How to maintain steady cash flow during the COVID-19 crisis using Zoho Invoice

How to maintain steady cash flow during the COVID-19 crisis using Zoho Invoice

Dear customers,

I hope this finds you and your loved ones in good health.

As we are witnessing, the COVID-19 pandemic has started taking a toll on businesses of all types. Here are some useful tips that could help you streamline your invoicing and AR processes to keep your business healthy.

1. Communicate clearly with your customers:
During this period, transparent communication with customers is a necessity. A lot of businesses have started displaying messages on their home pages, explaining their BCP (Business Continuity Process) and other important announcements they want to convey to their customers.

As an additional means of communication, you can use the banner message in the customer portal of Zoho Invoice. The banner message is visible in the home page of the portal, so it can help get the customer's attention quickly. You can set up this message under Settings > Preferences > Portal.

2. Relax the deadlines for estimates and invoices:
Your customers' priority at this moment will be keeping their family and loved ones safe, which might mean your estimates get accepted a little later than usual. Same goes for your invoice payments. Instead of bombarding the customer with multiple reminder emails, you can relax your policy and push back the expiration dates and due dates of your estimates and invoices. 

To push back the dates on individual transactions, you can simply edit and make the changes. However, you can also perform this action in bulk (for up to 25 transactions in one go). Here's a screenshot that explains the steps:



You can follow the same steps in the Estimates section to update expiration dates in bulk.

 3. Be approachable:
As a standard business practice, you might have set up automatic payment reminders in Zoho Invoice to go out on specific days before or after the invoice due date. However, given the current circumstances, you can definitely expect delays in payment.

Since you have control over the content that goes out in these reminder emails, think about rephrasing it to let your customers know that if they need any assistance, they can reach out to you by phone or email. This way, your finance team doesn't have to wait and wonder whether the customer will make their payment or not, or spend time sending extra emails. You can tweak your reminder email content under Settings > Reminders.

By making it easy for your customers to approach you and treating them on a case-by-case basis, you can actually bring down the number of unpaid transactions.

Let's say you have done this and have clearly stated how your customers can contact you. Now, what responses can you expect from them?
a) "I might not be able to pay the full invoice amount on time."
b) "I might not be able to pay the full invoice amount at all."
c) 'If you can offer me a discount, I can pay now."

Tips 4, 5, and 6 can help you handle these cases efficiently.

4. Enable partial payments for invoices:
Rather than waiting for your customers to be able to make a full invoice payment, you can encourage them to make partial payments for invoices so that you can have a steady cash flow. If you are collecting payments online, you can enable this option while creating or editing an invoice.



If you collect payments offline, you can convey this information through the 'Terms and Conditions' field on the invoice.

5. Offer discounts:
By offering discounts on your outstanding invoices, you are proving that you care about your customers enough to give them a bit of a break. If you don't see the option to apply discounts to existing invoices, please enable it under Settings > Preferences > General.

6. Write off invoices in special cases:
If you've extended the deadline for a payment, but your customer has really run out of funds and won't be able to make the payment any time soon, you can waive the invoice so you can move ahead with your accounting. 



Since written-off invoices turn into bad debt, use the Bad Debt report in the Reports section of Zoho Invoice to make sure you're not accumulating too much. 

7. Increase the credit limit for loyal customers:
If a customer has been with you for a long time and is sticking with you during this period, an increased credit limit is a good way to thank them for their business. By increasing their credit limit, you are letting them know that you continue to want their business. The option to set a credit limit is available when you create or edit a customer profile.

Though some of these tips might have a negative effect on your finances temporarily, they can gain you long-term benefits like customer loyalty and customer retention, which will help your business recover more easily. 

Did you find these tips useful? Can you think of some other best practices that businesses can use to get through difficult times? Let us know in the comments. 

Note from Zoho: If you need any assistance regarding Zoho Invoice, our support team is available 24 hours a day, Monday-Friday. You can also reach out to us through email (support@zohoinvoice.com), live chat, or phone.

Because Zoho recognizes that our own customers may be facing difficult times right now, we have rolled out an Emergency Subscription Assistance Program (ESAP) to help small businesses through this crisis. Learn more about this program.

Take care and stay safe! We'll get through this storm together.

Regards,
Harikrishna
Customer Relations | Zoho Finance



      Zoho Campaigns Resources


        • Desk Community Learning Series


        • Digest


        • Functions


        • Meetups


        • Kbase


        • Resources


        • Glossary


        • Desk Marketplace


        • MVP Corner


        • Word of the Day


        • Ask the Experts


          • Sticky Posts

          • Zoho Finance Workshop 2023 is coming to the USA. Get exclusive training on Zoho Finance apps, one-on-ones, and more.

            Hello all, We'd like to invite you to our biggest Zoho Finance workshop in the United States. After a brief break, we are excited to be back. This year, we're bringing together our customers and community members for two days of curated hands-on sessions,
          • How to maintain steady cash flow during the COVID-19 crisis using Zoho Invoice

            Dear customers, I hope this finds you and your loved ones in good health. As we are witnessing, the COVID-19 pandemic has started taking a toll on businesses of all types. Here are some useful tips that could help you streamline your invoicing and AR processes to keep your business healthy. 1. Communicate clearly with your customers: During this period, transparent communication with customers is a necessity. A lot of businesses have started displaying messages on their home pages, explaining their
          • Introducing: Digital signature for estimates and invoices

            Dear customers, We are pleased to announce that the much awaited Zoho Invoice - Zoho Sign integration is live! You can now sign your estimates and invoices before emailing it to your customers. Also, you can have them sign your estimates while accepting it. Here is our help document to help you get started: https://www.zoho.com/invoice/help/integrations/sign-integration.html Note: This feature is available across all editions of Zoho Invoice except the Indian edition. Out of all the feature requests
          • Webinar: Introduction to the Client Portal

            Business owners know there is never enough time in the day. Not only do you have to beat the competition and make the sale, you then have to make sure you get paid. In fact, the sales process starts way before the sale, and never really ends. Preparing and getting estimates approved, collecting payments, and fielding customer requests for information related to past transactions are all part of the day in the life of a business owner. Well, Zoho Invoice can offer some relief to weary business owners.

          Zoho CRM Plus Resources

            Zoho Books Resources


              Zoho Subscriptions Resources

                Zoho Projects Resources


                  Zoho Sprints Resources


                    Zoho Orchestly Resources


                      Zoho Creator Resources


                        Zoho WorkDrive Resources



                          Zoho CRM Resources

                          • CRM Community Learning Series

                            CRM Community Learning Series


                          • Tips

                            Tips

                          • Functions

                            Functions

                          • Meetups

                            Meetups

                          • Kbase

                            Kbase

                          • Resources

                            Resources

                          • Digest

                            Digest

                          • CRM Marketplace

                            CRM Marketplace

                          • MVP Corner

                            MVP Corner




                            Zoho Writer Writer

                            Get Started. Write Away!

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

                              Zoho CRM コンテンツ



                                ご検討中の方

                                  • Recent Topics

                                  • User can import contacts into Campaign even without permission

                                    Hi everyone! We have a role that's configured with "Import records: Calls" only, but when a user with that role enters a Campaign, the "Contacts" section shows a "Import contacts" button. Is this expected?
                                  • Allow moving closed Issues between Zoho Projects without reopening them

                                    Hello Zoho Projects Team, We hope you are doing well. We would like to submit a feature request regarding moving closed Issues between projects in Zoho Projects. Current Limitation: As of now, Zoho Projects allows users to move closed Tasks between projects,
                                  • Improve Back Navigation (X Button) Inside Nested Milestones, Task Lists, Tasks, and Issues

                                    Hi Zoho Projects Team, We would like to request an improvement to the X / close button navigation behavior inside milestones. Currently, the milestone area behaves as a nested hierarchy (tree structure): Project → Milestone → Task List → Task So when
                                  • Accept credit card payment for multiple invoices

                                    We have a problem with Zoho Books.  While we can charge a customer's credit card for an individual customer invoice, we cannot charge a customer's credit card for more than one invoice. In our business, it is common for a client to phone up and say, "Here
                                  • Zoho Books | Product updates | February 2026

                                    Hello users, We’ve rolled out new features and enhancements in Zoho Books. From Advanced Reporting Tags to the ability to mark projects as completed, explore the latest updates designed to improve your bookkeeping experience. Introducing Advanced Reporting
                                  • How is Covid affecting the 2021 Super Bowl Commercials

                                    Super Bowl, the annual championship game of the National Football league, USA has an incredible viewer base of 100 million viewers on an average and is also one of the most-watched television broadcasts in the USA of all time. Nine out of ten Americans
                                  • Columns with no data still displayed despite "Show missing values" disabled

                                    I have a table with missing data, but columns are still being displayed even though the "Show missing values" option is disabled. The table contains 3 columns split across 12 months. I suspect the issue is caused by one of the columns using an aggregation
                                  • How can we get payment status updates for payment links in Zoho Books using webhooks?

                                    When we create and share a payment link in Zoho Books, is there a way to know when the payment is updated? Can we use webhooks to get real-time updates for payment link status instead of checking manually?
                                  • How do I automate my package and shipment process

                                    Hey, I have a very basic problem regarding automating my package and shipment. My business does not require me to have those modules and manage them currently and since I'm new to zoho I want to start with just the basics. I just need to automatically
                                  • Accounts Receivable Balances Differs in Balance Sheet, Customer Balance Report, AR Ageing Summary, and AR Ageing Details.

                                    Hello Zoho Accounts Receivable Balances Differs in Balance Sheet, Customer Balance Report, AR Ageing Summary, and AR Ageing Details. Please clarify and fix the issues here. Thanks
                                  • Zoho Books Inter-company integration

                                    We have an Indian parent entity, and its accounting is managed in Zoho Books. We also have a subsidiary company in Dubai under the same parent entity, for which we have procured a separate Zoho Books license. I want to understand whether Zoho supports
                                  • Not able to import transactions from Razorpay

                                    Hi, tried implementing Razorpay integration with books,also added a webhook, but while this added a razorpay clearing account it does not have any data in it. Neither is it getting updated with new transactions happening on Razorpay. This problem is compounded
                                  • **Building Role-Appropriate Accountability Layers in Zoho Projects - Looking for Real-World Experience**

                                    We're a small ISP/telecom operator on Zoho One and I'm trying to solve what I think is a common organizational problem. Would love to hear from others who've tackled it. **The Core Problem** Staff will only consistently use a project management system
                                  • Zoho Social API for generating draft posts from a third-party app ?

                                    Hello everyone, I hope you are all well. I have a question regarding Zoho Social. I am developing an application that generates social media posts, and I would like to be able to incorporate a feature that allows saving these posts as drafts in Zoho Social.
                                  • Choosing the Right Automation in Zoho Projects

                                    In any project, different types of actions are needed at different points. Some projects require control on how tasks move, some require reacting to updates, and some require executing additional actions beyond the task. Automation in Zoho Projects is
                                  • Ignroe_filtrers and drill through

                                    I have two charts, where one is connected to the other using drill-through. The issue is with the second chart (the drill-through target). It contains an aggregation formula that uses the ignore_filters function. Under normal conditions, the formula works
                                  • Dropshipping Address - Does Not Show on Invoice Correctly

                                    When a dropshipping address is used for a customer, the correct ship-to address does not seem to show on the Invoice. It shows correctly on the Sales Order, Shipment Order, and Package, just not the Invoice. This is a problem, because the company being
                                  • Cancelled Transfer order problem

                                    Hello, We've canceled a transfer order, and we can't add the related items to a new Transfer Order. The system tells us that the bin doesn't have the required quantity, but when we check the item, it indicates that there are 2 units in the bin. It also
                                  • Sales Allowed Beyond Available Stock and Payment Recorded Without Restriction

                                    Hi, While testing in Zoho Inventory, I noticed that a sales order can be created with a quantity exceeding the available stock in the selected warehouse. In my case: Available stock: 5 units Ordered quantity: 6 units Despite this: I was able to convert
                                  • Zoho Sign Webhooks Security

                                    in Zoho Sign, what protection is in place - if any - so that the receiving endpoint can verify the authenticity of the sender (Zoho DC / app). otherwise anyone knowing the https address of my endpoint can forge the request. webhooks signatures would be
                                  • Issue with attaching files to a task through the API

                                    Hello! I've implemented a function that creates a task for every new bill that is created but I haven't been able to attach to the task the files which are attached to the bill. I have encountered multiple errors but the most common one is error 33003:
                                  • E-Invoicing Automation

                                    Do you have an API endpoint for pushing the invoice through the e-tims for Kenya
                                  • Can I write a check in Zoho Books with no associated bill?

                                    This currently does not seem possible, and I have a client that desperately needs this function if I am able to convert them with Quickbooks. Thank you in advance for your reply. 
                                  • Backorder process review - Automating Removal of Sales Order from "On Hold" When PO is Received

                                    Hello Zoho Inventory Team, Currently, sales orders in On Hold status are released only when the bill for the purchase order is created. In our workflow, it would be much more efficient if the sales order could automatically move out of On Hold as soon
                                  • Zoho Inventory - Managing Items With Multiple Suppliers

                                    Hi community, I'm working on a project at the moment for a car parts wholesale business. Each Item (part) has its own original manufacturer part number (sometimes more than one part number for the same item). When purchasing parts from 3rd party suppliers,
                                  • Gear up for the Zoho Finance & Operations Workshop 2026! [India]

                                    Hello everyone! 👋 We're excited to announce that the Zoho Finance & Operations Workshop 2026 is now underway! As our global community continues to grow, we’re expanding our locations to connect with users around the world—giving you more opportunities
                                  • Introducing the Zoho Books/Invoice Integration

                                    Recruitment doesn’t end with a successful hire. That’s usually when billing begins, and for most teams, that still means switching systems, re-entering data, and manually aligning numbers. This disconnect between hiring and billing often leads to delays,
                                  • Problem with local database connection to Zoho Analytics On Premise

                                    For days now I have been trying to connect my local database to Zoho Analytics On Premise, but it won't let me. No one from Zoho support has been able to help me, in fact I did connection tests with the cloud version and it allowed me to make the connection,
                                  • Record-Level Cliq Conversations Inside Zoho CRM

                                    It would be extremely useful to bring the Zoho Projects + Cliq conversation experience into Zoho CRM records. Today, in Zoho Projects, each project or task can have its own related chat conversation through Cliq, allowing team members to discuss that
                                  • Manage WhatsApp conversations across Zoho services using one phone number

                                    If your teams use multiple Zoho services to handle different business functions, such as support, sales, or other Zoho tools, you might have asked this question: Can we manage all WhatsApp conversations using the same business phone number across these
                                  • Tickets without registration

                                    Hi, would it be possible to give customers the opportunity to be able to read their tickets without registration?
                                  • Handling Hard Bounce Contacts with Active Phone-Based Users (WhatsApp Use Case)

                                    In Zoho Marketing Automation, when a contact is marked as “Hard Bounce”, we noticed that the contact stops receiving updates from CRM fields and may be excluded from automations. Is this expected behavior? In our case, the primary identifier and verified
                                  • Enhancing user experience with Audio/Video Upload in Zoho Forms

                                    Hello form builders! Today, interactive forms are an integral part of websites and applications. While text-based inputs serve a variety of purposes, audio and video uploads can open up a world of possibilities for businesses. Imagine you are a talent
                                  • Gear up for the Zoho Finance & Operations Workshop 2026!

                                    Hello everyone! 👋 We're excited to announce that the Zoho Finance & Operations Workshop 2026 is officially underway! As our global community continues to grow, we're expanding our locations to connect with users around the world. If you haven't had a
                                  • Gear up for the Zoho Finance & Operations Workshop 2026!

                                    Hello everyone! 👋 We're excited to announce that the Zoho Finance & Operations Workshop 2026 is officially underway! As our global community continues to grow, we're expanding our locations to connect with users around the world. If you haven't had a
                                  • Zoho Analytics - Business Hour reporting doesn't use Business Hours

                                    Hi, I've been having an issue where metrics that state they are reporting based on business hours, like "First response time (in Business Hours)" and "Total response time (in Business Hours)" but are being calculated based on 24 hour days (instead of the 9-5 business hours we have setup). Any help would be much appreciated.  I've provided an example and more details in this ticket: https://help.zoho.com/portal/en/ticket/39690706
                                  • Analytics : Highlighting a single bar in a bar chart

                                    I have a bar chart showing values across a year by week. I have a user filter to change the selected week, however the year graph will remain as showing the full year. Is there anyway to conditionally format or construct the year graph to highlight the
                                  • New Income Tax Act 2025 and Rules 2026 for India (Effective 1 April 2026)

                                    Hello everyone, The Income Tax Act 2025 came into effect from 1 April 2026. This new law replaces the old Income Tax Act of 1961. Along with the new Act, the Income Tax Rules 2026 have also been released by the government. These updates bring practical
                                  • Cancelled appointments still block out timeslot

                                    I haven't had to test this before, but I've just found a problem. I had an appointment in a certain timeslot, and that appointment was cancelled. However, Bookings won't let another appointment be booked in that slot - it makes that time unavailable until
                                  • Item Categories in Zoho Books

                                    I realize this feature is available in Inventory, but we do not keep track of inventory. Basically, we have 2 product offerings, residential and commercial. Right now we can only run sales reports for all items. What is the best way to keep track of sales
                                  • Next Page