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GlossaryLast updated July 24, 2026

What does net 30 mean?

Net 30 means the full invoice amount is due within 30 days of the invoice date. It's the default payment term in most B2B work: invoice dated July 24 with net-30 terms is due August 23. The 'net' means the whole amount — no discount — as opposed to terms like '2/10 net 30', where paying within 10 days earns a 2% discount.

How net 30 actually counts

The clock starts on the invoice date, not the delivery date and not when the client opens the email. Calendar days, not business days. If you deliver on the 1st but invoice on the 15th, you've silently given the client two extra weeks — which is why invoicing the day the work ships matters more than the term you pick.

The common terms, compared

Each step shorter gets you paid faster but asks more of the client's payment process:

  • Due on receipt — pay immediately; best for small jobs, deposits, and new clients
  • Net 15 — two weeks; a good default for ongoing freelance relationships
  • Net 30 — the B2B convention; larger companies' AP departments expect it
  • Net 60 / net 90 — enterprise terms; only accept them priced into the rate
  • 2/10 net 30 — 2% discount if paid in 10 days, else full amount in 30

Should you offer net 30?

Offer it when the client is a company with an accounts-payable process — fighting the convention costs more goodwill than the cash-flow gain. Prefer net 15 or due on receipt when you're dealing with individuals, new clients, or small totals. Whatever you choose, put it on the invoice explicitly with the computed due date ('Net 30 — due Aug 23, 2026'); a bare 'net 30' makes the client do date math, and ambiguity always resolves in favor of paying later.

Late payments against net-30 terms are common enough that you should decide the follow-up schedule in advance: a polite nudge at +7 days past due, a firmer one at +14, then a call. See how to invoice a client for the full sequence.

More guides: Invoice vs. receipt: what's the difference? · The invoice email: what to write · A complete freelance invoice, annotated

Frequently asked questions

Does net 30 mean 30 days from delivery or from the invoice date?
From the invoice date. If you deliver June 1 and invoice June 15 with net-30 terms, payment is due July 15. That's why invoicing the same day you deliver matters — the term only starts when the invoice exists.
Is net 30 calendar days or business days?
Calendar days, including weekends and holidays. Net 30 from July 24 is August 23, whatever days fall in between.
What does 2/10 net 30 mean?
The client can take a 2% discount by paying within 10 days; otherwise the full amount is due in 30. It's an early-payment incentive common in product businesses, less so in services.
Can I charge a late fee after net 30 expires?
Only if the fee was stated on the invoice (and ideally in your contract) before the client accepted it — commonly 1.5% per month. A late fee invented after the fact isn't enforceable and sours the relationship.
What payment terms should a freelancer use?
Net 15 is a good freelance default — professional but not slow. Use due-on-receipt for small jobs and deposits, and accept net 30 when a corporate client's AP process requires it.