Deposits, part payments and the balance owing
How Todah handles an invoice paid in instalments, what the balance means, and what the client sees.
The balance is what is still owed on an invoice: its total, less every payment and credit recorded against it, plus any refunds given back. An invoice can be paid in as many pieces as you like (a deposit, then progress payments, then the rest) and Todah keeps the running balance for you.
Recording part of a payment
- On the invoice's row in Invoices, choose Record Payment.
- Type the amount actually received, not the invoice total.
- Fill in the date, method and reference, and choose Record Payment.
- Repeat each time more money comes in. Each payment is listed separately with its date and method.
Where you see the balance
- In the Invoices list, under the Total: how much is paid and how much is left.
- In the Payments box: Invoice Total, Paid So Far and Still Owing.
- On the PDF and the View page: Total, then Paid, then Balance due in bold, so nobody pays the full amount twice.
- On a client statement (from Clients, choose View Statement or Email Statement): every open invoice with what is paid and what is left.
Statuses while part-paid
The invoice shows Partially Paid until the due date, then Overdue if money is still owing, and Paid when the balance reaches zero. Reminders, if on, keep going while a balance remains and quote the amount still owing, not the original total.
Taking a deposit before the work
Two common ways to handle a deposit:
- Send the full invoice and record the deposit as the first payment. The client sees the balance on every later copy.
- Or send a small invoice for the deposit now and a second invoice for the rest when the work is done.
Good to know: A payment is never more than the balance. Record Payment refuses an overpayment because it would leave your money-owed reports wrong. When you match a bank deposit that is larger than the balance, the invoice is paid in full and the extra stays on the bank line as Part Matched, so no money is lost.
Good to know: A credit note applied to an invoice reduces the balance too, and shows in the payment list with the method Credit note.
See also
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