This is what the payment options you see in demands and offers mean on MarbleMap. Payment always runs directly between buyer and supplier; what you set here is the recorded version of the terms the two sides agree on.
Two core concepts
The help bubble on the Payment terms step of the offer wizard defines both in a single sentence: "Advance" is the percentage the buyer pays before shipment, the rest is due on the net term. In short, the Advance (deposit) is a percentage; the Net term is how many days after the invoice date the balance is paid.
The presets
- Prepaid — the full amount is paid before shipment.
- Net 30 — full payment 30 days after the invoice date.
- Net 60 — full payment 60 days after the invoice date.
- Net 90 — full payment 90 days after the invoice date.
- Letter of credit — the buyer's bank guarantees payment once shipping documents are presented; a common secured payment instrument in international trade.
- Milestones — payment is split across production/shipment stages (for example 30% on order, 70% on shipment). This preset exists on the offer side only.
- Custom — you set the advance percentage and the net term yourself, and write whatever those cannot express into the Extra note field.
On the buyer side
On the Budget step of the New Demand wizard you fill in the Payment terms request field: a preset, optionally an Advance (deposit) percentage, a Net term in days and an Extra note. The explanation below the field is explicit: "This is a request — the supplier responds to it in their offer; it is not binding." The field is open on the Pro plan only; while it is locked you see the notice "Requesting payment terms is a Pro feature."
On the supplier side
On the Payment step of the offer wizard you choose the Preset, enter the Advance (deposit) percentage and the Net term in days, or build a Milestone schedule. Add milestone duplicates the row; each row carries a label, a percentage and an optional due note (for example "on shipment"). The percentages must add up to 100% — otherwise you cannot pass the step and see the warning "Milestone percentages must add up to 100%". The whole step is optional.
When comparing
When a buyer compares offers on a Basic demand, payment appears as its own row under the Payment heading on the cards where suppliers are lined up side by side. The split matrix of Detailed demands has no separate payment row. On a rejected offer, changing the payment term counts as a material change and opens the door for the supplier to submit a new offer.