Reviewing payment proof

When someone pays by a manual method, they press I've made this payment and, if you asked for it, attach proof. That comes to you to confirm.

Until you do, nothing is recorded. The invoice stays unpaid, any booking waiting on it stays pending, and the client is shown Awaiting confirmation. Nothing moves on a client's say-so.

Where they turn up

Your Home screen lists them under things needing attention: "2 payments awaiting review", with the amount underneath. That's the fastest way in, and it opens Payments filtered to exactly those.

That list shows two figures, Awaiting review and Amount awaiting confirmation, then a row per claim with the contact's name, where it came from, when it was submitted and how much. Opening a row takes you to the document it belongs to.

Every claim also appears in a Payment review panel on the invoice it belongs to, and on the booking or the proposal when payment is being collected there.

What you see

Amount claimed, Payment method, Client note, and their proof file.

They can attach a PDF, or an image in JPEG, PNG, WebP or AVIF, up to 5MB. A photograph of a bank app screen is the usual thing and it's fine. A claim with a note and no file is still a valid claim when you didn't require proof.

Recording the payment

Record payment, the green button on the panel, is the confirm action. It opens a Record payment dialog asking for:

• Amount received. Starts at the amount the client said they paid. Record full payment under the field fills in the outstanding balance instead, and then says "This will settle the invoice in full." It cannot exceed the outstanding balance.
• Why the amount differs. Required when the figure is neither what they claimed nor the full balance. Worth writing properly, since it's the explanation you'll want in six months.
• Payment method. Bank transfer, Cash, Check or Other. It starts on Bank transfer.
• Notes (optional). For you.

The button confirms what it's about to do: Record £450.00.

Once recorded, the payment joins the invoice, the balance updates, a receipt is created, and anything waiting on that payment moves forward.

Rejecting

Reject, beside Record payment, is for proof that doesn't hold up: nothing has arrived, the amount is wrong, or the file is unreadable.

Reason is optional, but write one. The client is emailed "Payment rejected" with a Resubmit proof button. They see your reason, and they can pay or submit again from the same page. Their invoice shows Payment not confirmed with your words set apart under Reason.

Reject is not an accusation. Most rejections are honest mistakes: the wrong screenshot, or a transfer that hasn't cleared.

Confirming sends no email

Recording the payment sends the client nothing about the payment itself. Their invoice updates on its own if they look, but if they're waiting to hear, tell them. You can send them a receipt, which is the natural way to do it.

The exception is a booking that was waiting on this payment: confirming it moves the booking on, and the booking's own confirmation email goes out.

Only one at a time

An invoice holds one claim awaiting review. While a client has one pending, every pay action on their page is hidden. That stops a confused client filing five claims or paying twice. Their page shows Awaiting confirmation instead.

Once you confirm or reject, they can act again.

Check your bank first

Obvious, but worth saying: a screenshot is a claim, not money. Bank transfers can be recalled, and screenshots can show a payment that was later cancelled.

For small amounts from established clients, the proof is usually enough. For anything substantial, check the money is actually there.

Don't record it twice

If a client submitted a claim, confirm it here rather than recording a payment separately on the invoice. Confirming records the payment and closes their claim in one action. Recording it separately leaves their claim hanging.

How long proof is kept

Proof from a claim that was rejected, withdrawn or replaced is removed after 90 days. Proof attached to a confirmed payment stays as part of your financial record.

If a client can't find the button

It's on the payment panel for the method they chose. If they don't see it, they may have opened the card option instead, or the invoice may not offer a manual method at all. See Manual payment methods.