How do I record a customer payment in Summit Books?

Issue

How do I record a customer payment in Summit Books?

Customer Question:
How do I record a customer payment in Summit Books?

Resolution Steps

How to Record a Payment in Summit Books

Resolution Steps:

Step 1: Navigate to Receive Payments

1. Log in to Summit Books
2. Select your company from the company picker
3. From the left sidebar, go to Sales → Receive Payments

Permission Required: payments.receive

Step 2: Review Outstanding Invoices

You'll see a table showing all open invoices with:
- Customer Name - Click to view customer details
- Invoice # - Click to view invoice details
- Date - Invoice issue date
- Due Date - Payment due date
- Total - Original invoice amount
- Balance Due - Remaining unpaid amount (shown in red)
- Actions - "Receive Payment" button

Important: Only invoices with:
- Status = POSTED
- Balance Due > $0

will appear in this list.

Step 3: Click "Receive Payment" for the Invoice

1. Find the invoice you want to record a payment for
2. Click the green "Receive Payment" button on the right
3. You'll be taken to the payment form for that specific invoice

Step 4: Fill Out Payment Details

The payment form shows:
- Invoice Summary (top gray box) - Invoice #, date, and balance due

Required Fields:

1. Payment Date (required)
2. Date the payment was received
3. Defaults to today's date
4. Use date picker to select
5. Amount (required)
6. Dollar amount received
7. Defaults to full balance due
8. Can be partial payment (must be ≤ balance due and > $0)
9. Note: Funds go to Undeposited Funds (Account 1020) until deposited
10. Payment Method (required)
11. Cash - Cash payment
12. Check - Check payment
13. ACH / Bank Transfer - Electronic bank transfer
14. Credit / Debit Card - Card payment
15. Reference / Check # (optional)
16. Check number, transaction ID, or other reference
17. Helps track payments

Step 5: Save the Payment

1. Review all information is correct
2. Click "Save Payment" button (green)
3. Or click "Cancel" to return to the invoice without saving

Step 6: What Happens Behind the Scenes

When you save a payment, Summit Books automatically:

1. Creates a Payment Record in books_payments table with:
2. Customer ID
3. Payment amount, date, method, reference
4. Created by user ID
5. Links Payment to Invoice in books_payment_invoice_applications table
6. Posts Journal Entry (double-entry bookkeeping):
   DEBIT: Undeposited Funds (1020) $amount
   CREDIT: Accounts Receivable (1100) $amount
7. Updates Invoice Balance:
8. Reduces balance_due by payment amount
9. If fully paid, may update invoice status
10. Redirects back to Invoice Detail page where you can see:
11. Updated balance due
12. Payment history
13. Journal entries

Step 7: Verify Payment Recorded

After saving, you should see:
1. Payment appears on Invoice Detail page
2. Balance Due reduced by payment amount
3. If fully paid, balance = $0.00
4. Payment shows in Payments section with date, amount, method

Important Notes:

⚠️ Prerequisites:
- Invoice must have status='POSTED' (not DRAFT or VOID)
- Chart of Accounts must have:
- Account 1020 - Undeposited Funds (Asset)
- Account 1100 - Accounts Receivable (Asset)
- If these accounts are missing, run Seed Chart of Accounts

💡 Undeposited Funds:
- Payments go to Undeposited Funds (like a cash drawer)
- Later, use Banking → Make Deposit to move funds to a bank account

⚠️ Validation:
- Payment amount must be > $0
- Payment amount cannot exceed balance due
- Date is required