
The expressions “payment methods” and “payment terms” may seem confusingly similar, but can be easily distinguished: payment methods describe how payments are made; payment terms indicate when they must be made.
Examples of common payment methods (formas/medios de pago) include:
- cash (efectivo)
- check; cheque (UK) (cheque)
- credit or debit card (tarjeta de crédito o débito)
- prepaid card (tarjeta de prepago)
- digital wallet (monedero electrónico)
- bank transfer (transferencia bancaria)
- autopay; direct debit (domiciliación de pagos)
- (etc.)
And standard payment terms (plazos de pago) include:
- payment in advance (PIA) (pago por adelantado)
- cash in advance (CIA) (efectivo por adelantado)
- cash with order (CWO) (efectivo con pedido)
- cash before shipped (CBS) (efectivo antes del envío)
- cash on delivery (COD) (contrareembolso; entrega contra reembolso)
- invoice date (fecha factura)
- end of month (EOM) (fin de mes)
- month following invoice (MFI) (mes siguiente fecha factura)
- net 30 (30 días fecha factura)
- net 60 (60 días fecha factura)
- net 90 (90 días fecha factura)
- (etc.)
For different meanings of pago al contado see here
For an explanation in Spanish and English of the current (2020) Incoterms see here