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Deposits

Deposits let you hold a customer's payment before the final sale — typically for deliveries, landscape jobs, special orders, or pre-orders. The deposit sits on the customer's account as a Deposit Balance (separate from A/R) until it's applied to the actual sale.

Info

Deposits are not taxed — just like gift cards, you're holding money, not selling goods. Tax is calculated on the final sale when goods are transferred.

Taking a Deposit

  1. Start a new sale and add the customer
  2. Click the Deposit button on the button panel
  3. Enter a description when prompted (e.g., "Delivery deposit" or "Landscape job")
  4. The deposit line item appears on the sale with the amount
  5. Tender it out normally — cash, credit card, check, etc.

The deposit now shows on the customer's account under Deposit Balance.

Tip

You can always see a customer's deposit balance right under their name on the register screen — no need to look it up separately.

Applying a Deposit to a Sale

When the customer is ready to pick up or receive their order:

  1. Pull up the original quote or start a new sale with the items
  2. Add the customer to the sale
  3. Under Other Tender, choose Apply Deposit
  4. The system applies the customer's deposit balance to the sale
  5. If the sale total exceeds the deposit, the customer pays the remaining balance with another tender type

Returning a Deposit

If a customer's order is canceled and you need to refund their deposit:

  1. Start a new sale and add the customer
  2. Click the Return Item button — you should see "Return Item" appear at the top left of the screen
  3. Type the deposit amount into the search bar (e.g., 52.65) — do not hit Enter
  4. Click the Deposit button
  5. Enter a description when prompted (e.g., "Canceled delivery")
  6. The deposit appears as a negative amount on the sale
  7. Tender the refund — credit card, cash, check, etc. — to give the customer their money back

Common Mistakes

  • Don't hit Enter after typing the amount — that tries to look up a PLU and gives an "Invalid PLU" error. Just type the amount and click the Deposit button.
  • Don't click "Apply Deposit" — that's for using the deposit toward a purchase, not for refunding it.
  • The order of steps 2-4 doesn't matter, as long as "Return Item" is active before you click Deposit.

Quick Reference

Task Steps
Take a deposit New sale → Customer → Deposit button → Amount → Tender
Apply a deposit Sale with items → Customer → Other Tender → Apply Deposit
Return a deposit New sale → Customer → Return Item → Amount (no Enter) → Deposit button → Tender refund