Function #48: Manage fixed installment payments using Zoho Books

Function #48: Manage fixed installment payments using Zoho Books



Hello everyone, and welcome back to our series!

Businesses offer installment payment options to their customers, particularly for expensive purchases, to ease the financial burden on them. By breaking down the total cost into smaller, more manageable payments, businesses can attract a wider audience who may not be able to afford large upfront payments. This approach not only increases the likelihood of making more sales, but also helps to spread revenue over time, improve cash flow, enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty, and provide a competitive advantage in the market.

We receive numerous requests from our users regarding the handling of these installment scenarios. We heard you loud and clear. Today, we are excited to share a solution that utilizes custom functions to manage installment payments in Zoho Books.

Let's take the example of Mr. John Hector, who wants to buy a 75-inch TV from Zylker Electronics, priced at a hefty $2,300. He is finding it difficult to pay the entire amount upfront. Therefore, Zylker Electronics offers him the option to pay in installments. They mutually decide that John will spread the payment over 5 months, committing to monthly installments of $460 until he settles the entire purchase amount. Let's delve into how this process can be efficiently managed within Zoho Books using custom functions.

Firstly, Zylker Electronics should create a sale invoice of $2,300 in their Zoho Books organization. While creating it, they should input the start date of the installment and the number of installments in two custom fields. For instance, if the sale was made on 01.04.2024 and Mr. John agreed to pay in 5 installments starting on 10.05.2024, the start date should be entered as 10.05.2024, and the number of installments as 5.

Two custom functions will come into play: one to generate the retainer invoices to collect the installment payments and another to apply the retainer payments to the sale invoice.

Based on the number of installments entered the function will determine the amount to be charged as monthly installments.
Installment amount = Total Amount Payable / No of installments = $2300 / 5 = $460.

On the specified start date, the first function will create and send the retainer invoice for the first installment. Once the payment for this installment is recorded, the second function will apply it to the sale invoice, reducing the balance accordingly. The process repeats each month, generating and sending retainer invoices for subsequent installments until all 5 are completed. Each retainer invoice will be for $460 and due on the 10th of every month for 5 consecutive months. As each retainer invoice is paid, the second function will automatically apply it to the sale invoice, thereby recognizing the income.

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 Date-type custom field called "Installment Start Date" for the Invoices. This field will be used to input the starting date for installment payments.



3. Create a Decimal-type custom field called "Number of installments" for the Invoices. Here, you'll specify the agreed-upon number of installments. Using this information and the total invoice amount, the function will determine the monthly installment amount.



4. 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 into line 26 of the first function. This ensures that all the retainers sent for collecting installment amounts are correctly labeled.



(1) Custom Function to create Retainer Invoices:

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



(2) Workflow Rule to create Retainer Invoices:

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.

(3) 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. 



(4) Workflow Rule to apply installment 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.

We really hope that today's functions help you streamline the process of handling installments in Zoho Books. If you need any assistance in customizing the functions to better suit your needs, please do not hesitate to contact us at support[at]zohobooks[dot]com. We are always happy to help you. 

Also, for those looking to collect varying percentages of the invoice total as installments, stay tuned! 

Regards,
Shireen Farhana
Zoho Books

    • Sticky Posts

    • Introducing Invoice Consolidation for Offline Subscriptions

      Hello Folks, Glad to announce the feature of Invoice Consolidation for Offline Subscriptions. If you are having multiple subscriptions for your customers, now, you can send a single consolidated invoice for all the Offline Subscriptions that are getting renewed on the same date. Advantage?  Customers will be receiving single invoice instead of multiple invoices upon renewal. Also reduces your efforts in follow-up with your customers for payment collections. For Example: If Customer has Subscription
    • New feature: Create back-dated subscriptions

      Hello from the Zoho Subscriptions team. :)   We’re happy to announce that today marks the launch of a much-awaited feature: creating back-dated subscriptions!   From here on out, whenever you create a new subscription with an activation date that is earlier than the present date, you’ll no longer get an error. Instead, you'll be creating a back-dated subscription. This means that the subscription started at that earlier point in time. The next billing date will be calculated automatically based on
    • Announcement Regarding Notification Emails

      Hello Everyone! This announcement is regarding the admin notification emails which you've been receiving from the email address "support@zohosubscriptions.com". From the 1st of October, 06:00 GMT, the emails with the following subjects will be sent from "no-reply@zohosubscriptions.com". Unable to send invoice for the profile - {profile_name} Unable to process auto payments. If you have set up any filters or workflow in your email account, please add "no-reply@zohosubscriptions.com” and  “support@zohosubscriptions.com”
    • Zoho Subscriptions plugin for WordPress

      Zoho Subscriptions plugin for WordPress allows you to easily embed your plan specific checkout page in an iframe with just a few mouse clicks and without a single line of code. How can WordPress Zoho Subscriptions Plugin boost your productivity? It's now easier to embed Zoho Subscriptions checkout page in your WordPress site. Forget the old method of logging in to Zoho Subscriptions, copying a URL and scripting to make adjustments. All this can be done automatically through this plugin. A great time
    • Indian GST organisation Migration Guide

      With respect to the new GST regime releasing on July 1, 2017in India, Zoho Subscriptions Indian edition is also gearing up to make your business GST Ready. This article focuses on how to get your existing organisation in Zoho Subscriptions to migrate to the new GST regime.    Note:  Any organisation created on or after July 1, 2017 will already be GST ready. You wouldn't have to migrate your organisation. Migrating your existing organisation to support GST To migrate your existing organisation to

    Nederlandse Hulpbronnen


      • Recent Topics

      • Marketing Tip #1: Optimize item titles for SEO

        Your item title is the first thing both Google and shoppers notice. Instead of a generic “Leather Bag,” go for something detailed like “Handcrafted Leather Laptop Bag – Durable & Stylish.” This helps your items rank better in search results and instantly
      • Does Zoho Docs have a Line Number function ?

        Hi, when collaborating with coding tasks, I need an online real time share document that shows line numbers. Does Zoho's docs offer this feature ? If yes, how can I show them ? Regards, Frank
      • Setting Default Views for Custom, List and Detail Views

        Hey, Is it possible to set a default custom view, list view and detail view for a module for every user? We are onboarding a lot of non technical people that struggle with these things. Setting the views as default would really help. Btw: also setting
      • Custom function return type

        Hi, How do I create a custom deluge function in Zoho CRM that returns a string? e.g. Setup->Workflow->Custom Functions->Configure->Write own During create or edit of the function I don't see a way to change the default 'void' to anything else. Adding
      • Filter Based API request in Zoho Books using POSTMAN

        How do I GET only specified CONTACTS based on created time or modified time in Zoho Books using POSTMAN. In the api documentation, it is written we can apply filters but I need a sample request.
      • URL validation

        We use an internal intranet site which has a short DNS name which Zoho CRM will not accept.   When attempting to update the field it says "Please enter a valid URL". The URL I am trying to set is http://intranet/pm/ Our intranet is not currently setup with a full DNS name and given the amount of links using the shortname probably isn't a feasible change for us.
      • Has anyone been experiencing slow issues?

        Dear all, I just want to ask if anyone has been experiencing slow issues with Zoho Creator in the past two weeks? I worked with the ISP to improve network quality by changing routes and upgrading bandwidth, but nothing changed. I am in Vietnam.
      • Zoho Projects Roadshows 2025 - USA

        Dear Users, After an amazing response to our roadshows in 2024, we are excited to be back for the second year in a row! Join our team of experts as they walk you through the most-used features in Zoho Projects, explore powerful automation capabilities,
      • Billing Management: #6 Usage Billing in SaaS

        Imagine a customer shuffling across multiple subscriptions, a streaming service, a music app, cloud storage, and a design tool. Each one charges a flat monthly fee, regardless of how much or how little they use. Some months, the customer barely opens
      • Is there anyone who has been experiencing issues regarding the Zoho Creator Certification Website in the past 2 weeks?

        Dear all , I just wanted to ask is there anyone who was planning on taking the Zoho Creator Developer Certification Test in the past 2 weeks and have been facing errors stating that the website is under maintennance and also not allowed to access the
      • Directly Edit, Filter, and Sort Subforms on the Details Page

        Hello everyone, As you know, subforms allow you to associate multiple line items with a single record, greatly enhancing your data organization. For example, a sales order subform neatly lists all products, their quantities, amounts, and other relevant
      • GST Slabs Redefined: Stay Compliant Using Zoho Books!

        Hello Everyone! The Government of India is rolling out new GST rates, a major reform aimed at simplifying the current tax structure starting 22 September 2025. GST will move from four slabs (5%, 12%, 18%, 28%) to two main slabs (5% and 18%), plus a special
      • Allow syncing Activities from other applications

        Marketing Automation could be a much more powerful platform if you were able to sync activities into the platform (e.g. purchase, donation, etc) outside of a user doing something on your website. I'd love it if you could sync Custom CRM Modules as activities,
      • Create static subforms in Zoho CRM: streamline data entry with pre-defined values

        Last modified on (9 July, 2025): This feature was available in early access and is currently being rolled out to customers in phases. Currently available for users in the the AU, CA, and SA DCs. It will be enabled for the remaining DCs in the next couple
      • Global Sets for Multi-Select pick lists

        When is this feature coming to Zoho CRM? It would be very useful now we have got used to having it for the normal pick lists.
      • Introducing Profile Summary: Faster Candidate Insights with Zia

        We’re excited to launch Profile Summary, a powerful new feature in Zoho Recruit that transforms how you review candidate profiles. What used to take minutes of resume scanning can now be assessed in seconds—thanks to Zia. A Quick Example Say you’re hiring
      • Integración Books para cumplir la ley Crea y Crece y Ley Antifraude (VeriFactu)

        Hola: En principio, en julio de 2025, entra en vigor la ley Crea y Crece y Ley Antifraude (VeriFactu). ¿Sabéis si Zoho va a cumplir con la ley para cumplir con la facturación electrónica conectada a Hacienda? Gracias
      • Ask the Experts #1

        Hello everyone! It’s time to transform how you manage projects. Define the processes. Automate the tasks. Streamline the workflows. Let us dive into automation in Zoho Projects — from configuring workflows and custom functions to building triggers, using
      • Option to Customize Career Site URL Without “/jobs/Careers”

        Dear Zoho Recruit Team, I hope you are doing well. We would like to request an enhancement to the Career Site URL structure in Zoho Recruit. In the old version of the career site, our URL was simply: 👉 https://jobs.domain.com However, after moving to
      • How to overcome Zoho Deluge's time limit?

        I have built a function according to the following scheme: pages = {1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10}; for each page in pages { entriesPerPage = zoho.crm.getRecords("Accounts",page,200); for each entry in entriesPerPage { … } } Unfortunately, we have too many entries
      • Zoho Sheet - Printing - Page Breaks and Printing Customization

        I think the title is descriptive enough in that I cannot find help documentation on a simple task of adding in page brakes for separating pages on print. Thanks
      • Checking if Creator has Change History

        Like zForms - whenever an entry was updated there's an option to attached change history to email notif. Trigger -> Successful form submission
      • Zoho sites header

        Good day, Im stuck with this situation. I choose a template for my website creation. I have tweaked every instance of the visual editor, regarding the header, I have created created customize fonts presets... I have followed every single step. and my
      • Your bot just got smarter: AI-Powered routing that reads between the lines

        What if your bot could tell the difference? Between a visitor who just needs a quick answer, someone actively comparing options, and a frustrated customer one click away from leaving? Most bots can't. They deliver the same response to everyone, missing
      • Kaizen #152 - Client Script Support for the new Canvas Record Forms

        Hello everyone! Have you ever wanted to trigger actions on click of a canvas button, icon, or text mandatory forms in Create/Edit and Clone Pages? Have you ever wanted to control how elements behave on the new Canvas Record Forms? This can be achieved
      • Unable to create embed code for resource of workdrive using API

        Hello Team, I am trying to create embed code for a resource using workdrive api in powershell, however facing some issues with injecting data in body. Followed Doc: https://workdrive.zoho.com/apidocs/v1/filefoldersharing/shareeveryone Please help, below
      • how to use validation rules in subform

        Is it possible to use validation rules for subforms? I tried the following code: entityMap = crmAPIRequest.toMap().get("record"); sum = 0; direct_billing = entityMap.get("direct_billing_details"); response = Map(); for each i in direct_billing { if(i.get("type")
      • Adding contact role to a specific deal js sdk malfunctioning

        i was trying to add the contact role to a specific deal contact but repeatedly i am getting this error: { "code": "SUCCESS", "details": { "statusMessage": { "code": "INVALID_DATA", "details": { "expected_data_type": "jsonobject" }, "message": "body",
      • Q3 Updates from Bigin!

        Hey Biginners, Hope you’re doing great! As we approach the end of 2025, we truly hope Bigin has been a part of helping you build your dream business this year! We've been busy working behind the scenes to bring you features that make running your business
      • New Series Announcement - Ecommerce Marketing Tips

        Running an online business is more than just having a website. It’s about getting the right customers to discover you, trust you, and keep coming back. To support your growth journey, we’re launching a weekly Marketing Tips series right here on Zoho Commerce
      • Client Script | Update - Introducing Subform Events and Actions

        Are you making the most of your subforms in Zoho CRM? Do you wish you could automate subform interactions and enhance user experience effortlessly? What if you had Client APIs and events specifically designed for subforms? We are thrilled to introduce
      • {"errors":[{"id":"500","title":"Servlet execution threw an exception"}]}

        Here's the call to move a file to trash. The resource_id is accurate and the file is present. header = Map(); header.put("Accept","application/vnd.api+json"); data = Map(); data_param1 = Map(); att_param1 = Map(); att_param1.put("status",51); data_param1.put("attributes",att_param1);
      • Converting Sales Order to Invoice via API; Problem with decimal places tax

        We are having problems converting a Sales Order to an Invoice via API Call. The cause of the issue is, that the Tax value in a Sales Order is sometimes calculated with up to 16 decimal places (e.g. 0.8730000000000001). The max decimal places allowed in
      • Zoho Canvas - Custom templates for related lists

        Hi, I see that the example pages load always one of our related lists in a custom template, but I dont know how to work with that:  1) How can i make my own custom templates for related lists?  2) Where and how can i check out existing custom templates?
      • Kaizen #147 - Frequently Asked Questions on Zoho CRM Widgets

        Heya! It's Kaizen time again, folks! This week, we aim to address common queries about Zoho CRM Widgets through frequently asked questions from our developer forum. Take a quick glance at these FAQs and learn from your peers' inquiries. 1. Where can I
      • open word file in zoho writer desktop version

        "How can I open a Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) file in Zoho Writer if I only have the file saved on my computer and Zoho Writer doesn't appear as an option when I try 'Open with'? Is there a way to directly open the .doc file in Zoho Writer?"
      • How to invite friends on other social media platforms to one of my group chats in arattai?

        Hello, I have formed chat groups in arattai. I want to invite my friends on other social media platforms like WhatsApp/ FB to one of my groups. Different friends would be invited to different groups. How to share an invite link of one of my groups to
      • Zoho PDF editor has a lot of issues.

        Zoho PDF editor needs a lot of work. It hangs and glitches a lot. Deletes annotations and clearings randomly.
      • Zohom mail

        Plz resolve the problem . I hope u understand .
      • Zoho Sheet for Desktop

        Does Zoho plans to develop a Desktop version of Sheet that installs on the computer like was done with Writer?
      • Next Page