Use a payment schedule to split the price of a one-time job into agreed payments, such as a deposit, a progress payment, and a final balance. You can prepare the schedule on a quote or add it to a job in the dashboard or BlueSuite mobile app.
A schedule records how the total will be split. It does not create all the invoices or charge the customer automatically. You decide when to invoice each remaining payment.
When preparing a quote, choose a payment schedule in the quote’s payment plan. Give each payment a description and enter a percentage or fixed amount. The payments must add up to the full quote total after discounts and tax.
If you need a deposit as part of quote approval, mark the first payment as the required quote deposit. Only the first payment can have this requirement. If you only need an upfront deposit and a remaining balance, you can use the deposit-only option instead.
Save the payment-plan choice, then save the quote to keep the changes. Review the schedule in the customer quote or PDF before sending it.
Payment schedules cannot be combined with optional quote items. For a quote with a payment schedule, agree on the scope and use regular line items. If the total changes, review the schedule again: fixed amounts may need adjusting, and percentage amounts must still balance after rounding.
The first required payment uses the quote’s existing deposit workflow. If the customer signs while a required deposit is still outstanding, the quote remains Awaiting Deposit until that deposit is collected in full.
Collect or record the deposit on the quote. Online payment requires connected Stripe payments; recording a payment received by cash, check, or another method is a separate option. You need the relevant record and payment permissions. See Payments for collection setup.
A completed or pending deposit payment locks the quote’s payment plan. Do not remove a real payment just to change the plan; contact support if the agreed arrangement needs to change after collection.
Convert the quote to a job to manage the remaining installments. The schedule carries over, and Billing shows the quote deposit alongside the remaining payments. The deposit stays attached to the quote and cannot be changed from the job. Its row links back to the quote and does not need an invoice.
A quote with only a required deposit also carries that deposit and the remaining balance into job Billing. Do not create another invoice for money already collected as a quote deposit.
You can also set up a payment schedule directly on a one-time job. Without a schedule or inherited quote deposit, Billing starts with one payment of 100%. A job can split the remaining price into installments, but a required quote deposit must be set up on a quote.
For a $10,000 total after discounts and tax, you could agree on:
The customer pays $10,000 across the deposit and two invoices. The deposit is not deducted again from either installment. A description such as Progress payment describes your agreement; reaching that stage does not automatically create or send an invoice.
In the job’s Billing section, choose an upcoming payment to create its invoice. You can save a draft, send it to the customer, or schedule it to send on a future date. Attach the customer contact before sending.
Choosing to send creates a draft and opens the email composer. Complete the email to send it. If you close the composer, the draft remains on the job. Choosing a future send date creates a scheduled invoice, with its due date based on that date, the job’s payment terms, and your workspace’s time zone.
When a job is split into multiple payments, each installment invoice uses the payment description and the amount already calculated from the job total. Do not apply the job’s tax or discount again. A single payment of 100% keeps the job’s products and services on the invoice.
Collect payment against each invoice using your usual payment workflow. A partial payment against one invoice is different from creating separate installment invoices. See Invoices and Saved Payment Methods for sending and collection details. Creating a payment schedule does not enable autopay.
Use Edit Billing on the job to adjust the schedule and payment terms before any invoice exists. A deposit inherited from a quote stays locked. Once any invoice has been created, including a draft, the whole job schedule is locked. You can still change the payment terms for future invoices; existing invoices keep their own terms.
Billing shows upcoming payments, created invoices, and the quote deposit’s payment status. The progress summary follows invoice statuses and does not add up partial payments on installment invoices. Open the invoice to check its exact balance. Pending, failed, or refunded deposit payments do not count as paid.
Before closing out the job, check Billing for every agreed payment, including installments that have not yet been invoiced. A job status or attention flag is not a substitute for reviewing the schedule.
Recurring jobs bill for repeated appointments. Use those for ongoing service; use a payment schedule to split the total of one job.
Customer financing uses a financing provider’s repayment arrangement. A BlueSuite payment schedule controls the invoices your business creates. It does not approve financing or guarantee that a financing option will be available for a payment.