Invoice Payment Terms: Net 30, Net 15, Due on Receipt

Payment terms are the part of an invoice that says when you get paid. Get them wrong and you end up acting as your client's bank — doing the work now, seeing the money weeks later.

Here's what the common ones actually mean, and how to pick one that works for you.

What the terms mean

Due on receipt — payment is due as soon as the invoice lands. Common for fixed-price work and new clients.
Net 15 — payment is due within 15 days of the invoice date.
Net 30 — payment is due within 30 days. The default in a lot of industries, but often the slowest.
Net 60 / Net 90 — 60 or 90 days. Mostly for large corporate clients with their own payment runs.
Net 30 EOM — "end of month": 30 days from the end of the month the invoice was issued, not from the invoice date. This quietly stretches your wait.

Which one should you use?

Shorter is almost always better for a freelancer or small team. Every extra week of terms is a week you're financing your client for free.

A simple rule that works for most people:

New clients: due on receipt, or net 15 at most. You haven't built trust yet.
Repeat clients who pay reliably: net 15 or net 30 is reasonable.
Big companies: they'll often demand net 60 or net 90. You can accept it — just know you're the one carrying the float.

How to write it on the invoice

Put the terms on one clear line, near the total. Something like:

Payment terms: Net 15. Payment due by 26 September 2026.

State a date, not just "net 15." A specific due date removes the maths and the ambiguity, and gives you an unambiguous reason to follow up the day after it passes.

Terms alone don't get you paid

Clear terms set the expectation. The follow-up is what collects the money. A polite reminder the day after the due date — sent from your name, not a debt collector's — is usually all it takes.

If keeping track of due dates and sending those reminders is the part you keep skipping, that's exactly what DueBuddy does for you. See our follow-up email templates for the exact wording at each stage.

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