> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.ontimebookings.com.au/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Taking payment

> Card, cash, PayID, bank transfer, or invoice it for later — and what each one does to the order.

When a customer is buying rather than spending a voucher, the booking form finishes on a payment step.

Choosing a method here doesn't only take the money. It sets what state the order is left in, which is what your reports and receivables read later.

<Note>
  Bookings made against an existing voucher never reach this step. The customer paid when they bought the package.
</Note>

## What you'll see

**An order summary** at the top — the service, the time, and the total.

**Apply discount**, collapsed. Open it to add a manual or promotional discount before taking payment. Once applied, the summary updates and the payment amount follows.

**Payment** — the list of methods you can use.

## Why a method might be missing

The list isn't fixed. A method appears only if it's switched on **and** enabled for the admin channel in **Settings → Customer Payment**.

That's deliberate: some businesses take cash over the counter but not through the website, or the reverse.

If nothing is configured you'll see a message pointing you at that settings screen. Set one up there and it appears here.

## The methods

### Pay by card

Takes the payment there and then through Stripe. The order comes back **paid** and the booking is confirmed.

The customer's card details are entered on the payment form as normal.

### Cash

> Order will be marked as Awaiting Payment until the cash is collected and recorded.

Creates the order and the booking, and leaves the order **awaiting payment**. Nothing has been received yet.

Use it when the customer will pay on the day. You record the money once you have it — see [recording a payment later](#recording-a-payment-later).

### PayID

> Customer will receive PayID payment instructions. Mark as paid once funds are received.

Same shape as cash. The order is created **awaiting payment** and the customer gets instructions. You mark it paid when the funds land.

### Bank transfer

Same again — the customer gets transfer instructions, the order sits **awaiting payment**, and you record it when the transfer clears.

### Manual or external invoice

For money settled entirely outside the platform: a purchase order, an invoice from your own accounting system, an offline EFT.

<Note>
  This one only appears for staff whose role allows it. If you can't see it and you need it, ask whoever manages [roles and permissions](/set-up/staff/roles-and-permissions).
</Note>

You can record three optional references — a **PO number**, an **external invoice number**, and **notes** — which are kept against the order so you can match it up later.

Then a checkbox, **Record a payment now**, which decides everything:

| What you do                 | What the order becomes                                       |
| --------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Ticked, full amount         | **Paid**                                                     |
| Ticked, less than the total | **Partially paid**                                           |
| Unticked                    | **Invoiced, awaiting payment** — it shows up as a receivable |

The button at the bottom spells out which of the three you're about to do before you press it.

### Free bookings

If the total comes to $0 — a full discount, or a complimentary session — the method list is replaced by a single **Place order ($0)\*\* button. Nothing to collect, so nothing to choose.

## Recording a payment later

Anything left awaiting payment gets settled from the booking itself.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the booking">
    Click it on the calendar.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose Record payment">
    It sits with the other quick actions at the top of the panel.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter what you received">
    The order updates, and the payment badge on the booking changes with it.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  **Record payment** shows only on confirmed bookings, and only for staff whose role allows recording that kind of payment. Roles can be granted cash, PayID, and bank transfer separately.
</Note>

## Choosing well

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Paying on the day">
    Take the booking as **cash**, then record it when they arrive. The booking is confirmed either way, and the awaiting-payment badge is your reminder.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="A business or school account">
    Use **manual or external invoice** with the PO number, and leave "record a payment now" unticked. The order becomes a receivable you can chase, with the reference already attached.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="A deposit now, the rest later">
    **Manual or external invoice**, tick "record a payment now", and enter the deposit amount. The order goes to partially paid, and you record the balance later.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="A complimentary session">
    Apply a discount that brings the total to $0, then use **Place order ($0)\*\*. The booking is tracked like any other, so it still shows in your reports.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>