Before you start
- You know the total job amount.
- You know when the customer should be billed for each part of the work.
When to use a payment schedule
Use a payment schedule when one invoice at the end is not enough. Deposits, progress billing, fixed milestones, named schedules, and final-balance invoices help the office collect cash while longer work is still underway.
Do this
- 1
Start from the quote or job
Open the quote or job that needs staged billing before creating invoices.
- 2
Choose the billing style
Pick deposit, remaining balance, percentage, fixed milestone, or named payment schedule based on how the customer agreed to pay.
- 3
Name each step clearly
Use labels like Deposit, Materials, Phase 1, Completion, or Final Balance so the customer understands why the invoice arrived.
- 4
Review due dates and amounts
Confirm every step has the right amount, due date, and customer-facing note before sending.
- 5
Track what is already billed
Before sending the next invoice, check the job billing summary so you do not double-bill or skip the final balance.
Most common mistake
Owners often create a manual invoice without checking the job's billing schedule first. Start from the job or quote whenever possible so the invoice stays connected to the approved work.
Did this solve your problem?
Contact Zentive support
Tell us what happened and what you have already tried. We will include this article so you do not have to start over.