Accept Partial Payments

Allow customers to pay invoices in installments and track the remaining balance until the full amount is collected.

Written by Chloe NguyenUpdated over a month ago3 min readBeginner

What this guide covers

This guide explains how partial payments work in JobsiteOn. You will learn how customers can make partial payments through the portal, how to record partial payments manually, and how the invoice tracks the remaining balance.

How partial payments work

A partial payment is any payment that covers less than the full invoice amount. When a partial payment is received:

The paid amount is recorded against the invoice.
The remaining balance is calculated and displayed.
The invoice status stays at Sent or Overdue until the full balance is paid.
Once all payments equal the total, the status changes to Paid.

Partial payments through the portal

When online payments are enabled, customers can make partial payments from the portal:

The customer opens the invoice at /i/[token].
They click Pay Now.
The payment form shows the full balance by default.
The customer can change the amount to a smaller number.
They submit the partial payment.
The portal updates to show the remaining balance.
The customer can make additional payments at any time.

Screenshot: The client payment portal showing a $2,000 invoice with a $1,000 partial payment recorded and a remaining balance of $1,000 displayed.

Recording partial payments manually

For offline payments:

Open the invoice detail page at /invoices/[slug].
Click Record Payment.
Enter the partial amount received.
Select the payment method and date.
Click Confirm.
The invoice updates to show the payment and remaining balance.

Repeat for each additional payment until the balance is zero.

Animation: Two manual payments being recorded sequentially on an invoice, with the remaining balance decreasing after each entry and the status changing to Paid after the final payment.

Tracking the balance

The invoice detail page shows a payment summary:

Field	Example
Invoice total	$3,000.00
Payment 1 (Mar 1)	$1,000.00
Payment 2 (Mar 15)	$1,000.00
Remaining balance	$1,000.00

Each payment is listed with its date, amount, and method.

Partial payments in reports

Aging reports — Show the remaining balance, not the original total, so you know exactly how much is outstanding.
Revenue reports — Reflect only the amounts actually received.
Invoice list — Shows the outstanding balance for partially paid invoices.

Tip: Use the aging report to monitor partially paid invoices and follow up on remaining balances before they become severely overdue.

When to allow partial payments

Partial payments are appropriate for:

Large invoices where the customer needs a payment plan.
Progress billing on long-duration projects.
Deposit collection followed by a final payment.

Note: If you prefer to require full payment only, you can note this in your invoice terms. However, the system will still accept partial payments through the portal unless you configure otherwise.

Best practices

Communicate the expected payment schedule with the customer upfront.
Record each partial payment promptly to keep your balance accurate.
Follow up on remaining balances as they approach the due date.
Reference payment terms in the invoice notes for clarity.

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