The ability to better manage cash flow is of tremendous benefit when it comes to growing and scaling your business. Net 60 vendors are a huge help on that front.
While many vendors offer the option of a net 30 account, Net 60 vendors offer vendor credit that allows you to purchase what you need and extend payment for up to 60 days.
This is a great way to buy the things you need for your business, extend the payment term beyond 30 days without penalty, and avoid interest.
By doing so, you can improve cash flow which, in turn, can help you grow and scale your business. Here are just a few of the net 60 vendors out there.
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Faire
Faire is a business account with net 60 terms, allowing you to buy inventory now and pay for it after you sell it. However, this vendor does not accept customers who sell products online. The net 60 terms are available to brick-and-mortar storefronts only.
To determine a business’s credit limit, they consider a number of factors. These may include business size, the type of business, and location. That’s in addition to financial information such as revenue, and payment history.
Pay no interest, fees, or penalties as long as payment is made on time.
Imagine there is a hot new product out and you want to get ahead of the competition by offering it to your customers immediately. The problem is, cashflow isn’t conducive to that scenario.
Using the Net 60 terms with this vendor, you can purchase the inventory, and then pay for it after the inventory sells, assuming it sells within 60 days.
This also presents the possibility that you could take advantage of wholesale promotions by purchasing as much as possible at the promotional price without depleting cash reserves. That, in turn, would increase profits, which is a solid business plan.
Each of these possibilities shows how really helpful these terms can be. Even if you have the cash flow to support the purchases immediately, these net payment terms allow you to make the purchase while reserving cash for emergencies or unexpected expenses. Alternatively, this vendor also offers net 30 payment terms if you don’t qualify for the net 60 term.
Abound
Launched in 2019, Abound offers over 800,000 wholesale products from over 6,400 brands.
There are some minimum order requirements for this vendor, but they can go as low as $30. They work with online stores as well as brick-and-mortar, but they do not work with third-party marketplace sites, such as Amazon and eBay. If you need the latter, try other net 60 vendors like Super Delivery, another wholesaler.
You can get free shipping for the first 72 hours. After that, shipping is no more than 15% of the total order.
The vendor also has a term that offers free returns for items that do not sell within 60 days in select categories. This makes it less risky to try out a new brand and see how it does. If you think about it, the benefits of this type of arrangement could be extremely beneficial.
In fact, it could double as free market research. You can try new products and see how your clients respond, without fear of being stuck with inventory that will not sell, and without a cash outlay up front.
They offer trade credit with Net 60 terms to those who qualify. You can apply when setting up an account. Any remaining invoice balance after 60 days will be charged to the credit card on file.
There are no fees, interest, or penalties when using net 60 terms.
The Plum Card from American Express
The Plum Card is not exactly trade credit. Rather than being a small business account with a specific vendor, it is what is known as a corporate card. It has the flexibility of a business credit card, as in you can use it anywhere, not just a specific vendor.
But, it has net terms like many vendor accounts.
This card wants to give small business owners a way to better manage cash flow by extending payment terms. Of course, since it is a corporate card and not a credit line with a specific vendor, you can use it anywhere that accepts American Express.
That means you can use it with vendors that do not offer extended payment terms, and still reap the same benefits as you would if you had a net account with them.
Even though the terms are Net 60, paying before the end of the 60 days is beneficial if you can do it. They offer unlimited 1.5% cash back on purchases that are paid for within ten days of your statement closing date.
Just imagine what this means for your business. If you purchase $2000 worth of inventory and sell it for $2,500, and you pay the balance within 50 days, you get $30 back. Your profit is then actually $530 rather than $500.
It may not seem like much, but over the course of a year the savings could be significant.
Creoate
This wholesaler offers trade credit on a ton of product and brand options from jewelry and beauty to products for pets and kids. They also offer stationary and home options. Below is just a sampling of the products that they offer.
- Socks
- T-shirts
- Planners
- Organizers
- Candles
- Wall Art
- Pet grooming items
- Toys
- Games
- So much more!
They have net 60 terms for qualified small business owners, along with the option to return unsold inventory within 60 days if it is a brand you have not previously purchased.
As with some of the other retailers mentioned, this means you can try new brands risk-free, while saving your cash.
According to their FAQs, permanent brick-and-mortar retailers are eligible at their discretion. For e-commerce buyers or temporary retail locations, limits are based on trading history with Creoate.
Mirta Wholesale
Mirta takes pride in searching for and finding the best unseen brands out there, so you can have the opportunity to offer your customers something new. They offer net 60 terms, along with an online tool to help you figure out if your business is eligible. Some items they offer include:
- Bathrobes
- Bathroom Towels
- Bed Linens
- Bedspreads
- Blankets
- Table Linens
- Candles
- Throw Pillows
- Jewelry
- Clothing
- Bags of All Types
- Belts
- Hair Accessories
They don’t offer drop shipping, but there is no minimum order by brand. As a result, you can make a small order of just a few items to test how your audience will respond to new products and brands. This is a great business plan if you’re just starting out and have limited capital to start with.
This vendor are also of the opinion that all products should be made fairly. They focus on conscious consumption by not overstocking. This is why they operate on a made-to-order business model.
That means brands do not start production until after receiving a customer’s order. They consider this a more ethical option than stocking ahead.
It’s important to note that their refund policy is less flexible than some others. This may be due to their stocking policy.
In case of damaged or non-compliant goods, they require a request for return within 7 days from the date you got the goods. This is made by email.
After approval of the return, customer service will send you an email with instructions for scheduling a free pickup within 7 days. Refunds are issued in the form of a gift card. Also, if you make a purchase using a gift card, you cannot make a return.
Home Depot/ Lowe’s
These are similar net 60 vendors that offer virtually the same products. They do provide net 60 terms to qualified customers. To be qualified, you first must meet the standards of a Fundability Foundation™.
That means having separate contact information, an EIN, being incorporated, having a separate business bank account, and more.
These retailers are different from the others mentioned in that they aren’t necessarily wholesalers. You wouldn’t use them to stock inventory. So, how could a business use this type of credit line?
For a contractor, a net 60 line with Home Depot, Lowe’s, or both, could mean a substantial increase in the ability to grow and scale. Using this type of credit term, you can purchase items needed for a contract and pay after you are paid by your customer.
This means you do not have to wait until you can cash flow a project, and it also means you can offer your customers the option to see your work before they make a payment.
Another big bonus with these lines is they report positive payment history to the business credit reporting agencies. As a result, you can build business credit by using these retailers.
Each of these possibilities shows how really helpful net 60 payment terms can be. If you have the cash flow to support the purchases immediately, these terms allow you to do so while reserving cash for emergencies or unexpected expenses.
Home Depot and Lowe’s are also net 30 vendors. Home Depot offers a net 30 account via a Home Depot commercial account. Meanwhile, Lowe’s actually offers two net 30 accounts for their business customers, which are just like net 60 payment terms.
How to Negotiate Net 60 Terms With Your Current Vendors
What if you need net terms with vendors you already work with, but they do not offer that. You can always ask. They may say no, but if you do not ask you will never know. The key is to point out the history of your current relationship.
If you are an established customer with a strong history of doing business, you have a chance of them allowing you to use net 60 terms, even if on a non-formal basis. It also helps to call and speak to someone in the billing department, rather than working through email.
Of course, all vendors are different, but as a general rule, these tips can help you get what you are looking for.
What Are 2% Net 60 Terms?
If you get payment terms designated as 2% net 60, that means you get a 2% discount for paying early. Typically the early payment discount is only available only before a certain time within 60 days. Usually, it’s a 10 day time frame.
So for example, if the terms are 2/10 net 60, then if you pay the total within 10 days, you get a 2% discount. Alternatively, you can pay the full balance between 10 and 60 days.
Alternatives to Net 60 Terms
There tend to be more options when it comes to vendors that offer net 30 payment terms, which is still good. However, if you need more time, there are other possibilities as well. For example, some retailers offer revolving store credit.
These often come in the form of a credit card that can only be used at that specific store. Another option may be the Credit Line Hybrid from Credit Suite. This is a way business owners can access multiple revolving lines at once.
The minimum credit score is 700, which is lower than a lot of business cards and vendor lines. Not only that, but if you do not meet this, you can use a credit partner that does have this score to apply and get approval.
This is revolving funding, so you can use it as needed and pay back what you can as you go. It’s especially useful for newer businesses that need access to funding but may have a hard time with more traditional options.
Net 60 Vendors Can Help Grow Your Business In a Number of Ways
We’ve already established the many benefits to being able to purchase inventory or supplies and pay for them after the sale or payment on contract. But just like with net 30 vendors, using net 60 vendors can help your business grow in other ways as well.
For example, if the vendor reports payments to business credit reporting agencies like Equifax Business, Experian Business, and Dun & Bradstreet, they can help you build business credit. Even if they do not report, they can write a reference letter when you apply for credit stating that you are in good standing with them.
So, they may not help with building business credit by increasing your score, but they can help you access additional business credit accounts if they agree to act as a reference.
What Is Business Credit and Why Does it Matter?
Business credit is credit that is based on the credit history of your business. This is in contrast to personal credit, which relies on the credit history of the individual consumer.
A business can even have its own credit score, if it is set up in a way that separates it as a separate entity from the owner.
The key to starting to build a separate business credit report is to work with starter vendors. These are net 30 vendors and others that will not only extend net invoice payment terms to companies that do not already have established business credit, but that will also report payment on the net invoice to a business credit bureau, like Dun & Bradstreet or Equifax Business.
So, if your business doesn’t have an extensive payment history yet, try your luck with a net 30 vendor with less stringent requirements.
As a small business owner, it is vital to ensure you are building credit for your business. A good credit score can help open up more opportunities for your brand, such as small business loans, improved supplier relations, and even better net 60 payment terms. Be intentional about looking for a vendor that will offer a vendor account that you qualify for and report payments.
This is just one of many reasons that trade lines, regardless of net payment terms, are a part of a wise business plan. The timely or early payment of those trade lines is another vital piece.
Timely, recurring payments on a business credit report are key to accessing more and more accounts to add to your total business credit portfolio. However, keep in mind that late payment can also affect your business credit score, and most net 60 vendors will add penalties on top of your bill.
Explore Business Financing With Credit Suite
Credit Suite can help you not only find accounts that report but also find alternatives to vendor credit and net 60 vendors that will work for your business. If you don’t qualify for net 60 payment terms yet, we can help you find net 30 vendors that will meet your needs better.
