Net 30, net 60

Net terms state how many days after an invoice the payment is due. Net 30 means payment is due thirty days out; net 60, sixty. The contract or the customer's payment policy sets the number and, just as importantly, what starts the clock: the invoice date, the date a complete invoice is received, or the date it is approved.

Terms are a negotiating point like any other, and the clock-start definition is often where the real delay hides. "Net 30 from receipt of complete documents" can mean forty-five or more days from delivery if paperwork is missing. Owners who measure their actual days to payment usually find it longer than the stated term.