Credit Terms with Discounts

When a seller offers credit terms of net 30 days, the net amount for the sales transaction is due 30 days after the sales invoice date.

To illustrate the meaning of net, assume that Gem Merchandise Co. sells $1,000 of goods to a customer. Upon receiving the goods the customer finds that $100 of the goods are not acceptable. The customer contacts Gem and is instructed to return the unacceptable goods. This means that Gem's net sale ends up being $900; the customer's net purchase will also be $900 ($1,000 minus the $100 returned). It also means that Gem's net receivable from this customer will be $900.

Unfortunately, companies who sell on credit often find that they don't receive payments from customers on time. In fact, one study found that if the credit term is net 30 days, the money, on average, arrived 45 days after the invoice date. In order to speed up these payments, some companies give credit terms that offer a discount to those customers who pay within a shorter period of time. The discount is referred to as a sales discount or cash discount, and the shorter period of time is known as the discount period. For example, the term 2/10, net 30 allows a customer to deduct 2% of the net amount owed if the customer pays within 10 days of the invoice date. If a customer does not pay within the discount period of 10 days, the net purchase amount (without the discount) is due 30 days after the invoice date.

Using the example from above, let's illustrate how the credit term of 2/10, net 30 works. Gem Merchandise Co. ships $1,000 of goods and the customer returns $100 of unacceptable goods to Gem within a few days. At that point, the net amount owed by the customer is $900. If the customer pays Gem within 10 days of the invoice date, the customer is allowed to deduct $18 (2% of $900) from the net purchase of $900. In other words, the $900 amount can be settled for $882 if it is paid within the 10-day discount period.

Let's assume that the sale above took place on the first day that Gem was open for business, June 1. On June 6 Gem receives the returned goods and restocks them, and on June 11 it receives $882 from the buyer. Gem's cost of goods is 80% of their original selling prices (before discounts). The above transactions are reflected in Gem's general ledger as follows:

Date Account Name Debit Credits
June 1 Accounts Receivable 1,000
Sales 1,000


June 1 Cost of Goods Sold (80% of 1,000) 800
Inventory 800


June 6 Sales Returns and Allowances 100
Accounts Receivable 100


June 6 Inventory 80
Cost of Goods Sold 80


June 11 Cash 882
Sales Discounts (2% of 900) 18
Accounts Receivable 900



If the customer waits 30 days to pay Gem, the June 11 entry shown above will not occur. In its place will be the following entry on July 1:

Date Account Name Debit Credit
July 1 Cash 900
Accounts Receivable 900