Recording a Payment
There are two ways payments appear in Octavia. If a family pays you directly, you record the payment manually. If a family pays through a Stripe payment link, Octavia records the payment automatically for you. It helps t
Manual Payments vs Stripe Payments
It helps to separate these two situations:
- Manual payment recording is for payments made directly to you, such as cash or bank transfer. In that case, you open the invoice and record the payment yourself.
- Stripe payments are recorded automatically when the family pays through the invoice's payment link. You do not need to enter those payments manually.
In both cases, Octavia updates the invoice balance and status for you.
Recording a Manual Payment
To record a payment against an invoice:
- Open the invoice from the invoice list or the student's billing screen.
- Select Record Payment.
- Enter the amount received, the payment method, and the date.
- Optionally add a reference or note (for example, a bank transfer reference number).
- Save the payment entry.
Supported Payment Methods
Manual payments can be recorded for the following methods:
| Method | When to Use |
|---|---|
| Cash | Family pays in person |
| Bank Transfer | Family pays by direct bank transfer |
| Other | Any payment method not listed above |
In the payment window, leaving the amount blank records the full remaining balance automatically.
Partial Payments
You do not have to record the full invoice amount in a single payment. If a family pays you directly in instalments, you can record each payment as it arrives.
For example, if an invoice total is $360 and a family pays $200 this week:
- The invoice balance is reduced.
- The outstanding balance shows $160.
- You can record further payments against the same invoice as they arrive.
Once the cumulative payments reach the full invoice amount, the invoice updates to Paid.
When the Invoice Is Fully Paid
Once an invoice reaches Paid status:
- The outstanding balance is zero.
- A receipt is automatically generated.
- You can send the receipt to the family directly from the invoice screen.
- The invoice detail updates to show the new paid amount, balance, and status.
See Sending Invoices and Receipts for details on how to send a receipt.
Looking Ahead
Related articles:
- Invoice Statuses Explained
- Sending Invoices and Receipts
- Voiding an Invoice
- Account Credits — another way a draft invoice's balance can be reduced, using stored value instead of a new payment
- Bank Reconciliation — record bank-transfer payments in bulk by matching a bank CSV to invoices
- Money Reports — payments recorded here feed the income figures in your financial year reports