Take a partial payment

You do not have to collect an invoice in one shot. Fee-Lion lets you record partial payments in any combination — a card here, a check there, a bank transfer for the rest — until the balance reaches zero.

When you’d use this

Partial payments happen more often than new business owners expect: a client splits a large invoice across two months, a deposit was paid by check and the rest comes by card, or an accounts-payable department pays a round number and settles the pennies later. Recording each payment as it arrives, instead of waiting for the full amount, keeps the invoice balance honest, keeps your aging report accurate, and gives you a clean paper trail if a dispute ever comes up.

Clients can also make partial payments themselves from the portal, so you do not have to split an invoice into pieces to let someone pay in instalments.

Record a partial payment

1. Open the invoice you are collecting against.
2. Record a payment for the amount received.
3. Set the channel and method — online through Stripe, or an offline payment you record by hand.
4. Repeat for each payment as it comes in. The balance counts down with every one.

A full history on the invoice

Every payment stays on the invoice’s history, so you always have a record of what was paid, when, and how. Once the balance hits zero, the invoice is fully settled.

Tip: Got a check or a wire that did not run through Stripe? Record it as an offline payment so the balance stays accurate.

FAQ

Does a partial payment change the invoice status?

No. The invoice stays in its current state (submitted, viewed, or overdue) with a reduced balance. It moves to paid only when the balance reaches zero.

Can I apply one payment across several invoices?

Record it against each invoice separately, splitting the amount. That keeps every invoice’s balance and history self-contained.

What if the client overpays?

Record the full amount received, then issue a refund for the difference, or leave the excess as a credit you apply by hand to the next invoice.

What’s next

• Record an offline payment
• Invoice statuses explained
• Issue a refund
• Invoicing in Fee-Lion