VO Business Answers · Invoicing & getting paid
What payment terms should voice actors use? (Net 30, Net 15, due on receipt)
Net 30 — payment due within 30 days of the invoice date — is the standard corporate default and what most agencies and production companies expect. Shorter terms (Net 15, due on receipt) are reasonable for small clients and first engagements; longer terms like Net 60 favor the client and deserve pushback or a price adjustment.
Terms are a negotiation like everything else. Large companies often pay on their own cycle regardless of what your invoice says, which is an argument for invoicing immediately — the clock starts when the invoice lands, not when the work was done.
Two practices materially shorten collection: sending the invoice the same day you deliver, and following up the moment terms lapse rather than weeks later. Polite, prompt, and predictable beats aggressive-but-occasional.
For new direct clients, asking for part of the fee upfront on larger projects is normal professional practice, not distrust.
VOpilot stamps terms on every invoice, watches due dates, and sends the past-due reminders for you — on a cadence you set, with your approval or automatically.
By Jack Daniel — working voiceover artist; founder, VOpilot. Updated 2026-07-24.
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