How Payments and Cash Flow Work Together 

Payments and Cash Flow are directly connected in Mastt. When you mark a payment as Paid and assign it to a month, it automatically appears in your Cash Flow view. This integration eliminates double-entry and ensures your forecasts reflect actual payment activity.

This article explains how payments populate cash flow data, what the visual indicators mean, and how open versus closed months affect your reporting.

Quick Check: Payment Already Set to Paid?

Paid payments won't appear as the main number in Cash Flow until the month is closed. If your payment status is Paid and you've selected a Month Paid but you can't see it:

• The month is likely still open. In open months, Cash Flow shows the forecast as the main number. Your paid amount appears as a green underscore at the bottom of the cell — hover over it to see the paid amount and percentage.
• To display the paid amount as the main value, click the Close off button on that month's column header.
• If amounts look off after closing, check your denomination setting (cog icon, top right) — Cash Flow defaults to millions.

If you haven't set your payment to Paid yet, follow the steps below.

Two Ways to Populate Cash Flow

Automatically from Payment

When you record a payment in Mastt, you control where it appears in your Cash Flow by selecting two fields:

• Set the Payment Status to Paid
• Select the month in the Month Paid field (e.g., September 2025)

Once saved, the payment amount automatically appears in that month's column in Cash Flow — no manual data entry required.

For example, if you mark a $50,000 payment as Paid and select September in the Month Paid field, that $50,000 will flow into the September column of your Cash Flow view.

Manually with Forecasted Values

You can enter projected amounts directly into Cash Flow before recording any actual payments. This is useful for planning ahead or budgeting future periods. As you record actual paid payments later, Mastt compares those actuals against your forecasts.

Most teams use both methods: they forecast future months manually, then let paid payments automatically populate actuals as the project progresses.

How Automatic Population Works

For a payment to appear in Cash Flow, two specific conditions must be met:

Set Payment Status to Paid

1. Navigate to Payments in the top navigation
2. Click the Action button next to any payment
3. Select Edit Payment
4. Locate the Payment Status dropdown in the payment form
5. Select Paid from the dropdown

Select the Month Paid

1. Locate the Month Paid field (appears when status is set to Paid)
2. Click the calendar icon
3. Select the month and year this payment should be counted in for Cash Flow purposes (e.g., September 2025). The payment will now appear in that month's column in Cash Flow.

The Green Underscore Indicator

After saving a payment with both conditions met, navigate to the Cash Flow tab in top navigation. Look at the bottom of the cell for the month you selected.

A green underscore appears at the bottom of any month that has paid payments recorded. This visual indicator makes it easy to scan your Cash Flow timeline and identify which months have actual payments versus forecasts only.

Hover over the green underscore to see a tooltip displaying:

• Cash Flow: The forecasted amount for that month
• Paid: The total amount of payments marked as Paid for that month
• Percentage: The percentage of the forecast that has been paid

For example, if you forecasted $144,000 for November and recorded $50,000 in paid payments, the tooltip shows:

• Cash Flow: 144,000
• Paid: 50,000
• Percentage: 34.72%

What displays in the Cash Flow cell:

• If the month is open, the cell displays the forecast amount ($144,000)
• If the month is closed, the cell displays the actual paid amount ($50,000)

Understanding Open vs Closed Months

Open Months

Open months are current or future reporting periods. You can view and edit forecast amounts. The main number shown is your forecast — paid amounts are only indicated by the green underscore and won't replace the forecast until the month is closed.

Closed Months

When you click the Close off button on a month's column header, the actual (paid) value replaces the forecast as the main number. Forecast values are hidden, and you cannot edit data or add payments for that month. This "locks in" your actuals and transitions from forecasting to reporting view.

Practical Workflow Example

Forecast Cash Flow

1. Navigate to Cash Flow in top navigation
2. Scroll down to the table
3. Choose how you want to set your cash flow:
   • Budget Level – Turn on the Budget Cash Flow Entry toggle in Settings (top right)
   • Object Level – Turn off the Budget Cash Flow Entry toggle in Settings (top right)
4. Click the Action button next to the Budget (for budget-level) or select the specific object (e.g., Contract, Change Order, or Forecast) for object-level
5. Enter your forecasted amount (e.g., $144,000)
6. Add a note if needed
7. Click Confirm to save changes

Record Payments as They Occur

Follow the steps in How Automatic Population Works above to add a payment with Paid status and a Month Paid selected. A green underscore immediately appears in the corresponding column in Cash Flow, proportional to the percentage paid.

Close the Month

1. Navigate back to Cash Flow in top navigation
2. Click the Close off button on the month column header you want to close. The view changes from showing the forecast to displaying the actual paid amount, and the month is now locked as part of your permanent financial record.

Reopen If Needed (Optional)

1. Contact your Workspace or Project Admin if you need to edit after closing
2. Once your administrator reopens the month, it returns to the "open" state
3. You can now make edits to payments or forecasts

Troubleshooting & FAQs

Q: My payment is set to Paid with a Month Paid selected, but I can't see it in Cash Flow. Where is it?

If the month is still open, Cash Flow displays the forecast as the main number. Look for a green underscore at the bottom of that month's cell — hover to see the paid amount. To show paid as the main value, click the Close off button on that month's column header. Also check the denomination setting (cog icon, top right) — it defaults to millions.

Q: My payment has Draft, Submitted, Approved, or Rejected status — why isn't it in Cash Flow?

Only payments with Paid status appear in Cash Flow. Change the status to Paid and select a Month Paid. See How Automatic Population Works above for step-by-step instructions.

Q: Why can't I edit a month in Cash Flow?

The month is likely closed. Only Workspace or Project Admins can reopen closed months. Check with your admin if you need to make changes to a past reporting period.

Need Help?