What payment term can French businesses agree between themselves?

Without agreement, thirty days after the service is performed. The parties can agree a longer term, up to sixty days from the invoice date, or forty-five days end of month (article L. 441-10 of the Commercial Code). This contract counts the term from the invoice date and recalls the sixty-day cap. Some sectors, such as transport, have their own terms.

What penalties apply to late payment between French businesses?

Late-payment penalties, due from the day after the due date without any reminder, at the rate set by the contract, which cannot be below three times the legal interest rate; failing an agreed rate, the European Central Bank's rate plus ten points. On top comes a flat €40 indemnity per invoice for recovery costs, and more on proof (articles L. 441-10 and D. 441-5 of the Commercial Code).

Does the client become owner of the rights in what the provider delivers?

Not with this contract: the client can use the paid deliverables for the stated purposes, but no copyright is assigned. An assignment of rights must be in writing and list each right assigned, with its extent, purpose, place and duration (article L. 131-3 of the French Intellectual Property Code). If you need one, it is drafted separately; DocMuse does not draft it for your case.

Business-to-business service agreement (France)

Name: Business-to-business service agreement (France)
Brand: DocMuse
SKU: contrat-de-prestation-de-services-entre-professionnels
Price: 1.38 EUR
Availability: InStock
Author: DocMuse

Print & sign

2 pages · 0 sold

Published byDocMuse

This document is in French

The PDF you download is in French — that is the language it has to be filed in, so it is not translated. Everything on this page is here to tell you what it says.

A service agreement between two businesses in France, for an assignment of fixed or open-ended length: services, best-efforts or result obligation, price before VAT and invoicing rhythm, payment term within the sixty-day limit, late-payment penalties and the €40 indemnity of article L. 441-10 of the French Commercial Code, confidentiality, right to use the deliverables without assignment of copyright, termination on notice or for breach, French law. Signed in two originals. In French.

Made for use in France
Last updated October 13, 2026

When to use this document

Your company is hiring another business in France for an assignment and wants the terms in writing.
You provide services to a business client and want clear payment terms and late-payment penalties.
A client wants to use what you deliver and you need to agree what rights they get.
You need a business-to-business service agreement for a one-off or ongoing assignment.

What you fill in

The details the document asks for.

Client
Client's address
Client's SIREN (business client)
Client's representative
Provider
Provider's address
Provider's SIREN or SIRET
Provider's representative (or “in person”)
Services
Nature of the provider's obligation
Start date
Term of the contract (for example “six months” or “open-ended”)
Fee
Invoicing rhythm (for example monthly, on delivery)
Payment term (days)
Late-payment penalty rate (failing an agreed rate, the ECB rate plus 10 points)
Notice to terminate (for example one month)
Additional terms
City
Date

Preview

This document is produced for you. Your answers are typed into it and the finished PDF is yours to keep.

Preview coming soon

Common questions

What payment term can French businesses agree between themselves?: Without agreement, thirty days after the service is performed. The parties can agree a longer term, up to sixty days from the invoice date, or forty-five days end of month (article L. 441-10 of the Commercial Code). This contract counts the term from the invoice date and recalls the sixty-day cap. Some sectors, such as transport, have their own terms.
What penalties apply to late payment between French businesses?: Late-payment penalties, due from the day after the due date without any reminder, at the rate set by the contract, which cannot be below three times the legal interest rate; failing an agreed rate, the European Central Bank's rate plus ten points. On top comes a flat €40 indemnity per invoice for recovery costs, and more on proof (articles L. 441-10 and D. 441-5 of the Commercial Code).
Does the client become owner of the rights in what the provider delivers?: Not with this contract: the client can use the paid deliverables for the stated purposes, but no copyright is assigned. An assignment of rights must be in writing and list each right assigned, with its extent, purpose, place and duration (article L. 131-3 of the French Intellectual Property Code). If you need one, it is drafted separately; DocMuse does not draft it for your case.

How you can sign this document

Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked

DocMuse sells documents, not legal advice. Acceptance always depends on the recipient's rules and your local law.