Function #49: Manage varying installment payments using Zoho Books

Function #49: Manage varying installment payments using Zoho Books

.

Hello everyone, and welcome back to our series!

Last week, we discussed automating the collection of fixed installment payments in Zoho Books. But what if your payment structure involves charging varying percentages of the invoice total as installments? We've got you covered with a solution—a Custom Button that simplifies the process.

Let's consider an example where Mr. John Hector is availing the services of Zylker Designs to build a website for his new business. The total project cost is $5,000 and is divided into the following milestones:

Initial Discussion: 10%
Design Phase: 30%
Development Phase: 40%
Final Delivery and Testing: 20%

Let's see how this payment structure can be handled in Zoho Books using a Custom Button.

First, Zylker Designs should create a sale invoice of $5,000 in their Zoho Books organization. When it's time to bill for a milestone, they can click the Custom Button and input the percentage of the invoice total to be charged. Then, a retainer invoice is automatically created and sent to the client. Once the payment for this installment is recorded, another custom function will apply it to the sale invoice, reducing the balance accordingly. This process can be repeated for each milestone until the invoice is fully paid.

But wait, there's more!

In addition to the Custom Button, we are also sharing a Related List script. This script displays information about the installment payments, such as the associated Retainer Invoice number, amounts paid, and the invoice balance both in amount and percentage.


Prerequisites: 

1. Create a Connection named "zbooks" to successfully execute the scheduler. You can watch the GIF attached below to know how to create the connection.



2. Create a Decimal-type custom field called "Installments" for the Invoices. This field will dynamically reflect the percentage of the invoice total that has been billed. 




3. Create a new Retainer Invoice template with the document title "Installment Payment". Then, copy the template ID (You can get the ID from the URL of the webpage) and substitute it in line 19 of the custom button script. This ensures that all the retainers sent for collecting installment amounts are correctly labeled.



(1) Custom Button to create Retainer Invoices:

Go to Settings -> Sales -> Invoices -> Custom Buttons -> Click +New -> Populate the details as mentioned below:

1. Name - Give a suitable name (e.g., Send Installment Invoices).
2. Visibility - Select the option that aligns with your preference for granting users access to the custom button.
3. Location - Choose "Details Page Menu".

Once done, add the script from this GitHub link -> Click "Edit Arguments" > Input the Param name as "Percentage" and Param type as "String" -> Save. 

Note:
Input only "Percentage" as the Param name. 



(2) Custom Function to apply installment payments to the sale invoice:

Navigate to Settings -> Automation -> Workflow Actions -> Custom Functions -> +New Custom Function- > Module -> Select Retainer Invoice -> Add the function code from this GitHub Link -> Save. 



(3) Workflow Rule to apply instalment payments:

Go to Settings -> Automation -> Workflow Rules -> +New Workflow Rule and set up the workflow rule as shown below:-



In the final step of this workflow rule, associate the custom function you created and then hit Save.

(4) Related List:

Navigate to Settings -> Sales -> Invoices -> Related Lists -> +New Related List. Provide a suitable name, select view preferences, and then paste the script from this GitHub link. Save the changes.



Here's how to access the Custom button:

Go to Sales -> Invoices -> Click on the invoice for which you need to generate installment invoices -> Click the custom button "Send Installment invoices" -> Input the percentage to be charged -> Execute. 




Do give this a try and let us know how you liked it. If you need any help with setting up this automation, feel free to contact our support team at support[at]zohobooks[dot]com. We're here to assist you every step of the way.

Regards,
Shireen Farhana
Zoho Books

    Access your files securely from anywhere

        All-in-one knowledge management and training platform for your employees and customers.







                              Zoho Developer Community




                                                    • Desk Community Learning Series


                                                    • Digest


                                                    • Functions


                                                    • Meetups


                                                    • Kbase


                                                    • Resources


                                                    • Glossary


                                                    • Desk Marketplace


                                                    • MVP Corner


                                                    • Word of the Day


                                                    • Ask the Experts





                                                              Manage your brands on social media



                                                                    Zoho TeamInbox Resources



                                                                        Zoho CRM Plus Resources

                                                                          Zoho Books Resources


                                                                            Zoho Subscriptions Resources

                                                                              Zoho Projects Resources


                                                                                Zoho Sprints Resources


                                                                                  Qntrl Resources


                                                                                    Zoho Creator Resources



                                                                                        Zoho CRM Resources

                                                                                        • CRM Community Learning Series

                                                                                          CRM Community Learning Series


                                                                                        • Kaizen

                                                                                          Kaizen

                                                                                        • Functions

                                                                                          Functions

                                                                                        • Meetups

                                                                                          Meetups

                                                                                        • Kbase

                                                                                          Kbase

                                                                                        • Resources

                                                                                          Resources

                                                                                        • Digest

                                                                                          Digest

                                                                                        • CRM Marketplace

                                                                                          CRM Marketplace

                                                                                        • MVP Corner

                                                                                          MVP Corner









                                                                                            Design. Discuss. Deliver.

                                                                                            Create visually engaging stories with Zoho Show.

                                                                                            Get Started Now


                                                                                              Zoho Show Resources

                                                                                                Zoho Writer

                                                                                                Get Started. Write Away!

                                                                                                Writer is a powerful online word processor, designed for collaborative work.

                                                                                                  Zoho CRM コンテンツ




                                                                                                    Nederlandse Hulpbronnen


                                                                                                        ご検討中の方




                                                                                                                • Recent Topics

                                                                                                                • How do i setup default values for few fields

                                                                                                                  We have few fields in CRM like rate of return, type etc - they can be picklist and standard inut fields. picklist we have choice to set default value. but how do we default some value in input type of fields?
                                                                                                                • We know the company but not the contact

                                                                                                                  We are fairly new to Zoho, part of our marketing stack is we use products like lead feeder to identify which companies are visiting our site. We are able to match this data to salesiq but cannot find a way to add a company name to the salesiq visitor
                                                                                                                • Customize Calendar view in Teamspaces Settings

                                                                                                                  Right now every customization that happens inside of the calendar view inside of CRM is only visible for the specific user. We want to be able to set up calendar views as an admin for specific roles. I would suggest to do that inside of the settings of
                                                                                                                • How to filter subform report based upon main form report in dashboard

                                                                                                                  Hi Team, I am creating a dashboard in Zoho Analytics. I want to have a main form report and below I want to show subform report of main form. If I filter the main form with date then I want to show subform records based upon main form. how can I achieve
                                                                                                                • using the Client script I want to Hide Show the Fields

                                                                                                                  if Related to service means some of the field like service no want to shoe and hide Amc no , purchase no how i achive this let issu = ZDK.Page.getField('Issue_Related_To').getValue(); if (issu == 'Service') { var field_obj = ZDK.Page.getField('Warranty_Cases');
                                                                                                                • Ask the Expert – Zoho One Admin Track : une session dédiée aux administrateurs Zoho One

                                                                                                                  Vous administrez Zoho One et vous vous posez des questions sur la configuration, la gestion des utilisateurs, la sécurité ou encore l’optimisation de votre back-office ? Bonne nouvelle : une session Ask the Expert – Zoho One Admin Track arrive bientôt,
                                                                                                                • Write-Off multiple invoices and tax calculation

                                                                                                                  Good evening, I have many invoices which are long overdue and I do not expect them to be paid. I believe I should write them off. I did some tests and I have some questions:  - I cannot find a way to write off several invoices together. How can I do that,
                                                                                                                • Kaizen #210 - Answering your Questions | Event Management System using ZDK CLI

                                                                                                                  Hello Everyone, Welcome back to yet another post in the Kaizen Series! As you already may know, for the Kaizen #200 milestone, we asked for your feedback and many of you suggested topics for us to discuss. We have been writing on these topics over the
                                                                                                                • vendors / customers with 2 different address and gst no

                                                                                                                  Why can't we have option for more than one address and depending on the state option for more than 1 GST no. ? We have customers / vendors PAN india with different addresses and GST no. for different states.
                                                                                                                • Recurring Automated Reminders

                                                                                                                  Hi, The reminders feature in Zoho Books is a really helpful feature to automate reminders for invoices. However, currently we can set reminders based on number of days before/after the invoice date. It would be really helpful if a recurring reminder feature
                                                                                                                • Fail to send Email by deluge

                                                                                                                  Hi, today I gonna update some email include details in deluge, while this msg pops up and restrict me to save but my rules has run for one year. can you tell me how to use one of our admin account or super admin account to send the email? I tried to update
                                                                                                                • Transitions do not update fields until the record moves to next stage

                                                                                                                  We have a blueprint where a couple of stages have multiple transitions. If only some of the transitions are completed, but not all, Zoho does not update any of the fields impacted by the completed transitions. Is there any way Zoho can udate the fields
                                                                                                                • Zoho CRM for Everyone's NextGen UI Gets an Upgrade

                                                                                                                  Hello Everyone We've made improvements to Zoho CRM for Everyone's Nextgen UI. These changes are the result of valuable feedback from you where we’ve focused on improving usability, providing wider screen space, and making navigation smoother so everything
                                                                                                                • Zoho CRM - Kiosk Studio : Use action responses across your kiosks with sequential actions

                                                                                                                  Hello Everyone, Imagine building a kiosk that gives you full control over how actions are executed in later screens in that same kiosk. What if you could use data from a previous action later in that kiosk—with no interruptions or data gaps? This is exactly
                                                                                                                • Ability to CC on a mass email

                                                                                                                  Ability to CC someone on a mass email.
                                                                                                                • Get Cliq Meetings in my O365 calendar

                                                                                                                  Hi, we are currently evaluating to replace the Teams Messaging and Meetings with Cliq. We currently still have all our email and calendars in O365. What i want to achieve is, to create a (ZOHO) meeting from Cliq and have this meeting added to my Outlook/O365
                                                                                                                • Custom Button to convert a Deal to a Custom Module?

                                                                                                                  Hello Community I am in process of building out a custom CRM for my team and part of this is looking at building out a Custom Button or function of some sort where when a Deal is marked Closed Won the system will allow for a "Convert to Job" option to
                                                                                                                • Power up your Kiosk Studio with Real-Time Data Capture, Client Scripts & More!

                                                                                                                  Hello Everyone, We’re thrilled to announce a powerful set of enhancements to Kiosk Studio in Zoho CRM. These new updates give you more flexibility, faster record handling, and real-time data capture, making your Kiosk flows smarter and more efficient
                                                                                                                • Emails Failing with “Relaying Issues – Mail Sending Blocked” in ZeptoMail

                                                                                                                  Hello ZeptoMail Support Team, We are facing an email delivery issue in our ZeptoMail account where emails are failing with the status “Process failed” and the reason “Relaying issues – Mail sending blocked.” Issue Details Agent Name: mail_agent_iwwa From
                                                                                                                • Change eMail Template for Event-Invitations

                                                                                                                  Hello ZOHO-CRM Team How I can change the eMail Template for Event-Invitations? I work with the German Version of the Free Version. I know how I can modify eMail alerts or Signature Templates, but where I can other eMails modify you send out? Thank you
                                                                                                                • Workdrive Oauth2 Token Isn't Refreshing

                                                                                                                  I have set up oauth for a bunch of zoho apis and have never had a problem with oauth. With workdrive i am using the exact same template i usually use for the other zoho apps and it is not working. All requests will work for the first hour then stops so
                                                                                                                • How can I import OLM to Yandex Mail easily?

                                                                                                                  For migrating Mac Outlook OLM data to Yandex Mail efficiently, the Aryson OLM Converter is a reliable professional tool that ensures complete data integrity throughout the process. Unlike manual methods, which can risk inconsistent formatting or missing
                                                                                                                • Introducing Radio Buttons and Numeric Range Sliders in Zoho CRM

                                                                                                                  Release update: Currently out for CN, JP, AU and CA DCs (Free and standard editions). For other DCs, this will be released by mid-March. Hello everyone, We are pleased to share with you that Zoho CRM's Layout Editor now includes two new field formats—
                                                                                                                • Is it possible to setup bin locations WITHOUT mandating batch tracking?

                                                                                                                  Hi fellow zoho users, I'm wondering if anyone else has a similar issue to me? I only have some products batch tracked (items with shelf life expiry dates) but I am trying to setup bin locations for my entire inventory so we can do stock counting easier.
                                                                                                                • Implementing Inventory Process

                                                                                                                  I am just starting to create an inventory system through Zoho for a nonprofit. We receive in-kind donations of items for kids, and utilize them in 2 or 3 different programs. Then families come in and take the items. I'm thinking of this structure: Our
                                                                                                                • Best way to start zoho inventory with bulk openning stock

                                                                                                                  We are already using zoho book since long time for cars trading company. Now to streamline more, would like to import the excel data of closing stock of inventory to zoho inventory and to start on. Since we need to track each VIN (unique vehicle id number)
                                                                                                                • Service Reports.

                                                                                                                  Hello Team, I have a requirement to create multiple service reports for a single AP. That means, in one AP I have 5 service line items, and all line items are linked to assets. Once I complete the AP, I want to generate 5 individual service reports, one
                                                                                                                • Blueprint enhancements - Parallel and multiple transitions, and more

                                                                                                                  Last modified on Sep 4, 2023: All Zoho CRM users can now access these enhancements. Initially, these features were available only on an early access basis and by request. However, as of August 2, 2023, they have been made available to all users in all
                                                                                                                • Item Bulk Edit - Allow for Reorder Level

                                                                                                                  We're implementing a process for using the Reorder Level field for Items, and I have to go through and add this value to a huge chunk of our Items. It's driving me bonkers that I have to do this individually through the UI rather than bulk updating. It
                                                                                                                • Zoho CRM || Unable to Bulk Assignment of Territories for Contacts

                                                                                                                  Dear Zoho CRM Support Team, I hope this email finds you well. We recently performed a bulk upload of Contacts into Zoho CRM using the official sample Excel template downloaded from the CRM. The upload itself was completed successfully; however, we encountered
                                                                                                                • What's New in Zoho Inventory | August – October 2025

                                                                                                                  Hello customers, The last quarter has been incredibly productive! We've released a powerful slate of new features and enhancements in Zoho Inventory designed to give you better control, greater efficiency, and expanded functionality across your inventory
                                                                                                                • Disable Zoho Inventory Tracking / Delink Zoho Books & Inventory

                                                                                                                  We have integrated zoho inventory with zoho books? Now after a long time, we want to disable inventory tracking and delink these 2 modules. Zoho says we cant do it. Anybody else going thru the same ? Any possibility at all? Why does zoho not allow to
                                                                                                                • Tracking Non-Inventory Items

                                                                                                                  We have several business locations and currently use zoho inventory to track retail items (sales and purchase orders). We were hoping to use zoho inventory to track our non-inventory items as well (toilet paper, paper towels, etc). I understand that we
                                                                                                                • Price Managment

                                                                                                                  I have been in discussions with Zoho for some time and not getting what I need. Maybe someone can help explain the logic behind this for me as I fail to understand. When creating an item, you input a sales rate and purchase rate. These rates are just
                                                                                                                • Set Warehouse based on Vendor

                                                                                                                  Greetings. I would like to set automaticaly the Warehouse based on the Vendor. Context: I am working on an adaptation of a Purchase Order to be used as a Quotation. I have defined that when a user has to raise a quote the Vendor will be "PROCUREMENT" I would like to set the Warehouse to a predefined value when "PROCUREMENT" is set as Vendor. I have tried to do with the Automation feature using the Field Update option, but Warehouse does not is listed as a field. Can you help? Thanks in advance.
                                                                                                                • Auto tagging

                                                                                                                  Some of the articles I enter into Notebook get there when I enter them in Raindrop.io and IFTTT copies the articles in Notebook. When this happens the notes are tagged but instead of useful one word tags with topic the tag pertains to the specific article
                                                                                                                • How do I save audio files to my PC that I record into Zoho Notebook from my phone?

                                                                                                                  I was thinking of using Zoho Notebook as a way to store composition ideas, as well as for other things if it can handle this. For this to be useful for me though, I need to be able to have an easy way to download those audio files to my PC, either individually
                                                                                                                • Search mails in shared mailbox

                                                                                                                  Hi everyone, is there a way to search mails in shared mailbox's? Search in streams or mail doesn't return anything from mails in shared mailboxes. Thanks! Rafal
                                                                                                                • Kaizen #186 : Client Script Support for Subforms

                                                                                                                  Hello everyone! Welcome back to another exciting Kaizen post on Client Script! In this edition, we’re taking a closer look at Client Script Support for Subforms with the help of the following scenario. " Zylker, a manufacturing company, uses the "Orders"
                                                                                                                • Writing SQL Queries - After Comma Auto Suggesting Column

                                                                                                                  When writing SQL Queries, does anyone else get super annoyed that after you type a comma and try to return to a new line it is automatically suggest a new column, so hitting return just inputs this suggested column instead of going to a new line? Anyone
                                                                                                                • Next Page