Bill a big job in stages
Take a deposit when the quote is approved, send progress invoices as the work goes, and bill what's left on the final invoice.
- Where
- Quotes and Invoices
- Who can do this
- People with the Create & edit invoices permission. Sending also needs Send invoices & reminders.
An approved quote makes one final invoice. To bill a big job in parts, use a deposit for the first payment, invoices you start from scratch for the stages in between, and the final invoice for the rest.
The first payment: a deposit
Add a Deposit to the quote before you send it. With Stripe connected, your customer pays it by card as they approve. See Ask for a deposit when a quote is approved.
Progress invoices along the way
- Step 1: Go to Invoices and click New invoice.
- Step 2: Don't start from the job or the quote. Pick the Customer and the Job site (optional) instead.
- Step 3: Add a line for the stage you're billing, with its amount.
- Step 4: Click Create draft, check it over, and click Send invoice.
The final invoice
- Step 1: Open the approved quote and click Create invoice. The draft copies the lines your customer approved.
- Step 2: If the deposit was paid online, it shows as Deposit received and comes off the Balance due.
- Step 3: Progress invoices aren't taken off for you, and neither is a deposit you collected outside MakeHay. Click the pencil next to Line items and lower the lines by what those already covered. Don't lower them for a deposit paid online, since that comes off on its own.
- Step 4: Click Save line items, then send the invoice.
Good to know: Each line needs a price above zero, so change or remove lines instead of adding a minus amount.
Good to know: Clicking Create invoice on the quote again opens the same final invoice. A new one is made only if you void it. Once it exists, the job's page lists it, and Create invoice and Complete & invoice no longer show there.
Tip: Every invoice for the customer is listed on their page in Customers, on the Invoices tab.