When Should You Introduce Instalments in the Sales Process?
Instalments generally have more commercial value when a customer knows about the option before they decide how to pay, rather than after an invoice has already become difficult to settle.
Why Timing Matters
A customer who sees an instalment option while they are still deciding how much to order can factor it into that decision. A customer who only hears about it after struggling to pay an invoice experiences it as damage control rather than a genuine choice. The mechanics of the payment are the same either way, but the commercial value is different.
There is no single correct stage for every business. What matters is that the option reaches the customer while they are still deciding, rather than after they have already committed to a payment method that turns out not to suit them.
Website and Product-Page Awareness
A brief mention on your website or product pages that instalments are available sets expectations early, before a customer requests a quote. It does not need to explain every detail. Its purpose is simply to let a prospective customer know the option exists.
Sales Conversations
Once a customer is discussing an order with a salesperson, instalments become relevant if affordability, order size or payment structure comes up. Mentioning the option at this point lets the customer weigh it while they are still shaping the order, rather than after the quote has already been finalised.
Quotes and Proposals
Showing the instalment option clearly on the quote or proposal itself allows the customer to consider it as part of deciding whether, and how much, to order. This is generally the point where instalments have the most influence on the buying decision, since the customer is actively weighing the total cost against what they can commit to.
Checkout and Invoices
Including the option at checkout or on the invoice itself keeps it accessible at the point of payment, for customers who did not act on it earlier or who are completing a more routine, lower-consideration purchase. This is useful as a backstop, but it reaches the customer later in the decision than a quote or proposal does.
Overdue Invoices
Waiting until an invoice is overdue to mention instalments turns the option into a reactive fix for a payment problem, rather than part of the buying experience. By that point, the customer has already committed to a payment method that is not working for them, and the supplier is managing a difficult conversation instead of offering a straightforward choice.
This is the weakest point to introduce instalments, and worth avoiding as a default. Where earlier stages did not work, it is still better than no option at all, but it should not be the first time a customer hears about it.
A Recommended Customer Journey
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Awareness The customer sees on your website or product pages that instalments are available.
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Sales conversation Instalments come up naturally if affordability or order size is discussed.
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Quote or proposal The instalment option is shown clearly alongside the total price.
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Decision The customer weighs the total price against the repayment schedule and decides how to pay.
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Invoice and checkout The option remains visible on the invoice for anyone who did not act on it earlier.
This is the idea behind embedded instalments: bringing the option into the normal buying journey, rather than treating it as a separate process the customer has to seek out.
How PaidTerms Capital Fits
PaidTerms Capital connects to Xero, so an instalment option can be attached to a quote or invoice as it is raised. For the full New Zealand process from invoice to repayment, see how business instalment payments work in New Zealand.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it too late to offer instalments once the invoice has been sent?
No, but it is more effective earlier. Including the option on the invoice still gives the customer a choice, though it will not carry the same influence as showing it on the original quote.
Do I need to mention instalments to every customer?
Not necessarily. Some customers will always pay upfront regardless of the option. The point is making it visible to those who would value it, before they have already decided how to pay.
Add Instalments to Your Sales Process
See how PaidTerms Capital lets you bring instalment options into quotes and invoices, before payment becomes a problem.
Read next: how flexible payments improve the B2B customer experience.
