invoice payment terms explained
Invoice payment terms set the deadline for payment and any conditions attached. The most common is Net 30, meaning payment is due 30 days after the invoice date. Others include Net 14 and Net 60 (14 or 60 days), Due on Receipt (pay immediately), and EOM (end of the month). Shorter terms generally get you paid faster, so choose terms that match your cash-flow needs.
What the common terms mean
Payment terms are usually written as 'Net' plus a number of days, counted from the invoice date unless you say otherwise. The phrase tells the client exactly when the money is due. Here are the ones you'll see most often.
- Due on Receipt — payment expected as soon as the invoice arrives
- Net 7 / Net 14 — due within 7 or 14 days of the invoice date
- Net 30 — due within 30 days; the common B2B default
- Net 60 / Net 90 — longer terms, common with large buyers
- EOM — due at the end of the month the invoice was issued
- 2/10 Net 30 — a 2% discount if paid within 10 days, otherwise full amount in 30
How to choose your terms
Shorter terms protect your cash flow but can be a harder sell to large clients who run their own 30- or 60-day cycles. Match your terms to who you're billing: freelancers and small suppliers often use Net 7 to Net 14, while bigger commercial relationships may need Net 30. Whatever you pick, agree it before the work starts and state it plainly on every invoice.
Spell terms out clearly
Don't assume a client knows what 'Net 14' means — write the actual due date as well. An explicit date ('Payment due by 28 June 2026') removes ambiguity and gives you a clean line to follow up on if it passes. invoiceme lets you set the due date directly on the invoice so the deadline is impossible to miss.
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faq
- What does Net 30 actually mean?
- Net 30 means the full invoice amount is due within 30 days of the invoice date. The 'Net' refers to the net amount payable, and the number is the count of days. Net 14 and Net 60 work the same way with different deadlines.
- Are shorter payment terms better?
- For your cash flow, generally yes — money arrives sooner and there's less time for an invoice to drift. The trade-off is that some larger clients won't accept terms shorter than their standard cycle, so balance speed against winning the work.
- Can I charge interest on late payments?
- In many countries, yes. UK businesses, for example, have a statutory right to charge interest and recovery costs on overdue commercial invoices. Stating a late-payment clause on the invoice upfront makes enforcing it easier.