Net 30 and Other Similar Invoice Payment Terms

What Are Payment Terms on an Invoice?

As a business owner, you are interested in getting paid for your job on time. That is why payment terms are used to declare your expectations and inform a client when they need to transfer money to your account. To insulate yourself from possible misunderstandings and avoid differences in interpretation, you should mark a net amount on an invoice.

What does Net 30 mean? By including this term in your file, you notify a recipient that payment must be made within thirty days. If the agreed amount is not credited to your account by the appointed time, the issued check is considered overdue. It is a reason to remind a payer of the need to make a payment and apply penalties. It is recommended to think over an action plan for such a case and warn your customer about the possible consequences. Create invoices instantly with our free Net 30 invoice example.  

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Types of Payment Terms for Invoice

In billing, the term “Net D” is used, where “D” means the number of days a client should pay for the tasks performed. This period might differ depending on the agreement with an orderer and your business specifics. Applying the same terms to all customers is unnecessary; adjust them when working with different purchasers.

What are the standard payment terms on an invoice? When creating forms using our service, you can indicate 7 and 30 days, payment upon receipt or the next day, and manually set the date. Experts do not recommend small businesses to provide too big periods. With an insufficiently stable flow of orders, they risk being left without money. However, if you cooperate with regular customers, you can offer Net 60 and even 90.

What does an outstanding invoice mean? It is the name of papers that have already been sent to a recipient but have not yet been paid. It is recommended that you send the documents to the orderers in advance so that they have enough time to sort out the payment and deposit money into your account. Submitting bills a few days or weeks before the deadline increases the likelihood that the agreed sum will arrive on time.

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To encourage clients to pay faster, freelancers and vendors offer discounts that are valid within a few days of the allotted period. For example, in your Excel, Word, or PDF fillable invoice, you can write “2/10 Net 60.” It will be interpreted as follows: the invoice must be paid within 60 days, but if the money arrives within ten days, you’ll give a 2% discount on the total amount.

When processing payment forms, you also come across the terms “Cash on delivery” and “Cash in advance.” The first means that payment should be made as soon as a person or company receives products. The second indicates that a customer should pay beforehand. Both methods pose particular risks for orderers. However, as a rule, both cashless and cash invoices mean payment after the task completion.

Why Should You Use the Term Net 30 and Others?

The due date is an essential component of any printable generic invoice. If you don’t specify it, a client won’t know when the money should be credited. When working with unreliable people or companies, it might even lead to finding yourself without compensation for the tasks completed. Our templates have a separate line where you need to specify the desired date. It can be Net 30, or any other period you wish.

Please also note that it is necessary to agree with a client on which day the countdown begins. Your invoice payment terms definitions might differ, so they should be indicated right away. The starting point can be considered the moment of job completion, delivery of goods, or transfer of papers to a customer. Be sure to discuss this moment with an orderer, and don’t forget to leave a reminder in the “Notes” section when filling out the form at the Saldo Invoice app.

In the below example, net 30 can be placed in the column due date at the top that makes clear what day payment is due. Saldo Invoice has online invoicing software that easily lets you enter payment terms and send reminders.