Net 30 due date calculation: turning payment terms into due dates
Net 30 means payment is due 30 calendar days after the invoice date, so an invoice dated 12 October 2026 is due on 11 November 2026. Count from the invoice date, not the day you received or entered it, and count weekends. EOM terms, early-payment discounts and from-receipt wording change the starting point or the deadline, so read the terms as printed.
General information for bookkeepers, not accounting, tax or legal advice. Rules and software screens differ by country and change over time.
Working out a due date from the terms
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Use a printed due date first
If the invoice prints a due date, use it. Check it against the terms and query a mismatch.
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Find the starting date
Terms normally run from the invoice date. Some say from receipt or from delivery, and then the start is the day you got it.
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Read the terms exactly
Net 30, 30 days, Net 30 EOM and 2/10 Net 30 are four different instructions. Note any wording about month end.
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Add the days
Count calendar days from the starting date. With the invoice date in cell A2,
=A2+30gives the due date. -
Apply the month rule, if there is one
For terms counted from month end, find the last day of the invoice month first.
=EOMONTH(A2,0)+30does both steps. -
Check the weekday, then enter the date
If it falls on a weekend or holiday, many firms pay on the last working day before, since transfers may not settle. Then enter the date.
Common terms, worked for one invoice
| Terms | Usual meaning | Due date |
|---|---|---|
| Due on receipt | Payable as soon as the invoice arrives. | 12 Oct 2026 at the earliest |
| Net 30 | 30 days after the invoice date. | 11 Nov 2026 |
| Net 60 | 60 days after the invoice date. | 11 Dec 2026 |
| Net 30 EOM | One common reading: 30 days after the end of the invoice month. | 30 Nov 2026 |
| 2/10 Net 30 | 2% off if paid within 10 days, otherwise the full amount in 30. | Discount by 22 Oct 2026, full by 11 Nov 2026 |
| 15th of the following month | A fixed day in the next month. | 15 Nov 2026, a Sunday |
When EOM terms are ambiguous
EOM means end of month. Net 30 EOM is commonly read as 30 days counted from the last day of the invoice month, but some suppliers mean something slightly different, and the readings can disagree. Take an invoice dated 10 January 2027.
- Reading A: 30 days after the invoice month ends. 31 January plus 30 days is 2 March 2027.
- Reading B: add 30 days, then move to month end. 10 January plus 30 days is 9 February, and that month ends on 28 February 2027.
The answers are two days apart. For the 12 October invoice in the table they agree, so the gap hides until a short month. If no due date is printed, ask the supplier which reading they use.
Net 30 is not one month either. An invoice dated 31 January 2027 on Net 30 is due 2 March 2027, whereas one month later would be 28 February. Count days when the terms say days.
Early-payment discounts
Terms such as 2/10 Net 30 read as a 2% discount for paying within 10 days, otherwise the full amount within 30. Both counts start on the same date.
On simple arithmetic, paying 20 days early to save 2% works out at about 37% a year (2 ÷ 98 × 365 ÷ 20), which is why many firms take such discounts when cash allows. That is arithmetic, not advice.
In QuickBooks Online and Xero
As of general knowledge, QuickBooks Online keeps a Terms list (Gear icon, All lists, Terms) where a term can be a number of days or a day of the month. Choosing a term on a bill fills in the due date, which you can still overwrite. Xero's default due date settings for bills offer month-based options as well as days after the bill date, so check the options in your own organisation.
Check the date that results, because the supplier may mean another rule. The import files for QuickBooks Online and Xero ask for a due date, not terms, so work the date out before you upload.
What goes wrong
Counting from the day you opened it
An invoice dated the 12th and opened on the 20th is still due 30 days from the 12th. Late arrival uses up your terms.
A month-end rule read as plain days
Net 30 EOM entered as Net 30 puts the due date up to a month early. In the table, 11 November is 19 days before 30 November. Check which reading your software applied.
A weekend due date
15 November 2026 is a Sunday. A transfer sent that day may not arrive until Monday, so schedule the Friday before.
A default that overrides the paper
A supplier record with default terms of Net 30 stamps that on every bill, even one that prints Net 14. Check the due date on each bill, not the default.
How BillToCSV helps
BillToCSV uses the due date printed on the bill. When none is printed, it counts the days in plain terms such as Net 30 from the invoice date. For month-end terms such as Net 30 EOM it uses reading A above, counting from the last day of the invoice month, and warns you to confirm that with the supplier. If the terms cannot be turned into a date, as with MFI, the due date stays blank with a warning. It does not apply from-receipt or early-payment rules. Check any due date that was worked out from terms. Free: 1 file per day, up to 10 pages, no account. Files over 10 pages are converted up to page 10 on the free allowance; a page code converts the whole file, up to 150 pages. See pricing.
Questions people ask
What does Net 30 mean on an invoice?
Payment is due 30 calendar days after the invoice date, unless the invoice says from receipt or names another start. An invoice dated 12 October 2026 is due on 11 November 2026.
Does Net 30 count from the invoice date or the date I received it?
Normally from the invoice date. Only terms that say from receipt, from delivery or from statement date start later.
Are weekends and holidays counted in Net 30?
Yes, Net 30 counts calendar days. If the result lands on a weekend or holiday, many firms pay on the previous working day, but check with the supplier.
What does Net 30 EOM mean?
Usually 30 days after the end of the invoice month, though some suppliers use another reading. Ask the supplier, or look for a printed due date, before you rely on either.
What does 2/10 Net 30 mean?
A 2% discount if you pay within 10 days, otherwise the full amount within 30 days. Both counts start on the same date.
Should I put terms or a due date in an import file?
Put the due date. Both the QuickBooks Online and Xero bill imports ask for a date, so work it out from the terms yourself and check it against the paper.