Take a deposit when a customer books, collect the balance before delivery, and keep a card on file for damage or cleaning charges. Every deposit in PortaPro is a real invoice, paid online or in the office. Once paid, it is credited to the customer's final invoice automatically.
Turning deposits on
Go to Settings → Finance → Deposits & Delivery → Deposit Settings.
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Enable Deposits | The master switch. Off hides deposit fields everywhere and nothing collects a deposit |
| Default Deposit Percentage | The percentage a new quote starts with |
| Deposit required to accept | New quotes default to confirming the booking only once the deposit is paid |
| Balance due (days before delivery) | When the balance invoice goes out. 0 = on delivery day. Blank = you invoice balances yourself |
Every one of these is a default. You can change it on each quote.
Putting a deposit on a quote
On the quote wizard's review step, switch on Require Deposit and choose a percentage or a flat amount. Two more choices appear:
Deposits apply to one-time quotes, including event rentals. Recurring quotes bill on the rate card cycle and don't take deposits.
What the customer sees
On the quote link, the button reads Accept & pay deposit when the deposit is required. After signing, the customer goes straight to the deposit's payment page. The quote shows "A deposit of $X is required to confirm." and the balance terms, for example "Balance due 7 days before delivery."
On the payment page the customer can tick Save this payment method for the balance and any damage or cleaning charges. The exact wording they agreed to is stored with the saved card. It is what lets you charge the balance and any damage later without asking for the card again.
If they leave without paying, the quote link keeps offering Pay deposit.
In the office
A check or cash deposit is recorded like any payment: open the deposit invoice and use Collect Payment.
The balance invoice
When the balance date arrives (delivery minus the days you chose), PortaPro creates the quote's invoice for the full amount with the paid deposit credited against it, due on the delivery date.
If a deposit was never paid by then, the unpaid deposit invoice is voided and the full amount is on the balance invoice. Choose "I'll invoice it myself" to create the invoice from the quote when you're ready. Any paid deposit is still credited.
Requesting a deposit on a job
For work that didn't start as a quote, open the job and choose Request Deposit from its actions. Enter a percentage of the job or a flat amount, then:
When you create the job's invoice later, the paid deposit is credited to it.
The job wizard no longer asks about deposits. Request one from the job after it's created.
Charging for damage or cleaning
Open the job and choose Charge for Damage. Enter the amount and what it's for. The dialog shows the card on file and what the customer agreed it could be used for.
A card saved from a deposit payment carries the customer's consent for damage and cleaning charges. A card saved for "future invoices" is labeled as such, and the dialog asks you to make sure the customer agreed to this charge. Charging a customer's saved card is limited to owners and admins.
PortaPro does not use card holds for security deposits: holds expire after about a week, too soon for most rentals. The card stays on file with the customer's consent and is charged only if there is damage or cleaning.
Where the money goes
Deposits, balances and damage charges are ordinary payments to your Stripe account. They are paid out to your bank like every other invoice payment, at your normal processing rate.