"Due on receipt" means payment is expected immediately, the moment the client receives the invoice — not in 7, 15, or 30 days. There's no grace period baked into the term. It's the most direct payment term you can put on an invoice.
This guide covers exactly what it means, the difference from other terms, when it helps, when it backfires, and the wording to use.
"Due on receipt" vs "due upon receipt"
They're the same thing. "Due on receipt" and "due upon receipt" are interchangeable — both mean payment is due as soon as the invoice lands. Use whichever reads more naturally to you; clients understand both.
How "due on receipt" compares to Net terms
Net terms give the client a defined window from the invoice date. "Due on receipt" gives them none:
- Due on receipt — pay now.
- Net 7 — pay within 7 days of the invoice date.
- Net 15 — pay within 15 days.
- Net 30 — pay within 30 days.
If you're weighing these against each other, the full breakdown is in Invoice Payment Terms Explained.
When "due on receipt" is the right choice
It works best when payment naturally follows delivery with no review step in between:
- You hand over the work and invoice at the same moment — a delivered photo gallery, a finished one-day workshop, a small feature shipped.
- Retail, events, and on-the-day services where payment-on-delivery is the norm.
- Small, low-value invoices where a 30-day window is overkill.
- Deposits and upfront payments before work begins.
- Repeat clients you trust, paying by card or instant transfer.
When to avoid it
"Due on receipt" can create friction in two situations:
- Project work the client needs to review. Asking for immediate payment before they've checked the deliverable invites disputes. Give them room to review first.
- Corporate clients with an accounts-payable process. A finance team physically cannot pay "on receipt" — invoices route through approval and payment runs. Demanding it just gets ignored, and Net 30 is usually expected anyway.
How realistic is "immediate"?
Honestly, even cooperative clients rarely pay the same minute. People are in meetings; payments need a login. The value of "due on receipt" is the signal: there is no 30-day cushion, and you expect prompt payment. To keep it from being vague, pair the term with a concrete fallback and an easy way to pay.
The exact wording to use
Set the payment term to "due on receipt" and make paying frictionless:
- Plain:
Payment due on receipt. - With a soft deadline:
Payment due on receipt. Please settle within 5 business days. - With a method:
Payment due on receipt via the payment link below, or by bank transfer to the details shown.
Place it directly under the total — where the client's eye already lands — not buried in a footer. The single biggest lever on getting paid fast isn't the term; it's removing steps between seeing the invoice and paying it.
Get paid on receipt, in practice
You can set the payment term and attach a payment link in Plain Statement's free invoice generator — no account needed to create and download. Add the link, write "due on receipt" next to the total, and the client can pay in one click. For more on reducing friction, see how to write an invoice that gets paid faster.
Frequently asked questions
What does "due on receipt" mean on an invoice?
It means payment is expected immediately when the client receives the invoice, rather than within a set number of days. There is no grace period built into the term itself.
Is "due on receipt" the same as "due upon receipt"?
Yes. "Due on receipt" and "due upon receipt" are interchangeable wordings for the same thing — payment due as soon as the invoice is received.
How many days is "due on receipt"?
Zero days in principle — it means now, not in 7, 15 or 30. In practice clients often need a few days to action a payment, so many businesses pair it with a concrete fallback such as "due on receipt (please pay within 5 days)".
What wording should I use for immediate payment?
Put "Payment due on receipt" next to the total, add a clear payment method or link, and optionally a short fallback date. Example: "Payment due on receipt. Please settle within 5 business days via the payment link below."