Until the entry into force of Article L.441-6 of the French Commercial Code, as amended by the Macron Law, payment terms were set at forty-five days from the end of the month or sixty days from the invoice date.
Now, the standard term is sixty days from the invoice date. As an exception, the parties may agree to a maximum term of forty-five days from the end of the month following the invoice date, subject to two conditions: it must be expressly stipulated in the contract and it must not constitute a manifest abuse against the creditor.
In sectors with a particularly marked seasonal character, the parties may agree on a payment period which cannot exceed the maximum period applicable in 2013. The sectors concerned are those which already benefited from this scheme, namely, the toy, watchmaking and jewelry, leather, sporting goods and agricultural equipment sectors.
