NET 30 / 60 / 90 payment terms

NET 30, NET 60 and NET 90 describe how many days a brand or agency has to pay an invoice after it’s issued: NET 30 means payment is due within 30 days, NET 60 within 60 days, and NET 90 within 90 days.

So an invoice dated 1 June on NET 30 is due by 1 July. The clock usually starts on the invoice date, which is why a late invoice means late money.

Longer NET terms mean the creator waits longer to get paid after delivering content. NET 60 and NET 90 tend to come from larger brands and agencies with formal finance processes, and they push cash-flow risk onto the creator.

Picture it in rupees. Say you finish a ₹40,000 campaign, invoice on 10 March, and the contract says NET 90. The money is due on 8 June, about three months after the work, and only if the brand pays on time.

• Advance: part or all of the fee before you start, for example a 50% advance on signing. This protects you the most.
• On delivery or on posting: paid once the content is live or the files are approved.
• NET 30: due 30 days after your invoice. A reasonable middle ground with a brand you know.
• NET 60 and NET 90: due two or three months after your invoice. Workable with a brand you trust, risky with one you don’t.
• NET 30 EOM: 30 days from the end of the month you invoiced in, which adds time.
• Pay-when-paid: an agency pays you only after the brand pays it. Ask for a fixed outer date.

If you or your agency are registered as a micro or small enterprise through Udyam registration, the MSMED Act, 2006 says a buyer must pay by the agreed date, and an agreed payment period cannot exceed 45 days from acceptance of your services. With no written agreement, the limit is 15 days.

So for a Udyam-registered creator, NET 60 or NET 90 runs past the limit. Late payment attracts compound interest at three times the bank rate notified by the RBI, and cases can be filed on the MSME Samadhaan portal, which routes them to the state’s Micro and Small Enterprises Facilitation Council.

Many individual creators are not Udyam-registered, and the rule applies only if you are. Check with a CA or lawyer how it applies to your deal.

Plain-English wording you can adapt:

• “The creator will invoice on the posting date. Payment is due NET 30 from the invoice date.”
• “50% of the fee is payable on signing, and the balance NET 30 from the invoice date.”
• “If a purchase order is needed, the brand will issue it before work starts.”
• “The agency will pay the creator within 30 days of the invoice date, whether or not the brand has paid the agency.”

• Confirm the NET term before starting work, not after. It should be in the contract, not assumed.
• Be wary of NET 60 or NET 90 from a brand or agency with no verified track record, since a long payment window combined with a weak reputation is a common source of ghosting disputes. Check its reviews on CredFluence first.
• Ask for a shorter NET term or partial upfront payment on your first collaboration with a new brand.
• Invoice the day the work is accepted, with the PO number, PAN and GST details if they apply, so the clock starts on time.
• Note the due date and follow up by email the day after it passes, so there is a written record.
• Brands often deduct TDS, so the amount that lands can be lower than your invoice. You can check TDS credited against your PAN on the income-tax e-filing portal.