Taking an initial payment while creating a bill

What this does

When you create a bill, you may receive an initial payment (a deposit or prepayment) from the vendor at the same time. Recording this payment immediately reduces the amount owed and keeps your accounts up to date.

Before you start

• You have permission to create bills and record payments.
• You have the vendor's bill or receipt showing the items and the payment amount.
• You know the payment method (cash, bank transfer, check) and the account to which the money was sent.

Steps

1. Open Bills and create a new bill. Open Bills

2. Enter the vendor and line items as usual.

3. Look for a Payment or Initial Payment section (may be near the bill total or in a drawer at the bottom).

4. If a payment field is visible, enter:

   • The payment amount (the money the vendor gave or paid).
   • The payment method (Cash, Bank Transfer, Check, etc.).
   • The receiving account (which account the money went into—usually your bank or cash account).

5. If the bill has a total of 5,000 AFN and the vendor paid 2,000 AFN upfront:

   • Enter 2,000 in the payment field.
   • The bill will show as partial with a remaining balance of 3,000 AFN.

6. Review the totals and save the bill. The payment will be recorded and the bill status updated.

Accounting impact

The initial payment is recorded as follows:

• The full purchase amount (5,000 AFN) is recorded as a bill payable.
• The payment (2,000 AFN) is recorded as a deposit to your bank or cash account (reduces what you owe).
• Your accounting system will show 3,000 AFN remaining to pay.

Tips & common mistakes

• Do not forget the payment account: The money went somewhere—usually a bank or cash account. If you do not select the right account, your cash balance will be wrong.
• Payment before the bill is saved: Always save the bill first, then record the payment. This ensures the bill exists in the system.
• Verify the payment method: If the vendor paid by check, record "Check" as the method. If by bank transfer, record "Bank Transfer" and note the transaction ID if possible.