How to track deposits and partial invoice payments.

1. Start with the amount you actually invoiced

Create the job first, then track the invoice you issued to the customer. Keep the original invoice reference, amount, issue date, and due date. A $12,000 contract might have a single $12,000 invoice or several invoices for different stages. Record the actual invoices rather than counting the contract value as an invoice.

Choose one consistent way to record a deposit. If you issued a separate deposit invoice, record the payment against that invoice. If the deposit is a payment toward a larger invoice, record it against that larger invoice. Counting the same deposit on both invoices would overstate what you received.

2. Record each received payment separately

Suppose the invoice total is $8,500. A $3,000 deposit leaves $5,500 outstanding. A later $2,000 payment leaves $3,500. The calculation is invoice total minus the sum of active recorded payments. An unpaid balance is not necessarily overdue: compare the invoice’s due date with today’s date.

In ClearLien, choose Record payment on the invoice and enter the received amount and payment date. Record only money you have actually received; a promise to pay belongs in a follow-up note. ClearLien records this history but does not confirm bank settlement or charge a customer.

3. Keep corrections visible

If you record $3,000 twice, hiding one entry can make later questions difficult to answer. Void the incorrect entry with a reason, then check that the remaining active payments match your receipts. ClearLien keeps the original entry in history and removes its effect on the outstanding balance.

Voiding a record is a bookkeeping correction inside the tracker. It does not reverse a bank transfer or issue a refund. Use the service where the payment occurred for any actual movement of money.

4. Separate a payment promise from a payment

A customer may promise to settle $3,500 on Friday. Save Friday as the promised payment date, add a note about the conversation, and set a follow-up date for yourself. Leave the balance outstanding until the payment arrives.

Before contacting the customer, review recent receipts and update the record. ClearLien’s follow-ups are private tasks. It never sends customer payment nudges automatically, so you can account for a recent deposit or an ongoing conversation before you send a message.

5. Keep the records you will need later

Keep the invoice, payment receipts, and related documents together with the job. Recheck the remaining balance after the final payment, and export your records when handing them to your bookkeeper. ClearLien supports CSV and JSON exports and an archive with original documents.

This guide covers operational tracking, not tax treatment or legal rules for deposits. Your accountant can advise on how payments should be recognized in your books, and any contract-specific questions should be reviewed separately.

Common questions