A milestone invoice has one number and one total, split into stages. Each milestone is issued and emailed on its own, with its own payment term. Your customer pays only what's been issued. To compare with a deposit, see deposit or milestones.
Set up milestones
Create or edit a draft, and under Billing schedule choose Milestones.
Enter each milestone's name and amount, using $ / % for a dollar amount or a percentage of the total.
Pick its Issue date and Payment term.
Click Add milestone for each stage until the banner reads Fully allocated.
Click Save, then Issue Invoice.
For Issue date, choose:
Same as invoice: first milestone only.
On a set date: issues on the Issue on date.
I'll send it later: issues when you click Issue now.
Milestone dates can't be in the past.
Tip: For half now and half later, add two milestones at 50%: the first Same as invoice, the second On a set date.
Follow up on a milestone invoice
The invoice's Billing schedule shows each milestone's status, such as Scheduled, Issued, Paid, or Overdue. Issue now shows the email first. Click Issue & send email, or Issue to skip the email.
The invoice is issued right away, even with a future issue date on the draft.
Issuing a milestone moves the invoice's due date to that milestone's.
Automatic reminders follow each issued milestone's due date. Late fees use the invoice's due date.
You can't use Issue now once the milestone's due date has passed, or while another open milestone is due later.
A saved draft won't issue once any milestone's issue date has passed. Edit the dates first.
How your customer pays
Your customer can pay the Overdue balance, the Current balance (everything issued), or the Total balance. Payments fill milestones in order. Paying the whole invoice early marks the rest paid, with no more emails.
QuickPay customers are charged for issued milestones once they're overdue.
Change a milestone
Open the invoice and click Edit invoice (✎).
Change any unissued milestone's amount, date, or Payment term, and click Save.
An issued invoice with a balance owing can switch to milestones here. Voiding the invoice removes its milestones.
Fix a milestone issued with the wrong amount
Issuing a milestone is permanent. Its email can't be unsent, and it can't be edited or taken back.
Some milestones aren't issued yet: change them to make up the difference.
Every milestone is issued, or you'd rather start over: void the invoice and create a new one for what's still owed. Leave off any amount your customer already paid, and tell them a new invoice is coming.
The invoice is paid: it can't be voided. If your customer paid too much, issue a refund for the difference. If they paid too little, invoice the rest.
Who can use this feature?
Team members with Invoices access
Available on Scale and Enterprise plans