According to the Late Payment Observatory by the Spanish Confederation of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (CEPYME), the average period to pay suppliers in Spain was 80.1 days in the first quarter of 2025. This shows that many Spanish companies take longer than the agreed upon deadline to pay their invoices. The typical deadline is within 30 or 60 days.

Although the average payment period (APP) is long, it has gradually decreased in recent years. In fact, the CEPYME report reflects a year-on-year decrease of three days. This suggests that Spanish regulations on legal payment deadlines for invoices have yielded results.

In this article, we describe the current payment deadlines for supplier invoices in Spain and the regulations that govern them.

What's in this article?

• Payment periods for invoices in Spain
  
• Regulations on invoice payment deadlines in Spain
  
• Compensation due for exceeding the legal invoice payment deadline
  
• Tips for timely invoice payment
  
• FAQs on legal payment deadlines for invoices in Spain
  

Payment periods for invoices in Spain

Payment periods stipulated by law for invoices in Spain apply only to B2B payments and business-to-government (B2G) transactions. The law exempts B2C purchases from these requirements.

Payment periods are always indicated in calendar days. Depending on factors such as the product sold and type of customer, they can be 30 or 60 days. Below, we explain the specifics of each of these payment periods.

Invoice payment within 30 days

The 30-day payment period applies in the following cases:

• Fresh and perishable products: This includes B2B sales of meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, dairy and bakery products.
  
• Transactions with government agencies: These involve invoice payments where government agencies are the recipients. The legal payment period begins when the receipt of goods is verified. If verification does not occur, the 30-day period begins on the date products are received or services are provided.
  

Invoice payment within 60 days

This payment period applies in the following cases:

• B2B sales of consumer goods: This includes sales of items such as personal hygiene and cleaning products.
  
• B2B sales of nonperishable food products: This includes products such as grains and dried legumes. The agrifood industry has the shortest APP to suppliers, according to the Late Payment Observatory. It exceeds the legal payment period for invoices in Spain by only 8.2 days.
  
• All other B2B sales: This can include sales of services or operating materials.
  

Regulations on invoice payment deadlines in Spain

In Spain, companies' APP to their suppliers is typically long. For example, small businesses – which are the fastest to make their payments – record an APP of 76.4 days. Given this situation, legislative efforts have been enacted to reduce payment periods. This includes the following regulations, which set invoice payment deadlines for B2B transactions:

• Retail Trade Regulation Law
  Law 7/1996 dictates the legal payment period for invoices from suppliers in the retail sector (i.e. those that supply businesses that sell goods directly to individuals). It also requires suppliers to include the due date on the invoice and stipulates that business customers who pay late must also pay interest, which accrues automatically.
  
• Laws against late payments in business transactions
  Law 3/2004 on combating late payments in business transactions and its subsequent amendment in Law 15/2010 establish the general payment period for suppliers at 60 days. These laws also explicitly prohibit including conditions in the contract to extend payment periods. This includes clauses that impose excessive terms where customers finance their operations at the expense of suppliers by withholding funds.
  

Compensation due for exceeding the legal invoice payment deadline

If a company exceeds the legal payment period for invoices in Spain, it must pay compensation and late payment interest. The penalty system differs based on the type of business. For example, a clothing store follows the Retail Trade Regulation Law, while a courier company is subject to the Land Transport Regulation Law. However, the following aspects apply in all cases:

• Fixed compensation and claim costs
  Law 15/2010 allows suppliers to apply surcharges of at least €40 for handling claims related to late invoice payments. This fixed amount is added to the substantiated costs incurred by the supplier in claiming the debt.
  
• Late payment interest
  In addition to the fixed compensation and claim costs, business customers who are late in paying their suppliers are also required to pay late payment interest. Interest starts to accrue automatically once the legal payment period has passed. The current interest rate is 10.15%, which is the result of adding the 8% defined by law to the current rates of the European Central Bank. Therefore, the amount of compensation can be considerable for companies that are usually late in paying their suppliers. For example, the electricity, gas, and water industries in Spain have an APP of 184.1 days, according to the Late Payment Observatory.
  
• Denial of government subsidies
  When applying for grants, companies must prove to the government that they meet legal payment deadlines for invoices. Those that have incurred demonstrable defaults cannot benefit from government subsidies with amounts exceeding €30,000, as established in Article 11 of the Create and Grow (Crea y Crece) Law.
  

Tips for timely invoice payment

In the first quarter of 2025, 32.4% of invoices in Spain were collected within the legal payment period. This was the ninth consecutive year-on-year increase. The following tips can help your company receive timely invoice payments.

Clearly specify payment terms

Sometimes, payment deadlines are not specified in agreements between companies and suppliers. To avoid disagreements, it is important to clearly state due dates in contracts and invoices. This includes the deadline for paying the amount owed and any other applicable payment terms.

Accept various payment methods

To make payment easier for business customers, list the available payment methods to pay invoices. Companies often offer only one payment option. For example, many companies include their International Bank Account Number (IBAN) on invoices, which forces customers to make manual transfers.

For an easier and more convenient payment experience, you can work with a platform that supports different invoice payment methods. For example, Stripe Payments lets you offer more than 100 payment methods, including the most popular methods in the B2B sector. These include bank transfers and Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) Direct Debits, which generate significant savings on high-value transactions with lower costs than card payments. Because of these payment options, 87% of invoices containing a payment link from Stripe are settled within 24 hours.

Offer payment flexibility

Adapting payment periods to the specific needs of each customer can speed up invoice collection. For example, among Spanish companies, it is common to apply discounts for early payment, provided they have been agreed upon beforehand and are reflected on the invoice. Instalment payments are also common. This option allows customers to divide the amount of their purchases into several instalments.

Create automatic reminders

Automating reminders can help prevent business customers from forgetting to pay the amounts owed within the legal period. In the Stripe App Marketplace, you'll find solutions customised for your business's specific needs. This includes Billit, an electronic invoicing platform that sends automatic reminders when invoice due dates are approaching.

In addition, Invopop is a solution developed in Spain that specifically complies with Spanish regulations, such as the Verifiable Invoice Issuance System (VERIFACTU). Invopop allows you to automate reminder emails through workflows that connect with other applications you use every day.

FAQs on legal payment deadlines for invoices in Spain