When creating an estimate for your customer or lead, you can now request a deposit when they accept the estimate. This feature is available starting with the basic plan.
Send the estimate for e-signature to collect the deposit payment online (available with Pro and Growth Plans; Stripe and Square add-ons required).
Here's how you can require a deposit for your estimates:
Start by creating a new estimate
Select the customer
Add the line items
In the estimate summary, find the 'Deposit' field below the Total. Enter either a percentage value or an exact amount for the required deposit.
Note: You can not enter a deposit value that is higher than the estimate total.
For dynamic estimates, you can not add a deposit value higher than the total amount of 'Required' items.
You can also pre-set the deposit value in the estimate templates.
Navigate to Settings > Templates
Create a new estimate template or open an existing one
Find the 'Deposit' field below the Total, and enter the required deposit value for that estimate
This feature is also available in the mobile app.
1. After selecting and saving the line items for your estimate, scroll to the bottom and click '+ Deposit' to add a deposit value
2. Enter the deposit value. You can enter either a percentage or the exact amount required for your deposit
3. If you enter a percentage value, the equivalent deposit amount will be displayed
Alternatively, you can use estimate templates with a pre-set deposit value.
Collecting Deposit
Collect deposits online when you send estimates for e-signature via E-mail or SMS.
Send the estimate for e-signature to collect the deposit payment online (available with Pro and Growth Plans; Stripe and Square add-ons required).
The Basic plan does not support collecting deposit payments online. However, users can manually collect and record deposits, including but not limited to cash or check payments.
1. When you send the estimate to the customer for e-signature, customers will have the 'Pay Deposit' section in the portal where they can pay the deposit required.
2. Customers can select their payment option from the dropdown menu. If they have saved cards or bank accounts on file, those will appear in the dropdown, or they can add a new payment method.
3. When a customer adds a new card, they can check the box next to 'Add card to account' to save the card for future billing.
4. The 'Pay Deposit and Accept Estimate' button will only become active after the customer signed the estimate.
Collect deposits in person or by using another method.
Your administrators and technicians can record deposits collected in the field or in the office, whether they are through cash, check, or other direct methods.
1. When you open the estimate, if it requires a deposit, you will see a 'Collect Deposit' button right beside the estimate status.
2. Click the 'Collect Deposit' option and pay the deposit using the available payment method.
3. When collecting a deposit from a dynamic estimate, the deposit amount displayed in the 'Collect Deposit' window will vary based on the items selected from the estimate.
Example 1: If the estimate includes 2 required items and 2 unselected recommended items, the deposit amount will only reflect the cost of the required items.
Example 2: If the estimate includes 4 recommended items, with 2 items selected and 2 unselected, the deposit amount will only reflect the cost of the selected items.
Collect Deposit in Mobile App
In the mobile app, you can find the 'Collect Deposit' option when you open an estimate and then click the 3 dots.
Click 'Collect Deposit,' select your payment option, and proceed to pay the deposit.
Deposit Payment Handling
After the deposit has been collected, you will see it highlighted along with the payment method and deposit amount.
Until the deposit is applied to an invoice, it will appear as an available deposit in the information sidebar.
If an invoice is generated from an estimate with a collected deposit, the deposit will automatically be applied to that invoice.
Records of the deposits made in an estimate can be view in this areas:
✅Payments Tab within Customer Account
Within the 'Payments' tab, under the 'Payment For' column, deposits are labeled along with the estimate number from which they were collected.
It also displays the payment method, the date the deposit was collected, the amount, and whether the deposit is still available or has been applied.
Once the deposit is applied to an invoice, its status will update to "Applied" along with the invoice it was used to pay.
✅Payments Reports
The deposit collected is also recorded within the Reports > Payments.
Deposit details includes the customer account, the estimate number where the deposit is collected from, the payment method, the date collected, the amount collected and the deposit status.
Applying Deposit to an Invoice
A deposit collected from an estimate is automatically applied to the invoice it generates as partial payment. If the deposit is still available, it can also be applied to a different invoice.
Here's how:
Open an unpaid invoice.
Click the "Add Payment" button.
Next to "Amount," you will see a checkbox labeled "▢ Apply as deposit $(amount) available"
Check the box to apply the available deposit as payment, then click the "Add Payment"
Important notes:
You can still edit an estimate even if the deposit is paid, but you cannot change the estimate template or the estimate type.
If you edit an estimate that has a PAID deposit and increase the line item price, resulting in a higher required deposit, the deposit amount will update to reflect a partially paid status. As a result, the 'Collect Deposit' button will become available again to complete the payment.