Record a received payment (cash receipt)
How to record customer payments in contable.io: full, partial, and the journal entries generated.
Updated: April 5, 2026
When a customer pays you, record the cash receipt so the receivable is discharged and your accounting reflects the cash in. contable.io generates journal entries automatically on confirmation.
Before you start
- At least one confirmed sales invoice with an outstanding balance.
- Know the payment method used.
- If partial, know the exact amount received.
Record the payment
Go to Cash receipts
Go to Income → Cash receipts. Click New cash receipt.
Pick the customer
Search the customer. On selection, the system shows all their outstanding invoices.
Pick the invoices to pay
Mark the invoice(s) the customer is paying.
Set the payment method
| Method | Account |
|---|---|
| Cash | Cash (1105) |
| Bank transfer | Banks (1110) |
| Check | Banks – checks (1115) |
| Credit card | Banks (1110) |
Set the amount
- Full payment: auto-fills with outstanding balance.
- Partial payment: enter the received amount; the remainder stays as receivable.
Add date and references
- Receipt date: date you received the payment.
- Reference number: transfer receipt, check number, etc.
Save and confirm
Click Save to create as provisional. Review and Confirm to post to accounting.
Journal entries
Cash payment
| Account | Debit | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| Cash (1105) | Amount | |
| Customers (1305) | Amount |
Bank transfer
| Account | Debit | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| Banks (1110) | Amount | |
| Customers (1305) | Amount |
Partial payments
When a customer pays only part:
- Only the received amount is discharged from receivable.
- The remainder stays in Customers (1305).
- You can look up the remaining balance in the invoice detail.
FAQ
Can I record a payment without an invoice?
Yes, as a customer advance, not tied to a specific invoice.
Foreign currency payments?
contable.io auto-converts to COP using the daily TRM. FX difference posts to financial income/expense.
Customer paid too much?
The surplus can be recorded as an advance or refunded via an expense voucher.
2026 enhancements
Free-amount with automatic FIFO
You can now enter a free amount without picking which invoices it applies to. The system applies the payment automatically with FIFO logic: oldest invoices first until the amount is exhausted.
Per-contact FIFO
When a customer has several outstanding invoices, FIFO operates per contact — it only applies to that customer’s invoices, never crossing payments between different customers. This prevents the common cross-application bug.
Configurable print template
The printable cash receipt now uses a configurable template from Settings → Print templates. You can edit header, footer, visible fields and format (letter, half-letter, 80 mm thermal).
Automatic late-payment interest
If the company has the late-payment interest module enabled, on confirming the cash receipt the system:
- Computes interest accrued since each paid invoice’s due date.
- Auto-generates a sales invoice for the interest with the configured account and rate.
- Notifies you to review before sending to the customer.
See Late-payment interest for setup.