What payment terms should you put on an invoice?
Good payment terms answer two questions without making the customer hunt for them: when is payment due, and how should it be paid?
Last reviewed: 17 August 2026.
You can agree your own payment terms
GOV.UK says businesses can set their own payment terms, including arrangements such as payment upfront or discounts for early payment. The important practical point is to agree the terms and make the due date clear.
If no payment date has been agreed, GOV.UK says the customer must generally pay within 30 days of receiving the invoice or the goods or service.
Source: GOV.UK — payment obligations.
Give the customer enough information to pay you
If you want payment by bank transfer, include the account name, sort code and account number you want them to use. If a payment reference matters to your reconciliation, state that clearly too.
Keep terms proportionate
A small service invoice usually does not need a page of contractual wording. The invoice should make the agreed payment position easy to understand, while any detailed contractual terms belong in the agreement or terms that govern the work.
Do not hide the due date in notes
Using a dedicated due-date field means the customer sees it consistently and lets invoicing software identify unpaid invoices that have passed their deadline.
How Klamic handles payment terms
Klamic lets you save default payment terms and bank details for repeat use, while each draft still has its own due date. Finalised invoices preserve the payment information that applied when that invoice was issued.
Create the invoice now — or let Klamic remember the repetitive parts.
The free UK invoice generator works without an account. If invoicing is a regular job, Klamic saves your business details, customers and common services and keeps your invoice history together.