Briqpay

More insights

Knowledge Hub

Invoice, Instalments, or Direct Debit? Choosing the Right B2B Payment Mix

Logo

Björn Widerström

Co-founder Briqpay

August 26, 2026 at 09:00 AM

Why B2B payment flexibility matters now

More business buyers are researching and buying online, and they're bringing consumer-grade expectations with them: fast checkout, clear terms, and payment options that fit how their company actually pays. A B2B checkout that only offers card or bank transfer forces many buyers to leave and pay through slower, offline channels instead, hurting conversion and cash flow alike.

Three payment methods now form the backbone of modern B2B checkouts: invoice, instalments, and direct debit. Each solves a different problem, and most merchants end up needing more than one.

Invoice: the default for established B2B trust

Invoice (Kauf auf Rechnung in German-speaking markets, faktura in the Nordics) remains the most requested payment method in B2B commerce. It lets the buyer receive goods or services before paying, typically within 14-30 days, which matches how procurement and accounts payable departments are already set up to work.

For merchants, the challenge is credit risk and working capital. Providers like Billie, Riverty, and Ratepay specialise in B2B invoicing, running real-time credit checks on the buying company and taking on the payment risk, so the merchant gets paid upfront while the buyer keeps their usual payment terms.

Instalments: spreading larger B2B purchases

As average B2B order values grow, especially for equipment, software licences, and larger stock orders, instalments give buyers a way to spread cost without opening a traditional credit line. Instalment providers such as Two and Resurs let a business split an invoice into fixed monthly payments, while the merchant is still paid in full at the time of purchase.

This is particularly useful for higher-value orders where standard 30-day invoice terms aren't enough to match the buyer's own cash flow, or where the buyer wants predictable, budgeted payments over several months rather than one large outgoing.

Direct debit: recurring and subscription B2B payments

For recurring revenue, subscriptions, and repeat orders, direct debit (often called Autogiro in Sweden) is the most reliable option. Once authorised, payments are collected automatically on agreed dates, reducing manual chasing and late payments. Providers like Svea offer direct debit rails built for B2B, handling mandate management and collection compliance across markets.

Direct debit works best paired with invoice or instalments rather than as a sole option, since first-time buyers are rarely willing to set up a recurring mandate before they have received and been happy with an initial order.

How to choose the right B2B payment mix

There is no single right answer. The mix that works depends on:

  • Average order value: lower-value, repeat orders lean toward invoice or direct debit; larger one-off orders benefit from instalments.
  • Buyer type: new prospects need low-friction options like invoice with instant credit checks; existing customers are good candidates for direct debit.
  • Markets served: buyer payment habits differ sharply between markets such as Germany and Sweden, so a mix that performs well in one country can underperform in another without local payment methods.
  • Risk appetite: merchants who want payment risk taken off their books should prioritise providers that offer payment guarantees alongside invoice and instalments.

Bringing it together with one integration

The practical challenge is not picking one B2B payment method, it is offering the right combination for each buyer, market, and order size without integrating and maintaining every provider separately. That is the problem Briqpay's payment optimisation platform solves: connect invoice, instalment, and direct debit providers once, then let logic decide which options to show based on buyer, order value, and market, all through a single integration.

If you are evaluating how to expand your B2B checkout, our team can walk you through which mix of providers fits your buyer base.

Keep reading

A practical, step by step guide to accepting Vipps in Norway and MobilePay in Denmark and Finland on WooCommerce, covering merchant agreements, plugin setup, and the mistakes most stores make on the way to going live.

Knowledge Hub

August 24, 2026 at 08:00 AM

Every new payment method usually means another Magento extension to install, test and maintain. Here is how payment orchestration changes that equation for Magento 2 merchants, and what it means for scale, uptime and B2B growth.

Knowledge Hub

August 20, 2026 at 08:00 AM

We looked at a year of Nordic checkout data to compare Swish, Vipps and MobilePay on order value and time-of-day behaviour, and found three payment methods with genuinely different shopping personalities.

Knowledge Hub

August 18, 2026 at 07:00 AM

REQUEST A DEMO

Ready to simplify your payment setup?

Connect any payment provider. Optimize your payment flow. Scale without limitations - with Briqpay’s Payment Integration Platform.

STAY CONNECTED

Subscribe now for exclusive insights and updates.

Briqpay logo
Contact
Slöjdgatan 9, 111 57 Stockholm Sweden
hello@briqpay.com
Copyright © 2026 Briqpay AB All rights reserved
Terms & Privacy