How to choose an invoice due date

Choose the date before sending

The UK Small Business Commissioner describes 30 days as a typical payment term. A freelancer may prefer a shorter wait to cover their own bills. Crest chooses a two-week default to give clients time to arrange payment while helping you get paid sooner.

Crest pre-fills a due date of 14 calendar days after the invoice date. If you agreed another date, enter it before sending. The default is a starting point, not a legal requirement.

Calendar days include weekends. Three calendar days after Friday is Monday. If you send an invoice several days after its invoice date, your client has fewer days left to pay.

A short deadline can work when you agree it in advance. Check who handles invoices, whether they need a purchase-order number, and how much time they need to process payment. The UK Small Business Commissioner’s invoicing guidance explains how agreeing the payment date and finding the right contact can prevent delays.

Check the weekday too. A Saturday or Sunday deadline can leave your client with less working time than you intended. Agree a suitable date together; sending the invoice does not create a new agreement.

UK payment terms

You can agree payment upfront or another payment date. For business debts covered by the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, payment generally becomes late 30 days after the customer receives the invoice or you provide the goods or services, whichever is later, if you have not agreed a date.

Agreed business-to-business terms are usually within 60 days. You can agree longer terms if they are fair to both businesses. These rules do not mean every invoice must allow at least 30 days.

See GOV.UK’s payment obligations and late commercial payment guidance.

US payment terms

Requirements depend on the jurisdiction and transaction. New York’s Freelance Isn’t Free Act, for example, requires covered freelancers to receive payment by the contractual date, or within 30 days after completing the work if the contract does not specify a date.

That is a New York rule, not a nationwide minimum payment interval. Check the rules that apply to your work. The New York Attorney General’s guidance explains the law’s coverage and payment requirements.

EEA payment terms

The European Economic Area includes the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. Its late-payment framework covers commercial transactions between businesses and with public authorities.

Under the Late Payment Directive 2011/7/EU, business-to-business payment terms generally should not exceed 60 calendar days. Longer terms need express agreement and must not be grossly unfair to the supplier. Without an agreed payment period, late-payment interest generally starts after 30 calendar days from receipt of the invoice, or delivery if later. Shorter agreed terms are possible.

EFTA confirms the directive’s incorporation into the EEA Agreement. National laws implement it and may give suppliers stronger protection, so check the law that governs your contract. Your Europe explains the EU rules and late-payment rights.