Float is the term given to delays in the payments process that occur between the time a payer initiates a payment and the time that funds are made available to the payee. This is sometimes referred to as ‘collection float’ when the payment instrument is a cheque. The term ‘float’ also has a wider meaning encompassing other delays in the purchasing cycle, but in this article we will focus on the more common definition which is the time delay between a payment being made and the beneficiary receiving the funds.