How to Add Payments

Adding payments allows you to track payment claims against approved contracts in your construction project. Use this process to maintain accurate financial records and monitor cash flow throughout your project lifecycle.

Before you start:

• Payments can only be added to approved contracts and approved and in-principle variations, not draft or pending.
• Have payment details and amounts ready

Steps

Navigate to payments

1. Click Cost in the side navigation bar
2. Click Payments in the top navigation
3. Click the + Add Payment (blue button, top left) or + Add Your First Payment (blue button, centre) if no payments exist yet

Complete payment information

1. Enter a descriptive title in the Title field (e.g., "Payment 1" or "Payment 15")
2. Select the payment status from the dropdown:
   • Draft (default)
   • Submitted
   • Approved (will show a Date Approved field)
   • Paid (requires Cash Flow Month to be populated)
   • Rejected
3. Click the calendar icon for Payment Date and select the appropriate date
4. If status is Approved, select a Date Approved
5. For Paid status, select a Cash Flow Month for financial reporting (the month paid)

Add contract to payment

1. Click the + Add Contract button after completing the payment information
2. Select the contract from the dropdown list, Line items will be visible
3. Click Description to show Payment Period From/To fields and if needed for comprehensive payment tracking (optional)

Result: Your contract is now linked to the payment with all relevant line items visible for tracking.

Enter payment details

1. Go to the Line Items tab and enter the Amount Approved value in the field
2. Alternatively, enter Percentage Complete and the approved amount calculates automatically
3. Toggle Submitted Amounts if you want to record both submitted and approved amounts
4. If there's a difference between amounts, click the Comment button beside the approved amount
5. Provide the reason for any variance in the comment field

Finalise payment

1. Optionally add notes in the Notes field
2. Upload attachments using the Upload button for additional documentation
3. Click Add (blue button, bottom right)

Troubleshooting & FAQ

Q: What if I can't see any contracts in the dropdown?

Check contract status - only approved contracts appear in the payment dropdown.

Q: Why aren't my variations showing in the payment?

Ensure variations are in principal or approved status, and they were in that status before the payment was created.

Q: Why should I use the Payment Period fields?

Payment Period From/To fields help track which work periods each payment covers, essential for progress billing and dispute resolution.

Pro tips

• Maintain consistent numbering like Payment 1, Payment 2 for easy tracking.
• Always verify contract status before creating payments
• Double-check payment amounts before adding
• Record detailed notes for any variances
• Use clear, descriptive payment titles