Recording Payments on an Invoice

Recording payments is one of the most common actions you will perform in AccuArk's invoice system. Every time a customer pays for goods or services, you record that payment against the corresponding invoice so that the balance is updated, the payment history is preserved, and your financial records stay accurate. This guide covers the complete payment recording workflow, from accessing the payment dialog to understanding how payments affect invoice totals.

Before You Begin

Always save the invoice before recording a payment. If you have made changes to line items, quantities, pricing, or any other invoice field, click Save on the toolbar first. Recording a payment against an unsaved invoice can lead to discrepancies between the invoice total and the payment records. AccuArk will prompt you if there are unsaved changes, but it is best practice to save proactively before opening the payment dialog.

How to Record a Payment

To record a payment on an open invoice:

1. Open the invoice you want to apply a payment to.
2. Click the Receive Payment button on the invoice toolbar.
3. The payment dialog opens, showing the current invoice total and outstanding balance.
4. Enter the payment details (described below).
5. Click Apply Payment to record the payment.

The payment is immediately saved to the database and the invoice balance is recalculated. You do not need to click Save on the invoice again after recording a payment — the payment is an independent transaction linked to the invoice.

Payment Fields

The payment dialog presents the following fields:

Payment Amount

Enter the dollar amount the customer is paying. The field defaults to the full outstanding balance, but you can change it to any amount between $0.01 and the current balance. You cannot record a payment that exceeds the outstanding balance. If the customer is paying the full amount, leave the default value in place.

Payment Method

Select the method of payment from the dropdown. AccuArk supports the following payment methods:

• Cash — Physical currency tendered by the customer.
• Credit Card — Payment processed through a card terminal or payment gateway.
• Check — A paper check from the customer. Enter the check number in the reference field.
• Store Credit — Applied from the customer's existing store credit balance.
• Gift Card — Redeemed from a gift card balance.
• Other — Any payment method not covered by the standard options (e.g., wire transfer, money order, barter).

The payment method is recorded for reporting and reconciliation purposes. It does not trigger any external payment processing — AccuArk records the payment as having occurred, but you are responsible for processing the actual transaction through your payment terminal, bank, or payment gateway.

Reference Number

An optional field for recording a transaction reference such as a check number, credit card authorization code, wire transfer confirmation number, or any other external identifier. This field is especially important for check and credit card payments where you need to cross-reference the payment with your bank statements during reconciliation.

Payment Notes

An optional free-text field for any additional information about the payment. Common uses include noting who authorized the payment, recording special payment arrangements, or documenting partial payment agreements.

Partial Payments

AccuArk fully supports partial payments. A customer can pay any amount from $0.01 up to the full outstanding balance on a single invoice. When a partial payment is recorded, the invoice balance is reduced by the payment amount but the invoice remains open with an outstanding balance.

You can record multiple partial payments over time until the balance reaches zero. Each payment is recorded as a separate transaction with its own payment method, reference number, and notes. There is no limit to the number of partial payments you can apply to a single invoice.

Partial payments are common in business-to-business transactions, installment agreements, and situations where a customer pays a deposit upfront and the remainder upon completion of work.

Payment Scheduling

AccuArk allows you to schedule future payments with due dates. When recording a payment, you can set a due date to indicate when the payment is expected rather than recording it as received immediately. Scheduled payments appear in payment reports with their due dates, helping you track expected incoming cash flow.

Scheduled payments are useful for installment plans, net-30/60/90 payment terms, and any situation where payment is promised but not yet received. When the payment is actually collected, you update the scheduled payment record to mark it as received.

How Payments Affect the Invoice

When a payment is recorded, AccuArk updates the invoice's financial fields automatically:

• InvoicePaid — The running total of all payments applied to this invoice. Each new payment increases this value by the payment amount.
• Balance — The outstanding amount remaining. Calculated as: Invoice Total minus InvoicePaid plus InvoiceRefunds. Each payment reduces the balance.
• Invoice Status — If the balance reaches zero, the invoice may be eligible for automatic closure depending on your status workflow configuration.

These fields are recalculated in real time whenever a payment is recorded, ensuring the invoice always reflects the current financial state.

Payment History

Every payment recorded against an invoice is permanently stored and visible in the invoice's payment history. The payment history shows each payment's date, amount, payment method, reference number, notes, and the user who recorded the payment. This creates a complete audit trail of all financial transactions on the invoice.

Payment history cannot be deleted — payments can only be offset through the refund process (see the Processing Refunds article). This ensures the integrity of your financial records and provides a reliable audit trail for accounting purposes.

Tips for Recording Payments

• Save first, pay second — Always save any pending invoice changes before recording a payment to avoid total/balance mismatches.
• Use reference numbers — Always enter a reference number for check and card payments. This makes bank reconciliation significantly easier.
• Add notes for unusual payments — If the payment involves special terms, manager approval, or deviation from standard procedures, document it in the notes field.
• Record payments promptly — Enter payments as soon as they are received to keep your balance and cash flow reports accurate.
• Verify the amount — Double-check the payment amount before clicking Apply Payment. Payments cannot be deleted, only refunded.

What to Read Next

• Processing Refunds — Learn how to reverse a payment when a refund is required.
• Collecting Deposits on Invoices — Understand how deposits work as a specialized form of upfront payment.
• How Deposit Gating Works — See how unpaid deposits can block order status transitions.