How-to
    Financial Management

    Record a payment for an invoice

    Learn how to record full or partial payments for invoices. Recording payments keeps your accounts accurate and helps you track what's been paid.

    4 min read
    Updated June 3, 2026

    This guide shows you how to record a payment you receive for an invoice. Keeping track of payments ensures your financial records are accurate and your clients' balances are up to date.

    You record payments that you receive outside of AtomicSam's online payment gateways. This includes payments made by check, bank transfer, or cash. Recording these payments manually updates the invoice status to "Paid" or "Partially Paid" and adjusts the client's balance.

    Before you start

    • You need permissions to view and edit invoices. Your staff member role must have access to Invoicing.
    • Have the payment details ready. This includes the date the payment was received, the amount, and the payment method.

    Record a payment

    The most direct way to record a payment is from the invoice itself. This automatically associates the payment with the correct invoice.

    1. Navigate to Invoices from the main menu.
    2. Find and open the invoice you want to record a payment for. You can use the search bar or filters to find it by client or invoice number.
    3. Click the Record Payment button at the top of the invoice view.
    4. In the Record Payment window, check the Payment date. It defaults to today's date, but you can change it to the date you received the funds.
    5. Enter the Amount received. By default, this field shows the full remaining balance on the invoice.
    6. Select the Payment method, such as Bank Transfer, Check, or Cash.
    7. (Optional) Add any internal notes about the payment in the Notes field. These notes are for your team and are not visible to the client.
    8. Click Record Payment to save.

    After you record the payment, the invoice status updates. If the full amount was paid, the status changes to Paid. If only part of the amount was paid, it changes to Partially Paid.

    Handle partial payments and overpayments

    Sometimes a client pays an amount that is different from the Job Total. You can record the exact amount paid.

    Record a partial payment

    If a client makes a down payment or pays in installments, you can record each payment as it arrives.

    1. Follow the steps to record a payment.
    2. In the Amount field, change the default value to the smaller amount the client actually paid.
    3. Complete the remaining fields and click Record Payment.

    The invoice status will update to Partially Paid, and the remaining balance will still be visible on the invoice.

    Record an overpayment

    If a client pays more than the invoice total, you can record the full amount they sent.

    1. Follow the steps to record a payment.
    2. In the Amount field, enter the full amount the client paid.
    3. Click Record Payment.

    The invoice will be marked as Paid. The extra amount is automatically saved as an unapplied credit on the client's account, which you can apply to a future invoice.

    💡 Tip: To see all of a client's available credits, go to their profile and select the Credits tab.

    Good to know

    • Recording a payment manually does not send an automatic receipt to the client. To provide a receipt, you can download the paid invoice as a PDF and send it to them directly.
    • If you record a payment by mistake, you can delete it. Open the invoice, find the payment in the Payments & Credits section, and click the delete icon. Deleting the payment reverts the invoice status and balance.
    • Payments made through integrated online gateways are recorded automatically. You do not need to record these manually.
    • Instead of recording a new payment, you can apply a client's existing credit to an invoice. When viewing an unpaid invoice for a client who has credit, an Apply Credit option will appear.

    What's next

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