What it is
The catalogue of payment timing policies: when the invoice is paid (cash, 30 days, 60 days, and so on).
Do not confuse it with Payment type or Payment method: the terms are WHEN (cash, deferred); the type and the method are WHAT WITH (cash, card, bank transfer, and so on).
What it is for
- Defining the payment terms allowed in your organisation (Cash, Bank transfer, 30 days net, and so on).
- Setting the Cycle (days in the payment period) attached to each set of terms so due dates can be worked out.
- Adding a Note on the printed document that appears on invoices, delivery notes and the rest of your documents.
- Assigning the payment terms to customers and documents so the deadline is applied automatically.
Fields on the record
These are the fields you see in the "Payment Terms" modal when you create or edit one:
| Field (text on screen) | Type | What it is for | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Text (required) | What the payment terms are called (e.g. "Cash", "Bank transfer", "30 days net"). | — |
| Payment type | Dropdown (optional) | What the customer pays with (e.g. Cash, Card, Bank transfer). It is fed by the editable catalogue of payment types your company sets up; it is no longer a fixed list. Choose "Unspecified" to leave it unattached. Next to the dropdown, the + button ("Add payment type") creates a new one without leaving the modal. | Unspecified |
| Cycle | Number (required) | Days in the payment period. 0 = cash. | 30 |
| Bank account | Dropdown (optional) | The bank account from your catalogue attached to these payment terms. Each option is shown as alias · IBAN. Its IBAN appears in the preview (and on the document the customer sees). Choose "No account" to leave it unattached. Accounts are managed in Settings → Finance. | No account |
| Note on the printed document | Text (optional) | A note or description that appears on printed documents (invoices, delivery notes, and so on) explaining the terms. | Empty |
The table / list only shows two columns: ID (unique identifier, read-only, auto-generated) and Name. To see and edit the Cycle and the Note on the printed document, open the row: the "Payment Terms" modal opens with every field.
Buttons and actions — what each one does
Use the exact wording you see on screen. That is what you type when you ask "what does button X do?".
| Button / Control (text on screen) | Where | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Add | Top of the list | Opens the "Payment Terms" modal to create a new set of payment terms. It may be disabled if you have gone over your plan's limit. |
| Import / Export | Top of the list | Opens a modal for importing payment terms from a file or exporting the payment terms you have. It only appears if you have the matching permissions (import / export). |
| Duplicate | Row action | Opens a dialogue for creating a copy of the selected payment terms. Handy for starting from an existing one and changing only the cycle or the name. |
| Delete | Row action | Opens a confirmation dialogue for deleting the selected payment terms. |
| ID | List column | Shows the unique identifier of each set of payment terms (read-only, auto-generated). |
| Name | List column | Shows the name of each set of payment terms. Click the row to open the modal and edit the rest of the fields. |
| Payment type | "Payment Terms" modal | Dropdown for attaching what the customer pays with (e.g. Cash, Card, Bank transfer). It is fed by your company's editable catalogue of payment types (no longer a fixed list). It shows the name of each type; the "Unspecified" option leaves it unattached. |
| Add payment type | "Payment Terms" modal (the + button next to the Payment type dropdown) | Creates a new payment type without leaving what you are doing. Once you save it you come back to the modal and the type you have just created is already selected in the Payment type dropdown. Tooltip: "Add payment type". |
| Bank account | "Payment Terms" modal | Dropdown for attaching a bank account (from the Finance catalogue) to these payment terms. It shows alias · IBAN; the "No account" option leaves it unattached. |
| Manage bank accounts | "Payment Terms" modal (bank icon button, next to the Bank account dropdown) | Opens Settings → Finance directly so you can set up a new bank account without leaving what you are doing. When you come back, the account you have just created is already in the Bank account dropdown. Tooltip: "Manage bank accounts". |
| Customer view | "Payment Terms" modal | A preview box (under the Note) showing how the customer will see it on the document: the text of the Note on the printed document and, below it, the IBAN of the bank account you chose. It updates instantly when you change the note or the account. |
| Save | "Payment Terms" modal | Saves the record to the database and closes the modal. |
| Cancel | "Payment Terms" modal | Closes the modal without saving any changes. |
Key concepts
- Payment terms: the settings for the payment methods or terms you allow. They define the Name and the payment Cycle in days. They answer WHEN you get paid (cash, deferred), not what with.
- Cycle: the number of days in the payment period. It is used to set the deadlines attached to a set of payment terms (e.g. 30 days). The default is 30; enter
0for cash. - Note on the printed document: the description or note that appears on the printed document attached to these payment terms (e.g. invoices, delivery notes). It is there to spell out the payment terms to the customer.
- Payment type: what the customer pays with (Cash, Card, Bank transfer, and so on). In the modal it is a dropdown fed by an editable catalogue (the payment types your company sets up); it is no longer a fixed list. It is optional ("Unspecified"). The + button ("Add payment type") next to the dropdown creates a new one without leaving the modal.
- Bank account: an account from the Settings → Finance catalogue attached to the payment terms. Its IBAN is shown to the customer on the document. It is optional ("No account").
- Manage bank accounts: the icon button (a bank) next to the Bank account dropdown in the modal. It opens Settings → Finance so you can create a new account without leaving the modal; when you come back, the new account is already in the dropdown.
- Customer view: the preview box in the modal that puts together the Note on the printed document and the IBAN of the account you selected, so you can see how the customer will receive it before you save.
- ID: the unique identifier of each set of payment terms. It is read-only and generated automatically; you will see it in the first column of the list.
Permissions
payForm_editis needed to edit the catalogue.- The Import / Export buttons also depend on your account's import / export permissions.
How the default is set
The default payment terms are set in Company → Billing address → Default parameters → Payment terms. This catalogue does not have a default tick box.
Frequently asked questions
Q: How do I create new payment terms?
A: Press the Add button. The "Payment Terms" modal opens: fill in the Name (e.g. "Bank transfer"), the Cycle in days and, if you want, the Note on the printed document. Then press Save. If Add is disabled, you have reached your plan's limit for payment terms.
Q: My customer pays 60 days from the invoice date. How do I set that up?
A: Create a set of terms with the Name "60 days from invoice date" and the Cycle 60. Assign it to the customer on their record and it will appear automatically on their invoices.
Q: What is the "Cycle" field for?
A: It is the number of days in the payment period. It defines the deadline attached to the payment terms: 30 means payment in 30 days, 0 means cash. The default is 30.
Q: What is "Note on the printed document" for?
A: It is an optional text printed on your documents (invoices, delivery notes, and so on) to explain the payment terms to the customer. For example: "Payment by bank transfer within 30 days".
Q: What is the "Bank account" field for?
A: It attaches a bank account to the payment terms. In the dropdown you choose one of the accounts in your catalogue (shown as alias · IBAN); its IBAN will appear on the document the customer sees. If you do not want to attach one, leave "No account". Accounts are set up in Settings → Finance.
Q: I want to attach a bank account I have not created yet. How do I set it up without leaving the modal?
A: In the "Payment Terms" modal, next to the Bank account dropdown, press the bank icon button ("Manage bank accounts"). It opens Settings → Finance directly, where you set up the new account. When you go back to the modal, the account you have just created is already in the dropdown for you to select.
Q: How does the customer see the IBAN of my payment terms?
A: Select the Bank account in the modal. Just below the Note, the "Customer view" box shows you the preview: your note and, below it, IBAN: with the number of the account you chose. That is what the customer will see on the document.
Q: What is the "Payment type" field for?
A: It says what the customer pays with (Cash, Card, Bank transfer, and so on). In the "Payment Terms" modal it is a dropdown fed by your company's catalogue of payment types: it is not a fixed list, it is the types you set up yourself. Choose the right one or leave "Unspecified" to leave it unattached.
Q: The payment type I want is not in the dropdown. How do I add it?
A: The Payment type dropdown only shows the types in your company's catalogue. To create a new one without leaving the modal, press the + button ("Add payment type") next to the dropdown: you create it, you come back to the modal and the new type is already selected. (You can also manage the whole catalogue from Settings → Parameters.)
Q: Why is the payment type no longer the usual list (Bank transfer, Direct debit, Cash, Other)?
A: The Payment type is now an editable catalogue: instead of a fixed list, you see the payment types your company sets up. That way you can add, rename or remove the ones you need. If one is missing, create it with the + button ("Add payment type") next to the dropdown.
Q: How do I set up "Cash"?
A: Create a set of terms with the Name "Cash" and the Cycle 0. That means it is paid straight away, with no credit period.
Q: What is the "Duplicate" button for?
A: It creates a copy of the selected payment terms. It saves you time: start from an existing one and change only the Name or the Cycle. Pressing it opens a confirmation dialogue.
Q: How do I delete a set of payment terms?
A: On the row, use the Delete action. A confirmation dialogue opens before it is deleted, to avoid accidents.
Q: What is the "Import / Export" button for?
A: It opens a modal for importing payment terms from a file or exporting the ones you already have. It only appears if your account has the import / export permissions.
Q: The list only shows ID and Name. Where do I see the cycle and the note?
A: The table only lists the ID and Name columns. To see and edit the Cycle and the Note on the printed document, click the row: the "Payment Terms" modal opens with every field.
Q: What is the difference between terms, type and method?
A: Terms = when (cash / X days deferred). Type = the category of the means of payment (cash, card, bank transfer). Method = the fine detail of the type (Visa Business card, Stripe terminal X). Many organisations use only Terms + Type.
Q: Why is there no default tick box?
A: The payment catalogues (Terms, Day, Type, Method) do not have a tick box of their own. Their default is set only in Billing address.