Get Paid Faster: Invoices, Debit Orders and Payment Terms
Short answer: the way to get paid faster is to make paying you the easiest item on your customer's list. Agree the terms before the work starts, ask for a deposit, invoice the same day with a clear due date and a pay-now link, collect regular fees by debit order and follow up on a fixed schedule.
Every day a customer takes to pay is a day your business lends them money for free. In week 1 of our Business tips series we looked at 10 ways to improve cash flow. In week 2 we go deeper into the one that matters most for most small businesses: getting the money in.
1. Agree payment terms before you start
Put your terms on the quote, and make sure the customer accepts them with it: the deposit, the due date and how to pay. For a new business customer, ask for a short credit application with company details and a trade reference, and set a credit limit. Once-off jobs can be due on receipt; 30 days suits regular business clients.
2. Ask for a deposit, or invoice in stages
For project work, ask for 30% to 50% upfront and bill the rest at agreed milestones. The final invoice goes out on handover, not a week later. A deposit also confirms the customer is serious before you buy stock or book time.
3. Send a complete invoice the same day
An invoice should be payable without a single question. Include the customer's order number, a clear description, the due date as a date, your banking details and the invoice number as the payment reference. If you are a VAT vendor, it must meet SARS's tax invoice requirements, including your VAT number.
4. Make paying you one click
Add a pay-now link for card or instant EFT to every invoice. Customers who can pay from their phone the moment they open the invoice often do. In Xero you can also see when a customer has viewed an invoice, so you know it arrived.
5. Use debit orders for regular fees
If you bill the same customers every month, such as retainers, subscriptions, memberships or rentals, a debit order brings the money in on the same day each month. You collect debit orders through a debit order service from your bank or a payment provider.
Ordinary debit order | DebiCheck debit order | |
|---|---|---|
How the customer agrees | A signed, voice or electronic mandate kept by you | The customer confirms the mandate once with their own bank |
How they confirm | Not registered with their bank | Banking app, internet banking or at a branch |
Can it be reversed? | Yes; the customer can dispute it with their bank within a set period | A collection that matches the confirmed mandate generally cannot be reversed |
DebiCheck takes one extra step from your customer at sign-up, and in return the collections are more certain.
6. Follow up on a fixed schedule
Follow-up works best as a habit. Xero can send polite automatic reminders before and after the due date. A simple rhythm:
When | What to send |
|---|---|
3 days before the due date | A friendly reminder with the invoice and pay-now link |
On the due date | "Due today" |
7 days overdue | A reminder and a personal note |
14 days overdue | A conversation with the person who approves payments |
30 days overdue | New work pauses until the account is up to date, as your terms say |
Send every customer a monthly statement too, so small unpaid amounts do not slip through.
7. Make it easy for large customers to pay you
Companies and government departments pay suppliers on fixed payment runs, and only once you are on their supplier list. Find out their cut-off date and invoice before it. Have their supplier documents ready: a bank confirmation letter, your B-BBEE certificate or affidavit, and a current SARS tax compliance status. You can order a tax compliance PIN from our Tax store.
8. Think about a small early-payment discount
A discount such as 2% for payment within 7 days can bring money in faster, but it comes straight off your margin. Use it only where the cash is worth more to you now than the discount costs.
9. Turn unpaid invoices into cash when you need it
If customers on 30 or 60 days leave a gap before payday, invoice finance gives you an advance against unpaid invoices. Through our Bridgement Finance page, registered South African businesses can apply for invoice finance and choose which invoices to finance. Bridgement is the lender and sets any offer.
Frequently asked questions
What payment terms should a small business use?
Use the shortest terms your customers will accept: on receipt or 7 days for once-off work, and up to 30 days for regular business clients. Show the due date as a date on every invoice.
What is DebiCheck?
A debit order the customer confirms once with their own bank, through their banking app, internet banking or at a branch. Collections that match the confirmed mandate go through, which makes them more certain than ordinary debit orders.
Can a customer reverse a debit order?
An ordinary debit order can be disputed and reversed through the customer's bank within a set period. A DebiCheck collection that matches the confirmed mandate generally cannot be reversed.
How do I follow up an unpaid invoice without losing the customer?
Keep it routine and polite: a reminder before the due date, one on the day, then a personal note and a conversation with whoever approves payments. Most late payments are an admin delay, not a refusal.
What is invoice finance?
An advance against invoices your customers have not paid yet, repaid when they pay. It can bridge the gap when customers are on 30- or 60-day terms.
Related guides
Know who owes you, every month
With your books kept up to date in Xero, you see exactly who owes you and what is overdue. Our team reconciles your bank every month and sends you debtors and creditors reports with your management accounts, together with VAT, payroll and tax, for one fee: 1% of your business turnover, from R79 a month excluding VAT. See Accounting & Bookkeeping or book a free meeting.
Sources: PASA: Debit payments; Capitec: Safer debit orders with DebiCheck; Xero: send invoices; Bridgement Finance through One Percent Accounting.
This article is general information, current at October 2026. It is not advice for your specific situation.
