Record a payment against an invoice

When a customer pays an invoice, recording it against that invoice is the quickest way to keep your books up to date. Sales Scribe records the money and matches it to the invoice in one step, and the invoice's status updates automatically.

Before you begin

• The invoice must be issued. A Draft invoice cannot take a payment — issue it first.
• You need at least one payment method set up (for example Bank Transfer, Cheque, Cash, Card).
• Your Accounting Settings must be configured, because posting a payment writes to your ledger.
• Any signed-in user with an organisation selected can record a payment.

Steps

1. Open the invoice from your invoices list.
2. Scroll to the Payments section near the bottom of the invoice. If the invoice can take a payment you will see the buttons Record new payment and Apply existing payment. (Near the top of the invoice there is also a Mark as paid shortcut, which opens the same Record Payment form already filled in with the outstanding amount.)
3. Select Record new payment. The Record Payment window opens.
4. Fill in the payment:
   • Payment Date — when the money was received.
   • Amount — pre-filled with the outstanding balance. To pay the invoice in full, leave it as is; to pay only part, enter a smaller amount (see Partially pay an invoice).
   • Payment Method — how the customer paid.
   • Currency — the currency the money was received in.
   • Reference (optional) — for example a cheque or transaction number.
   • Notes (optional).
   • Email the customer a receipt (not ticked) — tick it if the customer should get a receipt for this payment now. Recording a payment never emails anyone unless you tick it; you can also send a receipt later from the payment. See Send the customer a receipt.
5. Select Record Payment.

[Screenshot required: Record Payment window on an invoice, showing Payment Date, Amount, Payment Method and Currency]

What happens next

• The payment is recorded and posted, and the amount is matched to this invoice.

• The invoice's figures update immediately: Amount Paid goes up, Amount Outstanding goes down.

• The invoice's status is recalculated automatically:

  • paid in full → Paid;
  • paid in part → Partially Paid.

  This form will not take more than the invoice still owes. If the customer paid more, record the money on account and allocate what the invoice owes; the rest stays on their account.

You never set these statuses by hand — Sales Scribe derives them from the balance.

Accounting impact

Recording the payment puts the money into your books and reduces what the customer owes you (your accounts receivable). Because the payment is posted straight away, it appears in your reports and cannot then be edited — if you make a mistake you reverse it rather than change it.

Important notes

• Paying in a different currency from the invoice. If the payment currency differs from the invoice currency, enter the Exchange Rate to use. If the rate has moved since the invoice was issued, Sales Scribe records a realised exchange gain or loss for you. See Foreign-currency payments and exchange gains or losses.
• Applying money you already recorded. If you took the payment earlier (for example a deposit held on account), use Apply existing payment instead and pick it from the list. See Allocate an existing payment.
• One payment, several invoices. If a single payment covers more than one invoice, record it from Payments → Customer Payments and allocate it across the invoices. See Record a payment on account.

Troubleshooting

• The Payments section shows no buttons. The invoice probably is not in a state that can take a payment. Only Issued, Partially Paid and Overdue invoices accept payments; Draft, Voided and Write-Off invoices do not. Issue the invoice first.
• "Only Issued, Unpaid, Partial, or Overdue invoices can accept payments." The invoice is still a draft or has been voided or written off. Issue it (or record the money on account and allocate it later).
• "The amount to apply … is more than the invoice still owes … Nothing has been recorded." The amount must be greater than zero and no more than the invoice still owes — after any credit notes applied to it. Nothing was saved, so correct the amount and record it once. To record more than one invoice's worth, use the on-account route.
• "The payment was recorded, but it could not be applied to this invoice … It is held on account." The money WAS recorded (for example, a payment in another currency that covers less than the amount you asked to apply). Do not record it again: open the payment from Payments → Customer Payments and allocate it. See Allocate an existing payment.
• You get a generic error with a reference. Note the reference and what you were doing, then contact support. See I see a generic error with a reference.

Related guides

• Partially pay an invoice
• Record a payment on account
• Allocate an existing payment
• How payments work
• Understand invoice statuses