Recording Individual Payments
For: Office Staff, Administrators
Overview
Recording payments in Masava allows you to track when customers pay their invoices. This guide covers how to record single payments against individual invoices using various payment methods.
What You'll Learn
How to find invoices ready for payment
Recording payments for different payment methods (Check, ACH, Credit Card, Cash, COD)
Understanding what happens when a payment is recorded
Viewing payment history on invoices
Best practices for payment recording
Prerequisites
Invoice must be in Delivered status
User must have payment recording permissions
Payment vs Credit
Payment = Money received from customer (reduces invoice balance)
Credit = Credit memo or refund (also reduces balance, but different accounting treatment)
See: Understanding Credits in Masava
Finding Invoices Ready for Payment
Navigate to Invoices
Go to Orders in the main navigation
Filter by status: Delivered
Filter by payment status: Unpaid or Partially Paid
Filter by Customer
If you know which customer is paying:
Use the customer filter/search
Select the customer name
View all unpaid invoices for that customer
Understanding Invoice Balance
Each invoice shows:
Total Amount: Original invoice total
Amount Paid: Payments already applied
Balance Due: Remaining amount to be paid
Note: For bulk payments (one check for multiple invoices), see Bulk Payment Entry for Multiple Invoices
Recording a Payment
Step 1: Open the Invoice
Click on the invoice number to open the detail page
Review the invoice details
Note the Balance Due amount
Step 2: Click "Record Payment"
Locate the "Record Payment" button (usually near the invoice totals)
Click to open the payment form
Step 3: Enter Payment Details
The payment form includes these fields:
Payment Amount
Enter the amount received from the customer
Can be partial payment (less than balance due) or full payment
System will show remaining balance after this payment
Payment Method (required)
Select from:
Check (most common)
ACH / Electronic Transfer
Credit Card
Cash
COD (Cash on Delivery)
See specific instructions for each method below.
Payment Date (required)
Date the payment was received (not invoice date)
Default: Today's date
Can be changed if received on different date
Reference / Check Number (required for checks)
Check number for check payments
Confirmation/reference number for ACH/electronic
Transaction ID for credit cards
Receipt number for cash
Important: This field helps reconcile deposits and is required for most payment methods.
Bank Account (optional)
Select bank account where payment will be deposited
Used for bank reconciliation
Optional field
Payment Notes (optional)
Add any relevant notes about the payment
Examples:
"Partial payment, remainder due next week"
"Check included with delivery"
"Payment for multiple invoices - see note"
Step 4: Save the Payment
Review all entered information
Click "Save Payment" or "Record Payment"
Wait for confirmation message
What Happens When You Record a Payment
After clicking Save:
✅ Invoice balance updated
New balance = Previous balance - Payment amount
If full payment: Balance = $0.00 and status may change to "Paid"
✅ Payment appears in transaction history
Shows on invoice detail page
Includes payment date, amount, method, reference number
✅ Payment syncs to QuickBooks (if connected)
Payment automatically sent to QuickBooks
Applied to corresponding invoice
Usually syncs within a few minutes
✅ Customer notification (if configured)
Customer may receive payment receipt via email
Check with your administrator about notification settings
Payment Methods Details
Check Payments
Most common payment method for alcohol distribution.
Required Information:
Check number (e.g., #4821, #10453)
Check date (may differ from payment date)
Bank name (optional but helpful)
Best Practices:
✅ Write check number exactly as shown on check
✅ Enter check date for bank reconciliation
✅ Keep physical check until deposit confirmed
✅ For multiple invoices paid by one check, see Bulk Payment Entry
Example:
ACH / Electronic Payments
For bank transfers and electronic payments.
Required Information:
Confirmation or reference number from bank
Payment date (transfer date)
Optional Information:
Bank name
Last 4 digits of account
Authorization code
Best Practices:
✅ Use bank's confirmation number as reference
✅ Verify payment cleared before recording
✅ Note ACH payment in notes field
Credit Card Payments
For credit card transactions.
Required Information:
Transaction ID or authorization code
Last 4 digits of card (for reference)
Payment date
Optional Information:
Processing fees (if applicable)
Card type (Visa, Mastercard, Amex)
Note: Some organizations add credit card processing fees as separate line items on invoices.
Cash Payments
For cash received, typically with COD deliveries.
Required Information:
Receipt number
Payment date
Who received the cash
Best Practices:
✅ Always provide receipt to customer
✅ Note driver name if cash collected on delivery
✅ Deposit cash promptly
✅ Record same day as received
COD (Cash on Delivery)
For payments collected by drivers at delivery.
Required Information:
Receipt number
Driver confirmation
Payment date (delivery date)
Workflow:
Driver collects payment at delivery
Driver provides receipt to customer
Office staff records payment in Masava
Payment method: COD
Reference: Receipt number
Viewing Payment History
On Invoice Detail Page
Each invoice shows a Transaction History or Payment History section listing:
Payment date
Payment amount
Payment method (Check, ACH, etc.)
Reference number (check number, etc.)
Who recorded the payment
Balance after payment
Payment Details
Click on any payment in the history to view:
Full payment details
Payment notes
Edit option (limited - see below)
Editing Payments
Limited editing available:
Can usually edit: Notes, payment date (within reason)
Cannot edit: Payment amount, payment method (must delete and re-record)
For errors: See Handling NSF Checks & Payment Reversals
Payment Receipts
To generate a payment receipt:
Open the invoice with the payment
Click "Print Receipt" or "Payment Receipt"
Receipt includes:
Customer information
Invoice number and date
Payment amount and method
Reference number
Balance remaining (if any)
Provide to customer as proof of payment
Best Practices
Recording Payments
✅ Record payments the same day they're received
Ensures accurate cash flow reporting
Prevents lost or forgotten payments
Keeps customer accounts up to date
✅ Always enter check numbers or reference numbers
Critical for bank reconciliation
Helps track down issues
Required for audit trails
✅ Add payment notes for unusual situations
Partial payments: Note when remainder is expected
Multiple invoices: Note which other invoices paid by same check
Special arrangements: Document customer agreements
✅ Verify payment amount before saving
Double-check against check or remittance slip
Ensure decimal points correct ($100.00 not $10000)
Confirm matches customer's payment intent
✅ Generate receipt for customer
Especially important for cash and COD
Provides customer proof of payment
Reduces disputes later
Timing
⚠️ Don't record payment before funds are available
Wait for checks to clear (unless COD policy)
Verify electronic payments completed
Exception: COD payments can be recorded immediately
Organization
💡 Use consistent reference number format
Check numbers: Include all digits (#4821 not #821)
ACH: Use bank's confirmation number
Cash: Use sequential receipt numbers
💡 Coordinate with accounting team
Align payment recording with deposit schedule
Ensure QuickBooks sync working properly
Reconcile regularly
Common Issues & Solutions
"Cannot record payment on this order"
Problem: Button disabled or error message shown
Check:
✓ Is order status Delivered? (Payments only on delivered orders)
✓ Is invoice cancelled? (Cannot pay cancelled invoices)
✓ Do you have permission to record payments? (Check with admin)
Solution:
Mark order as Delivered first
Contact administrator if permission issue
Verify invoice is active
"Payment amount exceeds balance due"
Problem: Trying to record payment larger than balance
Check:
✓ What is the current invoice balance?
✓ Were other payments already applied?
✓ Was a credit already applied?
Solution:
Adjust payment amount to match balance
Or: Record as overpayment and create credit for excess
Verify customer's payment intent
"Duplicate check number detected"
Problem: System warns check number already used
Check:
✓ Was this check already entered?
✓ Is customer using same check for multiple invoices?
✓ Typo in check number?
Solution:
If bulk payment: Use Bulk Payment Entry instead
If duplicate entry: Don't save, locate original payment
If different check with same number: Add note explaining (rare)
Payment not appearing on invoice
Problem: Saved payment but not showing
Check:
✓ Did you see a save confirmation message?
✓ Try refreshing the page
✓ Check transaction history section
Solution:
Payment may not have saved due to error
Re-enter payment
If still issues, contact support
Payment shows in Masava but not QuickBooks
Problem: Payment recorded but not syncing to QuickBooks
Check:
✓ Is QuickBooks integration active?
✓ Is invoice status Delivered? (QB only syncs delivered orders)
✓ Check integration push log for errors
Solution:
Verify invoice was delivered before payment recorded
Check QuickBooks connection status
May need to manually sync or contact support
Special Situations
Multiple Invoices Paid with One Check
Scenario: Customer sends one check to pay for 5+ invoices
Solution: Use the Bulk Payment Entry feature instead of recording individual payments.
See: Bulk Payment Entry for Multiple Invoices
This is very common for Maryland/DC customers and saves significant time.
Partial Payment
Scenario: Customer pays less than full balance due
Steps:
Record payment for actual amount received
Add note: "Partial payment - remainder due [date]"
Invoice balance will show remaining amount
Record second payment when received
Overpayment
Scenario: Customer pays more than balance due
Options:
Apply partial amount to invoice, return excess to customer
Apply full amount, create credit for excess
Apply to other unpaid invoices for same customer
Note: Discuss with customer before applying overpayment as credit.
Payment Applied to Wrong Invoice
Scenario: Accidentally recorded payment on wrong invoice
Solution: See Handling NSF Checks & Payment Reversals for instructions on reversing and moving payments.
Related Documentation
Next Steps
Multiple invoices with one check? → Bulk Payment Entry for Multiple Invoices
Check bounced? → Handling NSF Checks & Payment Reversals
Payment issues? → Payments Troubleshooting
Related Topics
Need Help?
If you encounter issues not covered in this guide:
Check Payments Troubleshooting
Contact your system administrator
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