A current liability on the balance sheet presenting the amount of goods and services that the company has bought on credit. Usually these amounts are paid quickly and no interest is involved. This account is similar to a consumer charge account where the balance is paid off each and every month. It is different, however, in that the company can sometimes take a discount if it pays within a very short time. The company balances the value of the discount against the usage of the cash and manages cash carefully by not paying too early