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Hi there,

I'm from Quotient (we integrate with Xero). While this suggestion is for deposits directly on invoices, we recently released a feature that lets you set a deposit as a percentage on quotes instead, as an alternative workflow that might appeal if you're using quotes upfront.

When the quote is accepted, Quotient automatically creates the deposit invoice in Xero (linked to the quote, showing it as partially invoiced). The customer sees a link to it right away (and can pay online if set up in Xero). You can then invoice the balance later as needed.

Details here: https://www.quotientapp.com/help/deposits

Let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks,
Nathan (from Quotient)

@kirsten Frost, exactly, after the quote is accepted, it needs a middle stage of a sales order, where deposit is applied, the sale is indicated as work in progress (WIP), then when work is completed, invoice is adjusted/finalized and sent as an invoice. Splitting a quote into multiple invoices does not properly track the scope.

Xero Projects does allow a single deposit invoice to be created and then applied to invoices at the end. However, it applies it as a negative line item, rather than as a payment after the subtotal. But that's a different topic. Xero Project does not allow for progress payments, other than on the final invoice as partial payments, not during the course of work.

14 Years of customers asking for this and we get new flashy looking dashboards and bells/whistles, but TRUE hardcore critical stuff like this gets 14 Years of ADMIN comments... disappointing indeed.

We need to be able to partially invoice a quote.

Builder gives a quote
Client accepts and needs to pay 50% before the job starts

It would be good to have a button to partially invoice for a quote. At the moment, when we invoice, it either shows as "invoiced" which is not correct, we still want it showing as a quote. But we don't want it showing as "not invoiced" either. Need to be able to see that we have sent the first 50% invoice for that quote.

We need a way to track a job/quote from the quote stage through to finish with the final invoice showing the amounts paid and the full cost of the job.

My client does not use stripe and has no need for it. All payments are done by bank transfer.

@Elsa Sosa, This is not what this is about, its about a nice way to take deposits for job before the job starts. The companies I work for don't want to pay any other way than bank transfer. Also invoices to non company customers they are often too big to pay on credit card.

Work flow
1) Send quote to customer
2) Customer may accept online through Xero or just call and discuss and give go ahead the old fashioned way.
3) Customer pays Deposits
4) Job goes ahead some weeks later and only once the job is done final quantity can be measured and the amount to be invoiced can be calculated
5) Invoice created amount for depos applied showing total amount for job less deposit paid

This is the way a lot of trade business run, shouldn't need another app, be forced to use a particular payment method

A really good option for this would be a button "REQUEST PART PAYMENT" in which we click.

From here we can then click a few options - 25%, 50%, 75% of remaining balance and a separate option for us to input our own amount.
Having the option to input our own amount is crucial as some jobs are different and may require more or less of a usual deposit amount.

Once we have chosen the part payment amount, we click send and it will send off to the customer to pay.

I actually quite like the intergration with Stripe. We never have any bad feedback in regard payment fees. It actually helps us get payments from our clients and stops the need for them to come into the office to pay their accounts.

@Elsa Sosa, Thats great that Xero is trying to solve the issue of part payment via credit card, BUT thats not what this product Idea is about.

This product idea is paying deposits on Invoices, How they are recorded, and allowing updates to Invoices that are Part paid.

This needs to be a standard function of Xero — without having to pay for and manage another add-on, or forcing customers to pay in a particular way (with extra fees that someone has to absorb).

This is basic business functionality and should be part of Xero as standard. We already pay enough for the platform.

The same applies to having a proper price book and the ability to manage item prices per customer.

Not having these core features creates a lot of extra work and complicated workarounds, which often lead to mistakes.

This basic, yet critical feature, needs to be available to all Xero users regardless of the methods used to accept payments.

Agreed with others. It needs to work standalone, regardless of payment type. Most clients are moving to Interac e-transfers to avoid credit card surcharges (allowed where I am).

We want to accept a deposit payment without finalizing the invoice. This is not just a partial payment of the invoice. It is a deposit before the work is performed.

We don't use stripe, our clients pay by EFT.
This feature is essential to our business and the workarounds just aren't good enough (nor professional).
I'm assuming that stripe customers will be the first with plans to roll out to the rest of us (which I would think would be majority) soon after.
Unfortunately if it's not we will need to consider changing systems as I've read many others have already had to

We don't use Stripe at all. The majority of our customers pay by BACS. Does this mean tis feature will not be available to us?

Why should we pay for a third party to do something that should be done already in the SW? That makes no sense. I get the connection but that only works for a limited amount of customer base.

Kelly we need more information on what the plans are on rollout if connecting to stripe is the first part then is the end goal to have it work without stripe as well?

I have started this last year to take down payments because the orders of HW are so large. These customers only pay with check and not with a payment system.

If you would like inspiration on how to integrate taking deposits on quotes, have a look at how Jobber does it. We worked with them for years and it was seamless: https://help.getjobber.com/hc/en-us/articles/115009379007-Deposits-on-Quotes

Hi Rudi,

Why is this feature tied to a Stripe membership? We won't be paying for Stripe membership and would like to record deposit payments in Xero. For our business, most jobs are scheduled upon payment of a deposit and currently it's a very clumsy process.

It would be great to have an option of Xero-only subscribers.

Ok great thank you Kelly. We have been eagerly awaiting this feature since we participated in the discussion with your product team a while back now :)

Is there a version of this that will exist outside of the need to be connected to Stripe? We are connected to Stripe and have a very select group of clients that use that payment method, however, the vast majority of our clients pay through direct deposit using bank details. This is essential to us to be able to provide a payment method to clients that is 100% true to the stated price and doesn't incur additional fees (wether that's through Xero, Stripe or bank fees) whose 1.65% to 2.8% + fees can add up to substantial amounts.

I sense that this will be important to other small business users of Xero too that prioritise trying to create the best value for their clients and protect the costs they pay rather than incurring additional fees across all deposits and payments. Thank you

Many of my catering clients require multiple deposits to be billed before the event's final bill. It would be fantastic if you could send out invoices for prepayments(using connected payments) that would act more as a deposit than an invoice. This way, the multiple deposits can be posted to the actual final bill in the end. Currently, all of these companies require us to invoice out the deposits, and then on the final bill, you have to reduce it by the deposits they have already paid through other invoices. It's very messy and has to be tracked in either Excel or 3rd party apps that store information like Tripleseat. I know you have the project's invoicing, but it only allows for one deposit. Why in the world is it only one deposit?

This feature would be absolutely critical to our business, however it would be useless if we can only use through Stripe!

So far we have only been able to figure out how to make it work for our business by sending our clients the statements with links to the separate invoices, which really doesn't fit the aesthetic we desperately need for our high end clients.

Please make this feature available directly on Xero connected to our current bank accounts, without any need to link to Stripe!

Surely, you don't have to be connected to Stripe to use this feature... Surely....

I hope this includes progress payments within the same invoice so my customers need to have clearer information on that too?