In one line
The date payment on an invoice is expected, written as a date rather than a term.
Also called the payment date, the due-by date, or the payment deadline.
What it means in practice
Net 30 is a term. 30 September 2026 is a due date. The second one is what a client's accounts system can act on and what a reminder can refer to, so put both on the invoice with the date spelled out.
Count the due date from the invoice date unless you have agreed otherwise, and make sure the invoice actually goes out the day it is dated. An invoice sent three days late has already given away three days.
Example. An invoice issued 1 September on net 30 is due 1 October, and the invoice should say both.
Where it shows up on the paperwork
It sits near the invoice number and the issue date at the top, and again in the terms line at the bottom. Both places should show a date, not just a term.
What goes wrong
- Writing net 30 and no date, leaving the client to count.
- Dating the invoice on Monday and sending it on Thursday, which gives away three days of the term.
- Setting a due date that falls on a weekend, when most payment runs happen on weekdays.
The tools for this
Related terms
- Payment termsThe line that says when payment is due, how to pay, and what happens if the date passes.
- Overdue invoiceAn invoice that has passed its due date without being paid.
- Late feeA charge added to an invoice that is paid after its due date.
- Net 30Payment is due 30 days after the invoice date.
- Net termsCredit terms giving the client a set number of days to pay after the invoice date.
Common questions
Does the due date count from the invoice date or the delivery date?
From the invoice date, unless the invoice says otherwise. That is why sending the invoice the day the work finishes matters.
What happens if no due date is on the invoice?
You are relying on whatever your agreement or local law implies, which is a weak position. State the date, and state it before the work in your terms.