What to Put in Your Payment Terms
Payment terms tend to be copied from the last job, which means most of us are working to terms we have never actually read. They are worth twenty minutes. A clear set makes the awkward conversations shorter and the late ones rarer.
The number of days, and when they start
Thirty days from what? Invoice date is the common answer and the one worth writing down, because "thirty days from delivery" invites an argument about when delivery happened. If a client insists on their own terms, find out what their payment run looks like. A firm that pays on the 25th will pay on the 25th whatever the invoice says.
What happens if it is late
Say what you will do rather than what you are entitled to. A line that reads "we follow up on the due date and again a week later" sets an expectation. Statutory interest exists and is worth naming, but treat it as a backstop rather than an opening move.
Deposits and stage payments
For anything longer than a few weeks, bill in stages. A deposit is not a sign of mistrust; it is the thing that stops a long project turning into a single frightening invoice at the end. Say what each stage covers so there is nothing to query.
How you want to be paid
Bank details, a payment link, or both. Whichever you offer, offer the same way every time. Clients who have paid you once from a link will look for the link; clients who set you up as a supplier will look for the reference. Make both easy to find on the invoice.
Who to contact about it
One name, one email address. A query that lands nowhere becomes a delay, and a delay nobody owns becomes a late payment.
