Turning Net Terms Into A Growth Engine: Why B2B Checkout Is Still Your Biggest Blind Spot

In many B2B organisations, checkout is still treated as a back-office hygiene factor rather than a strategic growth lever. Payment terms, invoicing, onboarding, credit checks, and collections are often managed in fragmented, manual, or legacy ways. This causes friction at the very bottom of the funnel, resulting in abandoned carts, delayed onboarding, blocked orders, and eroded trust.

In her keynote at E-Connect Europe Business Platform 2026 – Power of 50, Inez Berkhof-Hollander, Managing Director at TreviPay, challenged this status quo. Net terms and pay-by-invoice should not be seen as a necessary cost of doing business but as a potential growth engine. When operationalised correctly, the way an organisation offers payment terms can increase conversion, average order value, and customer loyalty, particularly in the industrial and aftermarket space where invoice-based purchasing remains the norm.

Therefore, order-to-cash is not simply a finance process, but a core component of the B2B customer experience.

Speed, Trust, Flexibility: What B2B Buyers Expect

Recent research among B2B buyers by TreviPay and findings from the European Commission show a pattern in payment expectations, around speed, trust, and flexibility.

Speed

Lead times in B2B are not only about production or logistics. They start at the moment a buyer decides to engage.

In many organisations, a new business customer must first be fully onboarded as a debtor in the ERP system before they can place an order. That process can easily take several days for credit checks, internal approvals, and account creation. From a commercial perspective, every one of those days is essentially a delay in revenue recognition, and in some cases, a lost sale.

Instant buyer qualification and approval based on automated KYC, risk scoring, and credit line assignment can turn a five-day onboarding process into an immediate moment. This is particularly relevant for e-commerce channels, where customers expect consumer-like responsiveness but operate with corporate purchasing constraints.

Speed also matters in invoicing and dispute handling. Buyers expect invoices to be issued quickly, accurately, and in a compliant format so they can process and approve them without delay. When invoices arrive late, incomplete, or wrong, payment is delayed and trust is eroded. In the event of a dispute, buyers increasingly expect digital handling, not manual email chains.

Trust

In B2B, relationships and trust still underpin every transaction. Digitalisation shifts where and how trust is experienced.

Trust is reinforced when:

• Terms agreed with sales are reflected transparently at checkout.
• Invoices match negotiated prices and conditions.
• Documentation is compliant with local regulations and internal policies.
• Disputes or questions are handled consistently and transparently across channels.

Misalignments when negotiated prices are not correctly reflected in the online portal, or when internal rules force arbitrary prepayments despite pay-by-invoice expectations, quickly undermine otherwise well-designed digital journeys.

Trust flows both ways. Sellers also need confidence in the buyers they extend credit to. For many industrial companies, this is where friction arises. Commercial teams push for flexibility, while finance departments prioritise risk control and liquidity. Without a structured, data-driven way to manage this trade-off, decision-making slows down, and customers experience that drag.

Flexibility

Industrial buyers rarely operate with a one-size-fits-all payment preference. Depending on their size, sector, and internal processes, they may require:

• Payment after delivery rather than upfront, even when paying by invoice.
• Longer payment terms (for example, 60, 90 days or more) to match their own cash cycles.
• Specific invoice formats and data fields to integrate with their ERP systems.
• Purchase controls and PO requirements embedded in the process.

While net terms are often considered standard in Europe, they are by no means universal in practice. Some suppliers still require upfront payment even on invoice, while others restrict payment methods to credit cards with limited credit lines, both major friction points for buyers who need to purchase high-value items or recurring spare parts.

A very high share of buyers consider clarity around whether they can purchase on terms, and under what conditions, as a critical factor in their decision to go ahead with a transaction. Yet many e-commerce journeys still treat this aspect as an afterthought.

The Invisible Drop-Off: When Friction Appears at the Bottom of the Funnel

On most industrial e-commerce roadmaps, major investment goes into the top and middle of the funnel, in digital discovery, product information, guided selling, self-service quotes, and so on. However, there is often a disconnect between that front-end maturity and what happens at checkout.

Common hidden pain points include:

• Buyers discovering at checkout that their preferred payment method (for example, pay by invoice with terms) is not available.
• Negotiated prices or discounts not being applied correctly in the online channel.
• Credit card limits being insufficient for the order value.
• Payment terms being unclear, inconsistent, or misaligned with what was agreed offline.
• Manual interventions required when something goes wrong, causing delays and frustration.

The impact is frequently underestimated. Abandonment at checkout because of payment-related issues can erode conversion rates, particularly for high-ticket industrial orders. Buyers who are otherwise satisfied with product selection and digital experience may simply stop if the final step does not match their operational realities.

Companies build sophisticated digital experiences up to the moment of payment, then rely on dated processes and rigid policies at the exact point where financial commitment is required.

Evidence That Net Terms Can Drive Growth

When net terms are enabled and managed systematically rather than manually, the commercial upside can be substantial.

Findings from TreviPay show that integrating structured net terms into the digital experience can have a significant commercial impact. Offering net terms online can double the number of customers using the portal within the first year, as easier access to invoice-based purchasing helps unlock latent demand.

The impact extends beyond adoption to transaction value. Enabling net terms within the e-commerce experience can double average order value compared to other payment methods, as customers are more likely to consolidate purchases and place larger orders. In some cases, orders placed using net terms can reach up to five times the value of those completed through alternative payment options.

While individual results depend on sector, product mix, and customer profile, when payment terms are operationalised in a way that aligns with buyer expectations and internal risk appetite, they can directly contribute to higher conversion, larger baskets, and recurring spend.

Operationalising Net Terms: From Manual Control to Digital Discipline

Realising the potential of net terms requires moving from case-by-case, manual decisions to a structured, digital model. A typical end-to-end view covers six key steps:

1. Buyer qualification

Instead of treating credit checks as an offline, back-office activity, leading organisations embed buyer qualification into the digital journey. This often involves:

• Automated KYC and AML checks;
• Integration with credit bureaus and, where relevant, credit insurance providers;
• Rule-based risk engines that can instantly determine whether a buyer is eligible for terms and at what credit limit.

The goal is to transform a multi-day process into an instant decision, without compromising compliance or risk management.

2. Onboarding

Beyond the approval, onboarding is the moment to capture buyer-specific requirements that will later determine whether invoices are accepted and paid without friction. These may include:

• Purchase order policies;
• Required invoice data fields and formats;
• Reporting preferences;
• Channel preferences in an omnichannel setup.

Aligning these requirements with ERP and CRM data at the outset reduces errors and manual corrections later in the cycle.

3. Omnichannel consistency

Industrial buyers often switch between channels, like field sales, inside sales, distributors, physical branches, and online portals. They expect a coherent experience across all of them.

That means:

• Terms and conditions discussed with sales must be reflected accurately in the e-commerce environment.
• Credit limits and payment status must be consistently visible and applied, regardless of channel.
• Orders placed offline should be visible online and vice versa, including payment status and available credit.

Without this, buyers experience internal contradictions that undermine trust, and sales teams struggle with fragmented information.

4. Invoicing in a changing regulatory landscape

The introduction of mandatory e-invoicing across EU countries up to 2030 significantly raises the stakes. Each member state is implementing its own version of e-invoicing and e-reporting rules, requiring suppliers to comply with national formats and platforms.

For companies operating cross-border, this means:

• Adapting invoicing processes to multiple local mandates;
• Ensuring correct tax treatment and data completeness per country;
• Integrating with customer ERP systems to enable straight-through processing wherever possible.

Failure to get this right directly slows down payment and can lead to compliance risk.

5. Settlement and DSO optimisation

Days Sales Outstanding (DSO) remains a central metric for finance teams, particularly in capital-intensive manufacturing. Digitally managing net terms involves:

• Monitoring payment behaviour and intervening proactively;
• Structuring reminders and collections processes in a way that protects relationships while securing cash;
• Using data on actual payment patterns to refine risk models and credit limits.

Well-run order-to-cash processes can reduce DSO and improve liquidity, even as organisations extend more flexible terms to customers.

6. Buyer payment and reconciliation

When payments are made, they must be reconciled quickly and accurately to the right customer and invoice. For buyers, this frees up their internal credit lines and enables continued purchasing. For sellers, it reduces administrative overhead and supports real-time visibility of exposure and available credit.

Integration with customer ERP systems is becoming a critical enabler here. When invoices can be transmitted directly into the buyer’s system and matched to purchase orders, approval cycles shorten and payments accelerate.

The Internal Tension: Sales Wants Flexibility, Finance Wants Control

Behind most payment-related friction lies a familiar organisational tension. Commercial teams are tasked with driving growth, closing deals quickly, and entering new markets. Finance teams are responsible for safeguarding liquidity, managing risk exposure, and maintaining working capital discipline.

Typical points of friction include:

• Sales pushing to approve new customers or higher limits quickly, while finance requires more stringent checks.
• Expansion into new segments or geographies being slowed down by internal risk policies.
• Requests for longer payment terms seen as commercially necessary but financially uncomfortable.
• Deals delayed or reduced because payment terms cannot be agreed upon in time.

These are not signs of dysfunction but of misaligned processes. Without a robust, data-driven framework for net terms, both sides rely on manual exceptions and one-off negotiations. This results in inconsistency for customers and internal inefficiency.

Digitally operationalised net terms provide a way to reconcile these perspectives, as commercial objectives are supported through instant decisions and flexible offers, while finance objectives are protected through structured risk models, real-time monitoring, and clear policies.

From Pain Points to Priorities: Where to Start

Most organisations will not overhaul their entire order-to-cash process in one step. A more pragmatic approach is to focus on a few high-impact levers.

• Instant credit line management: Identifying where onboarding delays are causing lost or delayed sales, then embedding automated credit decisioning into the e-commerce journey.
• Checkout and payment options: Reviewing checkout data to understand abandonment patterns and adding the payment methods and terms that key customer segments expect, particularly pay-by-invoice with clearly stated net terms.
• Omnichannel alignment: Ensuring that the experience of terms, pricing, and payment conditions is consistent across sales teams, distributors, branches, and digital channels.
• Self-service capabilities: Enhancing portals so that customers can view and download invoices, track payment status, initiate disputes, and manage purchase controls themselves, reducing manual support and speeding up resolution.
• ERP and punchout integrations: Strengthening connectivity with customer systems, from punchout catalogues to e-invoicing and straight-through invoice processing, so that orders and invoices move seamlessly into the buyer’s internal workflows.

The choice of focus area depends on each organisation’s current pain points and objectives. However, the most effective programmes begin by clearly defining which KPIs matter: conversion rate, average order value, DSO, cost-to-serve, customer retention, or expansion into new segments.

Build vs. Partner: A Strategic Decision

Once priorities and KPIs are defined, organisations face a structural choice: to either build capabilities in-house or partner with specialised providers. A decision can be made after the following considerations.

• Internal capabilities: Does the organisation have the expertise to design risk models, integrate with multiple credit bureaus, stay ahead of evolving e-invoicing regulations, and support 24/7 digital processes?
• Time to market: How long would it take to implement and stabilise an in-house solution compared to leveraging a ready-made platform?
• Total cost of ownership: Beyond initial IT investment, what will ongoing maintenance, compliance updates, and operational staffing cost?
• Focus: Is it strategically important for the company to own this capability end-to-end, or is order-to-cash optimisation an area where partnering frees resources to focus on core manufacturing and service excellence?

When partnering, the business case should not only be based on cost savings or process efficiency. The potential growth impact, through increased conversion, higher average order value, improved customer loyalty, and faster expansion into new markets, is often equally, if not more, significant.

Payment as a Strategic Differentiator in Industrial E-Commerce

Industrial and manufacturing companies are investing heavily in digital customer experience, advanced services, and new business models. Yet as long as the payment and net terms experience remains fragmented, slow, or rigid, much of that investment will fail to fully convert into revenue and loyalty.

The emerging leaders in B2B commerce are those treating order-to-cash as an integral part of the customer journey, not as an isolated finance process. They view net terms not only as risk but as a structured, data-driven growth lever.

For organisations in the industrial ecosystem, the strategic question is no longer whether to digitise payment and terms, but how to do so in a way that simultaneously accelerates sales, protects liquidity, and strengthens buyer relationships.

Those that deliver speed, trust, and flexibility at checkout will not only remove friction but also turn the last step of the buying journey into one of their most powerful competitive advantages.