the accounting reality.
• Action-oriented: Some versions basically say “what must be paid,” which is the most honest definition of AP on earth.

Quick question for the APPG community:

If you’ve worked with international teams or global vendors, what’s the biggest communication challenge you’ve run into (terms, payment methods, tax forms, time zones, something else)?

Visit AP-Professionals.com

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Robert Ruhno Executive Director APPG

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