How to Add Payments

Payments in Mastt help you record costs against approved contracts and change orders, keeping your project finances accurate and up to date. This guide covers accessing the payment form, using AI to extract payment details from PDFs, and entering information manually.

Before you start:

• Ensure you have access to the Cost module
• Have your payment application PDF ready (for AI Upload method) or payment details available (for Manual Entry)
• Confirm contracts are approved and change orders are either approved or in-principle before adding payments

Adding a Payment

Access the Add Payment Form

1. Click Cost in the left-hand navigation bar.
2. Click Payments in the top navigation to view the Payment Register.
3. Click the blue + Add Payment button in the upper left corner.

The Payment Register is the main list view where you can see all your payments, add new ones, and manage existing entries.

Choose Your Payment Entry Method

Once in the form, select between two options:

• Add Payment via AI Pre-fill – fastest method if you have a payment applications PDF. AI extracts payment details including title, dates, amounts, line items, and contract references.
• Add Payment with Manual Entry

Using AI Pre-fill

Upload Your Document

1. Locate the Fill details with AI box in the payment form.
2. Click Upload File and select your payment application PDF or drag and drop your file directly onto the drop area.

AI Extracts Payment Details

• Wait for Mastt AI to scan and extract payment details including title, line items, amounts, dates, and contract references.
• If AI Review is enabled on the linked contract, compliance items are also identified. See How to Use AI Compliance for Contracts and Payments.

Verify and Edit Extracted Details

1. Review all fields automatically populated by the AI.
2. Click into any field to edit information that needs correction.
3. Verify critical information is accurate before proceeding.
4. Update the Payment Status from Draft to the appropriate status (Submitted, Approved, or Paid).

Check AI Review (If Available)

If the linked contract has AI Review enabled:

1. Open the AI Review Beta tab.
2. Review compliance items identified by the AI.
3. Update statuses for any compliance requirements as needed.

Using Manual Entry

Enter Basic Payment Information

1. Enter a Title for the payment (e.g., "Payment Application 4").
2. Enter the Payment Date.

Set Payment Status

1. Select the Payment Status from the dropdown: Draft, Submitted, Approved, Paid, or Rejected.
2. If you selected Approved, enter the Date Approved.
3. If you selected Paid, select the Cash Flow Month.

Link to Contract

1. Click + Add Contract to open the contract selector.
2. Choose the contract from your list of approved contracts.
3. Expand Additional Fields if needed to:
   • Add Payment Period From/To dates
   • Toggle on Customize your letter's text to add custom commentary to the Payment Certificate

Enter Line Item Details

1. For each line item, enter the Amount Approved or enter the % Complete (Mastt auto-calculates the amount).
2. Click + Add Contract again if this payment covers multiple contracts.

Change Order Display

Use the Change Display dropdown to choose how change orders appear:

• Group at Bottom: All change orders listed together at end of form
• Show Inline: Change orders appear under their related line items

Record Variance Between Claimed and Approved Amounts

To document differences between what was claimed and what you're approving:

1. Toggle on Submitted Amounts in the payment form.
2. Enter the claimed amount in the Submitted Amount field.
3. Enter the amount you're approving (after deductions) in the Amount Approved field.
4. Click the comment button next to each line item to document the deduction and calculation.

Result: This creates a clear record of what was claimed versus what you're paying, with documented reasons for differences.

Add Additional Line Items (Optional)

• Use Copy+Paste from Excel for bulk entry if you have multiple line items.

Finalizing and Saving the Payment

1. Add comments in the Notes field (only visible to users within this project).
2. Upload attachments if needed (documents are automatically attached when using AI Pre-fill).
3. Click the Add button to save the payment.

Result: Your payment is now recorded and linked to the contract, ensuring accurate cost tracking and maintaining a complete audit trail for financial compliance and reporting.

Editing a Payment After Creation

You can update payment details at any time by navigating to the Payment Register, clicking the Action button (three dots) next to your payment, and selecting Edit Payment. For more details, see How to Edit and Delete Payments.

Troubleshooting & FAQs

Q: What if the AI doesn't extract my payment details correctly?

Click into any field and edit the information manually. Always review AI-extracted data before saving.

Q: Why can't I select a contract when adding a payment?

Only approved contracts are available for payment. Check that your contract status is set to "Approved" in the Contracts register.

Q: How do I handle retention amounts?

Retention is entered once in the Retention field at the bottom of the payment form, not per line item. Enter it as either a dollar amount or percentage, and Mastt will automatically calculate the net payment amount.

Q: What's the difference between Amount Approved and Submitted Amount?

Submitted Amount records what the contractor or consultant requested in their payment applications. Amount Approved is the actual amount you're paying after applying any deductions. Always add a comment documenting the variance and your calculation to maintain a clear audit trail.

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