Record a payment manually

Not every payment comes through BuddyPay. When a client pays you in cash, by check, or with a card on a separate terminal, you need to record the payment manually so the invoice updates correctly.

Steps

1. Open the invoice from the Invoices list (click the pencil icon in the Actions column).
2. Click More Actions in the top-right → Record Offline Payment.
3. Fill in the payment details in the Add Payment Detail dialog:
   • Payment Method — select how the client paid (Card, Cash, Check, Money order, Bank transfer, or Other).
   • Transaction date — when you received the money (defaults to today).
4. Click Add.

What happens next

• The invoice’s Remaining Amount drops by the payment amount.
• If the remaining amount reaches zero, the invoice is marked Paid.
• If only part was paid, the invoice stays Unpaid but shows the partial payment in the activity log.
• If the invoice is tied to a job, the job may close automatically once fully paid.
• Your commission calculations (if enabled) update based on the payment.

Note

Record Offline Payment records the full remaining balance on the invoice in a single entry. If a client paid only part of what they owe, use the Deposit feature to log a partial amount instead — see Add a deposit to an invoice.

Tip

Record payments the same day you receive them. Even if you’re busy, a 10-second entry on your phone prevents a pile-up of “who paid what” at the end of the month.

Caution

Do not use Record Offline Payment for payments that went through BuddyPay — those are recorded automatically. Double-recording will overstate your revenue and confuse reconciliation.

FAQ

When should I use Record Offline Payment?

Whenever the client paid outside of BuddyPay — cash, paper check, money order, ACH wire from their bank, a card swipe on a separate terminal, or any other method Service Buddy didn’t process. BuddyPay charges record themselves automatically.

Can I record a partial payment?

Not directly with Record Offline Payment — it always closes the full remaining balance in a single entry. For partial payments (a client paid half by check, half pending), use Add a deposit instead. See Add a deposit to an invoice.

What payment methods can I select?

Card, Cash, Check, Money order, Bank transfer, and Other. The selection is just a label for your records — it doesn’t trigger any external action.

Can I delete or edit a recorded payment?

Yes — open the invoice, find the payment in the activity log, and use the edit/delete controls. Useful when you record the wrong amount or attach a payment to the wrong invoice. Deletions are tracked in the activity log so you have an audit trail.

Does recording a payment close the linked job?

If the invoice has a linked job, marking the invoice fully paid closes the job automatically. If the work isn’t actually finished yet, leave the invoice partially paid until it is, or close the job manually with More Actions → Close Job.

How does this affect commissions?

Commission calculations run on paid amounts. Recording a payment moves that revenue into the commission pool for whoever’s assigned to the sale. See Track commission payouts.

Related tasks

• Generate an invoice
• Generate an online payment link
• Issue a refund