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I have multiple clients who are looking to transition to other software as Xero cannot cope with deposits or partial payments!

Seriously Xero - you're uping your fees but can't cope with something so basic as a partial payment? And to top it off - there is no solution that you offer in your online help to assist customers with this. Get your act together honestly, this is terrible service. It's an every day function. Please get this sorted out or at the VERY LEAST put something that could be considered a VIABLE WORKAROUND SOLUTION as a part of your online help resource. What are the increased fees for if you can't even manage updating that resource and keeping it current. You're supposed to be the market leader, accountants have supported and backed you and now we have to find a solution that you should've originally provided in your online resource as a starting point. Come on. I should charge you for my time in posting this message because other softtware providers can manage it but you can't. STEP IT UP.

Hurry up and fix this feature, or is there a reason that it's taking so long! Someone wrote in this thread 'come on it's 2024 for goodness sake'... and here we still are in 2025, unable to take deposits or instalments for the one invoice. Competitor accounting platforms are doing it so time to consider all the options as seems like this is something xero doesn't want to fix.

Freshbooks allows clients to make partial payments via Stripe so this is definitely a Xero problem!

Zoho books allows this, switching over to their accounting system shortly.

I really hope this changes sometime soon. I'm close to not using Xero because it doesn't allow this and I don't want to have to create 2 or more invoices for the same job or pay $40 more dollars a month just to use projects to collect only 1 deposit and not multiple payments on the same job. It's time consuming and should be more customer friendly.

Just to put this unfortunate required fix back to the top of the comments

You could do this with a zapier zap for "automated" payment record
Or skip the Zap part, and manually reconcile the payment to the invoice when you receive the Stripe Payment.

1. Setup a stripe payment link page. https://stripe.com/gb/payments/payment-links
2. Create a field called reference.
Optionally automate:
Go to zapier
3. Create a zap
4. Trigger is a new stripe payment
5. Use search function to find invoice from reference from the custom field
6. Create a payment against the found invoice

Is a bit problematic, as invoice ref would not be validated, so prone to errors matching.
But probably low numbers of failures.
Use the precreated template
https://zapier.com/apps/stripe/integrations/xero/1308434/create-new-xero-payments-for-each-stripe-payment-received

Alt would be to forget xero as biller and use some dedicated billing system like shopify, wordpress checkout feature.
Then just create an invoice after the sale in xero.
Or use a plugin like https://wordpress.com/plugins/woocommerce-xero

I have no other option but to produce 2 invoices for customers as we ask our customer to pay 25% deposit for the order to start. That is great BUT we cannot accept a payment of that invoice through Stripe because it will not allow a payment for anything other than the total price of the invoice.
The only way we can accept payment is through direct bank transfers - or force the customer to pay the total amount of the invoice in advance. (NOT GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE).
So with the simple introduction of allowing stripe to accept any amount up to the value of the invoice - we have our deposit invoices handled.
Stripe will handle partial payments, but Xero has put a restriction on what it will allow Stripe to pass back.

An example of our invoice is attached to explain the situation as described previously.

We cater for paying deposits by generating code within the Invoice template to show the deposit the customer needs to pay to initiate the production of the items being paid. ie Our invoices (and quotes) show that the customer must pay 40% deposit for the order to start. That is great BUT we cannot accept a payment of that invoice through Stripe because it will not allow a payment for anything other than the total price of the invoice.
The only way we can accept payment is through direct bank transfers - or force the customer to pay the total amount of the invoice in advance. (NOT GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE).
So with the simple introduction of allowing stripe to accept any amount up to the value of the invoice - we have our deposit invoices handled.
Stripe will handle partial payments, but Xero has put a restriction on what it will allow Stripe to pass back.

+1 here from another small services business which requires that clients pay a 50% deposit for work to commence. We really don't want to use separate invoices for this.

This would be very handy for my clients.

PLEASE make this an option. Our customers need to be able to make partial payments. Some customers pay in full, others make payments. This is SO important for us.

We run a cabinetry business and issue the full invoice to our customers. They are required to pay an initial deposit of 50%, then instalment payments along each step of the job.
It is difficult to keep track if we need to issue separate invoices for each step.
If there could be an option that we can specify a different amount to be paid, that would help.

I run a tax practice. I want to send a client an invoice for the total cost of services and let them pay a deposit, so I can start the work. When it's ready to efile, I will collect the remainder and then file. I think it's really important to be able to have an option like this.

Need help allowing customers to make payment in installments rather than multiple invoices for same service.

Can Xero introduce a payment plan feature (optional) once the invoice is created. E.g Say the total value of the invoice is $20000 and we need the customer to pay in 10 instalments of 2000 each every month or based on a defined frequency. Currently, we have to manually track the due payments and send reminders to the customer for past due payments and upcoming payments as per payment plan. This is a cumbersome and time consuming process. If Xero can bring this capability, this will speed up the followup process and accounts receivables.

Hi Keith Electrical,

I have inboxed you.
This message shows when an invoice has been deleted or has been put back into draft status / editing.

My details are in the email and I'll be happy to run through it over the phone if you like

Thank you

Hi John Hart. Im trying to set up Stagepay butt its doesnt work.
Can you please inbox me at keithelectricalac@gmail.com
I keep getting
The details of this invoice have changed.
Please contact the merchant to request a re-issued invoice.
Eveery time ive tested sending the invoice. I havent edited any before sending and I believe its set up to Xero correctly.

Hi All

Just posting it here again, Stagepay offers a solution to this issue
https://stagepay.app

Thank you