To think that if you get an invoice you dont NEED to pay it immediately?

Just pay out of your savings then on Wed transfer the same amount into your savings.
If you can't manage to remember that then I wouldn't rely on remembering to pay the invoice if you wait either.

@Doteycat enjoy it while it lasts...

I do, every single time.
Ive never ever had a problem re using any supplier.

100% agree

Dh had his own fencing business for 10yrs and would get 50% upfront but then in quote/invoice said payment due within 48hrs if completed job

But so many left it 3/4/5 days and it's horrible chasing

But as you said. They pay out for other materials , wages , petrol , pli etx

And the larger the house the longer they took to pay

As someone who works for a small local business "in the trades" I can confirm that this is absolutely true. We really appreciate our customers who pay quickly and we certainly remember them when it comes to prioritising new work. Our standard invoice terms are 5 days for domestic work, 30 days for commercial.

Have you actually read the invoice to see what your payment deadline is yet or are you still just arguing that invoices mean you don't have to pay straight away?

@Hundredthmillionthdiet you knew you had an invoice coming and didn't budget? Why not?

I am happy to be paid within 30 days from them recieving my invoice.

The only things I had shorter payment terms on was in person services and that was a flat rate quoted up front and the client knew what that cost was in advance, and understood it was 'pay on the day'. In that situation yes, it did piss me off when people would announce after their consultation that they could only pay by cheque or would pay via bank transfer and then didn't do it for bloody weeks... but that is a very different scenario.

The invoice I paid today was for something that took a week to send and a further two weeks to invoice for, and that invoice arrived yesterday with a 'payment due now' on it. That still doesn't mean 'right this second' that means 'at your earliest convenience, don't wait a whole bloody month' so as I'd already got off the pc (i don't have banking on my phone) it waited til today. I certainly couldn't have paid it any earlier as I didn't know how much it was for!

What would you have done if you had been charged on the day, where would you have got the money from?

my partner is a landscaper and I cannot tell you how much of a pain it is when people don't pay their invoice.

He goes to fancy houses, of retired couples financially able to throw 15 grand at new patio (meanwhile we've got three kids at home and are just getting by). My partner grafts hard in the rain and sun to do a good job for them,and then the invoice gets sent ..and the customer comes back and says 'oh sorry I can't pay you until next week when I can access my savings'.

Absolutel pisstake. My partner still has to pay his labourers, pay the vanfuel, pay for everything else.

Not everyone is like this, but occasionally yes, people look at an invoice and think they can choose to pay it when they like. You don't go to a shop, take the goods and tell them you'll be choosing to pay in a few days.

Your husband is right, you owe the mechanic that money, and it isn't his problem that you might not organise your savings properly. Pay the man and your savings can wait until next week, not him.

the mechanic might not even have any savings.

You've had 4w to save /pay for it

Amazed the garage left it that long

My garage you pay on the day or don't take away

@Hundredthmillionthdiet pay as quickly as possible if not paying on the day of repair! (why was it not paid immediately?) especially so if it a new or very small business which relies on quick payment.

Standard invoice terms were always 30 days in the past.

If he’s taken a few weeks to provide it, waiting a week is fine. Paying within a week is paying quickly.

As soon as possible but next Wednesday would be fine, just drop him a message to say thanks for the invoice, will make payment within the week.

I'm.also a sole trader and i find it rather sweet when someone pays straight away. It makes me like them more. On the other hand as long as they pay within 30 days I don't mind. It is really annoying when people don't and this seems to have happened more often lately. I'm working for businesses rather than members of the public though. It's always big corporations who don't pay and there's always an excuse such as "you didn't put such and such random thing on the invoice". I mean why don't they tell me rather than just not paying. (Or even better tell me in advance so I can do it how they want it first time). It's so annoying.

30 days is standard unless it says otherwise on the invoice.
Having said that I wouldn't wait 30 days but waiting a week is fine.

I run a business and morally I'm happy to be paid. The amount of people out there who later claim random payments as fraud with their bank when they know full well it's not fraud (because they've been happy with you for years) is ridiculous. And some actually still want to remain customers after it!

I think some people think their bank is paying for it and not the business (who is paying for it in several different ways once you factor in the dispute evidence time, the ding on payment provider reputation, cost of processing fees etc as well as the actual money).

And morally....

@Doteycat then don't expect to use the mechanic again...

I always pay immediately. Local businesses (usually sole traders) remember this and will put themselves out to fit you in more quickly next time.

If you're in the UK and there are no terms specified in the contract, you have 30 days to pay.

I always pay within the terms on the invoice. But I prefer to delay a few days rather than pay immediately, just in case there is some issue with the work done which is not apparent straight away.

This. I've never ,ever had anything done to a car and not paid before I get the keys back.

The invoice didnt arrive for 4 weeks.
What she knew or thought is irrelevant.
If i dont have an invoice, i dont pay.
And if they take weeks and weeks to send it, then i pay when it suits me.