Business English Podcast · Negotiations · Episode 10

Trading a Faster Payment for a Lower Price

The early payment discount in English: how to trade a faster payment for a lower price — with the phrases to match.

B1 · Monologue · 3 Min. · free

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Editorially reviewed by James Simmonds – English teacher since 2004Published 3 August 2026

SceneTrainer Ben explains an underrated negotiation move: pay earlier, ask for a discount. You learn the principle, the numbers — and the sentence that makes the offer.

0:00 / 3 Min.

Tip: listen to the episode twice before you start the test. · Worksheet (PDF)

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Ben — Business English trainer

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Transcript

The full transcript opens after the comprehension test — so you train real listening instead of reading along.

German support

BenWelcome back to the Simmonds Business English Podcast. Today we look at a small negotiation move that many buyers forget: trading a faster payment for a lower price. If your company can pay an invoice early, that is worth real money to your supplier — and you can ask for something in return.

BenWhy does this work? Think about cash flow. Your supplier has paid for materials and staff long before your money arrives. When you pay within ten days instead of sixty, the supplier gets cash earlier and takes less risk. For many companies, that is more valuable than the discount they give you.Ihr Lieferant hat Material und Personal längst bezahlt, bevor Ihr Geld eintrifft.

BenThe standard tool here is the early payment discount — in German business you know it as Skonto. In many industries, two per cent is a common figure. On a fifty-thousand-euro order, two per cent is a thousand euros — simply for moving money sooner. Not bad for one sentence in a negotiation.Der „early payment discount" ist das, was Sie im Deutschen als Skonto kennen.

BenSo how do you say it? Keep it simple and concrete: 'We can transfer the full amount within ten days. In return, we'd like to ask for a two per cent discount.' The phrase 'in return' is the heart of the offer — you give something, you ask for something.„In return" – im Gegenzug – ist der Kern des Angebots.

BenNow, one warning for German speakers. In German you say 'wir bekommen einen Rabatt'. Many learners translate this directly and say 'we become a discount'. In English, 'to become' means 'werden', not 'bekommen'. The correct verb is 'to get' or 'to receive': if we pay early, we get a discount.

BenLet's build the full offer in three steps. Step one: confirm that you want the deal — 'We're happy with the offer overall.' Step two: name your payment terms — 'Our standard terms are sixty days, but we could pay within ten.' Step three: ask — 'What discount could you offer for that?'

BenNotice the open question at the end. Instead of demanding a number, you invite the supplier to make the first move. Sometimes they offer more than you expected. And if they say one per cent and you wanted two, you can still negotiate — now you are talking about the size, not about the idea.Statt eine Zahl zu fordern, überlassen Sie dem Lieferanten den ersten Schritt.

BenOne caution before you promise anything: check with your own finance team first. An early payment discount only makes sense if the cash is really available. Nothing damages trust faster than promising to pay within ten days and then paying after forty.

BenHere is your homework: take one current supplier invoice and calculate what two per cent would be worth. Then practise the key sentence out loud: 'We can pay within ten days — in return, we'd like to ask for a small discount.' Until next time — happy negotiating.

Key phrases

cash flow

the movement of money in and out of a company

Late payments from customers hurt our cash flow.

early payment discount

a price reduction for paying an invoice early

The supplier offers a two per cent early payment discount.

invoice

a document requesting payment for goods or services

Please send the invoice to our accounting department.

in return

as an exchange for something you give

We signed a longer contract and got better prices in return.

payment terms

the agreed rules for when and how to pay

Our payment terms are thirty days from the invoice date.

to transfer

to send money from one account to another

We can transfer the amount by the end of the week.

to get a discount

to receive a price reduction

If we order early, we get a discount of five per cent.

to make the first move

to act first in a negotiation

In price talks, it can pay to let the other side make the first move.

Language notes

In this episode a trainer explains how to negotiate an early payment discount in English: offer a faster payment, use "in return" to ask for a lower price, end with an open question. You learn the eight key terms around payment — and why "we become a discount" is wrong (level B1).

bekommen ≠ become

The best-known false friend in business English: "bekommen" sounds like "to become" but means something completely different. "To become" is "werden" ("She became head of sales"). For "bekommen", use "to get" (neutral, spoken) or "to receive" (more formal, written): "We get a discount", "We received your invoice". Asking "Can I become a discount?" literally requests to turn into one — a mistake native speakers understand but always notice.

Skonto: standard in Germany, negotiable in English

In German business, Skonto often appears as a formula on the invoice ("2% Skonto within 10 days"). In UK and US business, the early payment discount is rarely pre-printed — it is negotiated. That is an opportunity: those who ask often get terms that were never in the offer. Conversely, explain your Skonto actively to English-speaking customers instead of assuming they know the German convention.

The open question as a negotiation tool

Ben's three-step offer deliberately ends with an open question: "What discount could you offer for that?" It makes the other side name a number first — and turns a yes/no conversation into a negotiation about size. The underlying formula works everywhere: name your concession ("We can transfer the full amount within ten days"), link it with "in return", ask openly. Remember the pattern — it carries any negotiation about payment terms.

Keep practising: Learn business English online — with real teachers from Simmonds, since 2004.

Frequently asked questions

What language level is this episode for?

Level B1 (CEFR). The monologue is clearly structured and spoken at a measured pace; the vocabulary list explains all eight key terms bilingually.

What is "Skonto" in English?

"Early payment discount" — a price reduction for paying early. Two per cent is common in many industries, e.g. for paying within ten days instead of sixty.

How do I offer a faster payment in exchange for a discount?

With the three-step pattern from the episode: confirm interest ("We're happy with the offer overall"), name the payment window ("We could pay within ten days") and ask openly ("What discount could you offer for that?").

Where can I practise negotiations like this live?

In the online business English courses from Simmonds Language Services (englisch-lehrer.com/online): live lessons with real teachers on Zoom. Book a free consultation to discuss your level and goals.

Are the voices real?

Episodes are produced with high-quality AI voices (Hume) and editorially reviewed by our trainer team — the same method as our interactive lessons.

Want to practise these phrases in a real conversation?

The podcast trains your ear — in our online lessons you practise the conversation yourself, with real teachers. For companies across Germany since 2004.

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