Basic Functions in Retainer Invoice

Let us have a look at the basic functions that can be performed in the retainer invoices module.

Enable Retainer Invoices

To get started with retainer invoices, you’ll have to enable it first. Here’s how you can do it:

Enable Retainer Invoice

Create Retainer Invoice

After you have enabled the retainer invoices module, you can create a new one. Here’s how:

Create Retainer InvoiceCreate Retainer Invoice
FieldsDescription
Customer NameSelect the customer you want to create the retainer invoice for.
Retainer Invoice NumberThe retainer invoice number will be auto-generated. However, you can also enter a unique number by clicking the Gear icon.
Retainer Invoice DateSelect the date on which the retainer invoice is created.
ReferenceEnter a reference number for the retainer invoice if you wish.

Record Payment

After you have created a retainer invoice, you can record payment for it when you receive the amount from your customers.

Offline Payments

If you have received the advance payment from your customer in person, or you can record it offline. Here’s how:

Record PaymentOffline Payment

Charge Customer

If you wish to collect the advance amount from your customers online, you can charge their card details. You can charge either charge a card associated with the customer, or charge another valid card. To charge your customer:

PaymentCharge Customers

View Payments Received

You can generate a report showing a quick summary of the retainer payments received from your customers. This report will include details such as the unused amount and the payment method.

View Payments

Import Retainer Invoices

If you already have a list of retainer invoices, you can import them into Zoho Billing in the CSV, TSV or XLS format. To import retainer invoices:

Import Retainer Invoices
Insight:  The file size cannot be more than 1 MB.
Insight:
  • Character Encoding is used to pair numbers with characters. By default, the Unicode Transformation Format (UTF-8) encoding is used which supports a wide range of characters that go beyond 8 bits.
  • The Field Delimiter is used to separate two values in a row. While importing vendor credits, the default file delimiter is comma (,).
Import Retainer InvoicesImport Retainer Invoices
Insight: Zoho Billing will auto-match the file headers of the imported file to the closest matching field in Zoho Billing. You can manually edit each field to match the headers, and save these preferences. On proceeding, Zoho Billing shows you any unmapped field you may have left out or could not match. You can map these by adding new fields with matching headers.
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