Record a customer payment

A receipt records money a customer paid you. You apply it to their open invoices; anything left over stays on the customer as unallocated credit you can apply later.

Before you start

• You need the Books right Manage sales documents and payments.

Steps

1. Open Books → Receipt, or select Receipt on an unpaid invoice.
2. Choose the customer. Books shows their current Balance.
3. Set the Date and the Amount received.
4. Choose the Payment method: Cash, Bank, Card, Cheque or Other. Add a Reference if you have one.
5. Under Apply to invoices, choose an invoice in Invoice 1 and type the amount to apply.
6. Repeat for each further invoice the payment covers.
7. Select Save · Receipt.

To change how an existing receipt is applied, open it from the receipt list, change the invoices or amounts under Apply to invoices and select Save · Apply to invoices. Choose None to remove an invoice.

Good to know

• One receipt can cover up to twelve invoices. Split larger payments into several receipts.
• A part payment leaves the rest of the invoice open with the status Partly paid.
• If the amount is more than the invoices you choose, the rest shows as Unallocated credit on the receipt. Apply it to a newer invoice later by editing the receipt.
• Changing how a receipt is applied does not change the cash or the total the customer owes; it only changes which invoices are paid.
• The receipt amount is in your base currency. For invoices in another currency, see Foreign currency.
• Matching a bank line in Banking does not settle an invoice. Record the receipt here first, then match its bank entry: see Match bank lines and reconcile.
• To see open totals by age, open Books → Unpaid invoices by age (who owes us). It shows totals only, not a list per customer.
• The customer's statement opens from their name on any invoice.
• Egypt: tax withheld by the customer is recorded on the receipt. See Egypt.