What payment terms should you put on an invoice?
There is no single standard payment term every UK business must use. You can agree your own terms with the customer, but the invoice should make the due date and payment method easy to understand.
Last reviewed: 7 September 2026.
What are standard payment terms in the UK?
Businesses often use terms such as 7 days, 14 days or 30 days depending on the type of work, the customer relationship and what was agreed before the invoice was sent. Thirty days is common in business-to-business trade, but it is not a mandatory default term that every invoice has to use.
GOV.UK says businesses can set their own payment terms, including payment upfront and discounts for early payment.
Sources: GOV.UK — payment obligations and Small Business Commissioner — good payment practice.
What happens if no payment date was agreed?
GOV.UK says that unless you agree a payment date, the customer must generally pay within 30 days of receiving the invoice or the goods or service.
That does not mean every business should automatically write “30 days” on every invoice. If you have agreed different terms, the invoice should reflect those agreed terms.
When does an invoice become overdue?
An unpaid invoice becomes overdue when the agreed payment deadline has passed. That is why keeping the original invoice due date clear matters: a later reminder date should not rewrite the invoice's original payment obligation.
Source: GOV.UK — payment obligations.
Examples of invoice payment terms
Payment due in 7 days
Useful where you have agreed a short payment window, particularly for smaller or fast-turnaround work. Put the actual calendar date on the invoice as well as any wording about seven days.
Payment due in 14 days
A middle ground that gives the customer some processing time while keeping the payment cycle relatively short.
Payment due in 30 days
Common in business-to-business invoicing and larger organisations. Again, an explicit due date is easier for both sides to track than relying on the phrase “30 days” alone.
Payment upfront or on receipt
These terms can be agreed too. If payment is expected immediately, state that clearly before the work and make the invoice wording consistent with the agreement.
What payment details should go on the invoice?
If you want bank transfer, include enough information for the customer to pay the correct account: normally the account name, sort code and account number, plus any payment reference you want them to use.
For a fuller explanation, see what bank details to put on a UK invoice.
Keep the payment section concise
A small service invoice usually does not need a page of contractual wording. The invoice should make the agreed payment position easy to understand; detailed contractual terms belong in the agreement or terms governing the work.
How Klamic handles payment terms
Klamic lets you save default payment terms and bank details for repeat use, while each draft invoice 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 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.