Deline

How do I handle a deposit or advance payment before the invoice?

Record the money as a customer deposit when it reaches your bank. "Money customers paid before an invoice is held, not counted as income. Apply it to their invoice once it is issued; anything not applied stays held." Deline has no separate progress-billing or retainer invoice: you issue a normal invoice and apply the deposit to it.

  • L2 · Explanation
  • WhereAll countries
  • WhoOwner, Editor, Accountant
  • PlanBasic and up
  • Timeabout 1 min

How do I record the deposit?

In Reconcile, record the bank line as Customer deposit before an invoice. "A customer deposit posts when confirmed." The money then shows under Customer deposits held, with Received, Deposit and Still held.

How do I use it on the invoice?

Press Apply to an invoice, choose the invoice and the Amount to apply, then Apply and post. Deline confirms, for example "… of …'s deposit is applied to invoice … and posted. The invoice now has … outstanding." You can apply part of a deposit; the rest stays held.

What if I have to give it back?

Press Pay back: "Use this when the money really went back to the customer, for example a payment they made twice." Enter the Amount paid back and Date paid, then Record and post, and match it to the bank line when you reconcile.

If something goes wrong

  • "No open invoice for … yet": issue the invoice first, then apply the deposit.
  • "That is more than the deposit still holds or the invoice still owes."

Explanation written from the Deline app's own screens and texts (build eba146497 (Deline cf723fe1f)); it has no steps to check.