How to Return Retention and Generate a Release Certificate

Returning retention releases previously held funds to contractors once contract conditions are met. This guide shows you how to create a retention return payment and generate a release certificate in Mastt.

Before You Start

• A contract with held retention exists in your project
• You know the retention amount to release

Return Retention

Create a Retention Return Payment

1. Go to the Cost module.
2. Click Payments.
3. Click + Add Payment.
4. Enter a descriptive name in the Title field (e.g., "Retention Release — Final Payment").
5. Select the Payment Date.
6. Set the Payment Status to Paid.
7. Select the Cash Flow Month.
8. Click + Add Contract and select the contract that the retention return applies to.

Enter the Negative Retention Amount

1. Go to the Retention section and click to expand it.
2. Click the Retained This Payment field.
3. Enter a negative amount (e.g., -5000 to return $5,000).

Complete the Payment

1. Make sure the retention amount displays as a negative value.
2. Check the overall payment total.
3. Click Add to save the payment.

Generate a Release Certificate

Download the Payment Certificate

1. Go to the Cost module.
2. Click Payments.
3. Click the retention return payment in the Payments register.
4. Click Actions.
5. Select one of the following options:
   • Payment Certificate to generate the default certificate.
   • A PDF template to generate a customised release certificate.

Troubleshooting & FAQs

Q: Can I release only part of the retention?

Yes. Enter a negative amount for the portion you want to release (e.g., -$25,000 when returning part of $50,000 held). You can create additional retention return payments for future releases.

Q: Do I need a separate payment for each contract?

Yes. Each retention return payment must be linked to a specific contract. Create a separate payment for each contract that requires a retention release.

Q: What is the difference between the Retained This Payment field and the Percentage field?

For retention release, always use the Retained This Payment field to enter your negative dollar amount. The Percentage field is not used for retention release.

Q: Why does my retention release show 0%?

If your payment only contains a retention release with no other claimed amounts or line items, the Percentage field will display as 0%. This is expected. The percentage is calculated against the payment total, and with no other amounts in the payment, there is no base to calculate from. The retention dollar amount is still correct and the release will process normally.

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