# Customer payment: how to record, allocate and account for an advance

URL: https://bimpsoft.com/en/help/sales/customer-payment/
Updated: 2026-11-06

> The Customer payment document records money received from a customer and closes the debt for orders. Create it from a Customer order, from the "Sales → Payment" section or from "Finance → Settlements with counterparties", enter the amount and allocate it across orders. If the customer paid more than the debt, the remainder is counted as an advance on the contract.

## When you need a Customer payment document

Create a Customer payment document when a customer has transferred money or paid in cash. It closes the debt for Customer orders and updates [settlements with the counterparty](https://bimpsoft.com/en/help/reports/customer-settlements-report/). You can allocate one payment across several orders or leave part of it as an advance. To see where this step fits, read the [overview of sales from order to payment](https://bimpsoft.com/en/help/sales/sales-process/).

## How to create a Customer payment

You can create a Customer payment in three ways:

1. **From a [Customer order](https://bimpsoft.com/en/help/sales/customer-order/).** In the **Sales → Orders** list, hover over the order you need and click the **Customer payment** icon. The customer, [contract](https://bimpsoft.com/en/help/counterparties/customer-contract/) and order are filled in automatically.
   ![The list of Customer orders in the "Sales" section: the icon menu is open next to order No. 00004, and the cursor is over the "Customer payment" icon](https://bimpsoft.com/help/_img/bf4f8268-6962-436a-9863-1efdf0068f60.webp)
2. **From the Payment section.** Open **Sales → Payment** and click **Create**.
3. **From Finance.** Open **Finance → Settlements with counterparties**, click **Create** and choose **Customer payment**.

In the last two cases, you need to choose the customer and the orders yourself.

## How to fill in the document

Fill in the left panel of the document, and then allocate the amount in the table.

![A new Customer payment: on the left, the fields "Document number", "Creation date", "Customer", "Currency", "Organization" and the "Payment" block with "Settlement type" and the amount; on the right, an empty table with the "Allocate payment amount" button and the "Auto" switch](https://bimpsoft.com/help/_img/5e2d6f2b-0922-423e-b134-0718288f2e7d.webp)

1. Leave the "Document number" field empty for automatic numbering, or enter your own number.
2. "Creation date" is filled in automatically; change it if needed.
3. If the document was created from an order, the "Customer" field is already filled in. Otherwise, choose the customer. The "Organization" field is filled in automatically and cannot be edited.
4. Check the "Settlement type": it is taken from the order, but you can change it. For non-cash payment, specify the company's "Bank account"; for cash, the cash desk the money goes into.
5. Enter the "Payment amount" and, if the bank withheld a fee, the "Commission amount". After saving, Bimp creates a separate record for the fee in "Other expenses".
6. If needed, write a "Comment".
7. In the table on the "Payment" tab, allocate the amount: see [below](#how-to-allocate-one-payment-across-orders).
8. Click **Save** at the top of the left panel.

> [!WARNING] After saving, you cannot change the customer, organization or settlement type. If you made a mistake, create the payment again.

## How to allocate one payment across orders

To close several orders with one payment, enter the total amount and tick the orders in the table. The table has two levels: the contract (top level) and the orders under it.

![The payment allocation table for 14,900 UAH: a contract row and four orders, all ticked; columns "Current debt", "Settlement amount", "Advance", "Settlement rate", "Payment amount", "Order rate", "Exchange rate difference"; at the bottom "Payment amount 14,900 UAH", "Balance 0 UAH"](https://bimpsoft.com/help/_img/a330c95f-41ae-4a18-9e0e-bccb93e6dad1.webp)

| Column | What it means |
|---|---|
| "Current debt" | how much the customer still has to pay under the contract or order |
| "Settlement amount" | the amount the payment closes, in the contract currency |
| "Advance" | money above the debt that stays on the contract in advance |
| "Settlement rate", "Order rate", "Exchange rate difference" | needed when the payment currency differs from the order currency: see [payment in different currencies](https://bimpsoft.com/en/help/sales/multi-currency-payment-allocation/) |
| "Payment amount" | how much of the payment goes to this row |

To allocate the amount:

1. Enter the full amount received in the "Payment amount" field in the left panel.
2. Click **Allocate payment amount**: Bimp directs the amount to the oldest unpaid order. Or tick the orders you need and enter the amount manually: click an order row to pull in its debt.
3. Check the total at the bottom of the table: "Balance" must be 0.
4. Click **Save**.

> [!NOTE] A payment does not have to be tied to a specific order. You can allocate it across several orders or apply it to one.

## How to count an overpayment or advance

If the customer paid more than they owe for the selected orders, the remainder is recorded in the contract's "Advance" column. You can also enter it manually.

**Example.** The customer LLC "Taxipark" owes UAH 38,500 for order No. 1 and transferred UAH 45,000. Allocate the remaining UAH 6,500 in one of these ways:

| Goal | What to do |
|---|---|
| Keep it as a general advance on the contract | Tick the contract row and enter 6,500 in the "Advance" column |
| Close the debt for order No. 2 | Tick order No. 2 and enter 6,500 in the "Payment amount" column |
| Prepayment for the new order No. 3 | Tick order No. 3 and enter 6,500 in the "Advance" or "Payment amount" column |

In the first row, leave the amount of order No. 1 (38,500) in the "Payment amount" column. The total 38,500 + 6,500 must equal UAH 45,000, otherwise the document will not save.

![The allocation table with an advance: a contract row in hryvnias with a debt of 400,000 UAH, a settlement amount of 569,733 UAH and an advance of 169,733 UAH, highlighted in green](https://bimpsoft.com/help/_img/7b7476af-866e-4bf6-81c0-2a2866e4d4c8.webp)

## Payment status

After saving, the payment gets the status "New". You can change it with the arrow to the right of the status or by clicking it: the list contains "Under review", "New", "Awaiting payment", "Paid", "Cancelled", "Payment received", "Issued", "Completed", "Partially paid", "Not paid".

![The list of Customer payment statuses open under the "New" button; in the table the contract and four orders are ticked, payment amount 14,900 UAH](https://bimpsoft.com/help/_img/e9758963-6fcf-429f-a453-753f4c577d2e.webp)

## Common problems

**The document does not save and shows an error about the amount.** Cause: the "Payment amount" does not match the allocated amount (payment + advance). Solution: check that "Balance" in the total at the bottom of the table is 0.

**You cannot change the customer or organization.** After saving, these fields are locked. Create a new payment.

**The table does not show the order you need.** If the "Auto" switch is off, the contract and orders are not pulled in automatically: click **Add** and choose the contract from the list.

## FAQ

**Why does Bimp not save the Customer payment?**

The most common reason is that the payment amount does not match the amount allocated to orders plus the advance. Compare the "Payment amount" field with the total at the bottom of the table: the "Balance" field must be zero.

**How do I count a customer's overpayment?**

Allocate the amount to the debts and enter the rest in the "Advance" column in the contract row. If the customer paid more than the total of the selected orders, the remainder also automatically becomes an advance on the contract.

**Can I change the customer or organization after saving a payment?**

No. After you save a Customer payment document, you cannot change the counterparty, organization or settlement type. Create the payment again.

**How do I close several orders with one payment?**

In the Customer payment document, enter the total amount, tick the orders you need and click "Allocate payment amount". The amount automatically goes to the oldest unpaid order.