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Collect an initial deposit on your invoice

Autobooks Invoicing allows you to ask your customer for a deposit up front. When you add a deposit, your invoice is split into two payments: a Deposit that is due now, and a Remaining balance that is due on the invoice's due date.

Deposits can only be added to invoices created in Invoicing, through our advanced invoice builder (mobile view) and to Estimates. They are not available on our quick invoice builder (mobile view) or on recurring invoices.

How to request a deposit payment with an invoice

  1. Click the Invoices tab.
  2. Click the New Invoice button.
  3. Choose a Customer, add your products or services, and set the Due Date.
  4. On the right side of the page, below the Send invoice button, find the Payment options section. Full balance is selected by default.
  5. Select Deposit + Balance.
  6. Choose how much the deposit will be:
    • 25% - The deposit will be 25% of the invoice total.
    • 50% - The deposit will be 50% of the invoice total.
    • Custom - Enter your own amount. Use the % or $ toggle to choose a percentage or a dollar amount.
  7. Review the payment schedule that appears below your selection. It lists the deposit amount as due now and the remaining balance with the invoice's due date.
  8. Click Preview invoice to see what your customer will see. The payment schedule appears near the bottom of the invoice.
  9. Click Send invoice.

Adding a deposit does not change your invoice Total. The deposit only splits the total invoice into two payments. If you chose a percentage when you created the invoice and later change your line items, the deposit amount will update to match the new total.

The customer experience

Your customer will receive your invoice by email and can click the link to open the payment page. The payment page lists both payments (the deposit and the remainder). The deposit is already pre-selected for payment now, and the Pay button shows the deposit amount. Your customer enters their payment information and clicks Pay.

If part of the deposit has already been paid, the payment page shows how much of the deposit is paid and how much is still due. The Pay button shows the amount still due on the deposit.

After the deposit is paid, the confirmation shows the remaining balance and its due date. Your customer can return to the same link at any time to pay the remaining balance. If your customer would like to pay the full invoice at once, they can select the remaining balance on the payment page, which selects both payments.

Your customer can pay with a card, bank transfer (ACH), Apple Pay, or Paze digital wallet.

Note: The invoice email your customer receives does not show the deposit and remaining balance. Your customer will see them once they click to view the invoice on the payment page.

Taking a payment on behalf of your customer

If your customer would like you to process their payment, select the invoice from your Invoice list. In the right-side menu, click Pay Invoice. The payment form opens with Deposit selected. Under Payment amount, you can choose:

  • Deposit - The amount still owed on the deposit.
  • Invoice balance - Everything still owed on the invoice.
  • Other amount - Enter a different amount, such as part of the deposit.

Enter your customer's card or bank account information, click Pay, then accept the terms and click Authorize payment. Any amount you collect is applied to the deposit first.

Tracking an invoice deposit

  • Before the deposit is paid - Your Invoice list shows the invoice as Coming due. When you select the invoice, the right-side menu shows a Deposit due label and the payment schedule.
  • After the deposit is paid - The invoice shows as Partial payment. The deposit is listed as the amount paid, and the remaining balance is still due. Your customer will see the invoice as Coming due.
  • After both payments are made - The invoice shows as Paid.

Deposit payments also appear in your Payments tab. The Source column shows Invoice · Deposit.

Note: If your customer has AutoPay turned on, AutoPay charges everything still owed on the invoice's due date, including any unpaid deposit. AutoPay does not charge the deposit by itself.

Additional resources and information