You want to give a buyer net 30, but Shopify won't let you: "Add payment terms" is missing from the order, the term you want isn't in the list, or the deposit option doesn't appear. Each of these has a specific cause in Shopify's rules. This guide explains where payment terms can be set, why they go missing and how to get them on the order.
What it means
Payment terms set the date payment is due on an order. Shopify lets you set them in three places: on a draft order, on an existing order that hasn't been paid, or on a B2B company location. If you're looking somewhere else, or the order is in the wrong state, the option won't be there.
| Term | When payment is due |
|---|---|
| Due on receipt | The date you send the invoice |
| Due on fulfillment | The date you fulfill all items |
| Net term | Net 7, 15, 30, 45, 60 or 90 |
| Fixed term | A specific date |
Common causes
These limits come from Shopify's help center.
- Order already paid: Terms can be added to existing orders only when they have the Payment pending status
- Already fulfilled: Due on fulfillment can be added after creation only if the order has no fulfillments
- Fixed date on a company: Fixed date terms are available on individual draft orders, not company locations
- Deposits: Requiring a percentage deposit is available only on Shopify Plus
- Company default: B2B companies start with no payment terms, which means payment is due immediately
- Currency: If a draft with terms uses a local currency other than your store currency, you can't send an invoice
Find the right place
Decide whether this is a one-off or a standing arrangement.
- One order, not yet created: Orders, then Drafts
- Order already placed and unpaid: Open the order and look in the Payment pending section
- Every order from a wholesale buyer: Set terms on the company location
Fix it step by step
Use the route that matches your situation.
- Step 1, draft order: Go to Orders, then Drafts, open the draft, select Payment due later in the Payment section, choose a term and click Save
- Step 2, existing order: In the Payment pending section, click the horizontal menu icon, click Add payment terms, choose a term and click Save
- Step 3, B2B company: Set terms on the company location so future orders use them
- Step 4, deposit needed: Without Plus, take the deposit separately and record your agreement
- Step 5, overdue orders: An unpaid order becomes Overdue after its due date. Set up payment reminders under Settings, then Notifications, then Manage payment reminders
Prevent it
Set terms when you create the order, not after.
- ✅ Add terms before the order is paid or fulfilled
- ✅ Store standing terms on the company location
- ✅ Turn on payment reminders before your first terms order
- ❌ Don't mark an order as paid to tidy it up, then try to add terms
See net payment terms on Shopify for how terms work end to end.
Doing this at scale
Terms sit on the order, and the order often starts as a quote. QuoteWeaver reads a buyer's free-text request, matches each line to a real catalog SKU, prices it against your B2B list and builds the Shopify draft order with a drafted reply for you to review. See QuoteWeaver.