Taking a retainer or deposit from a couple

Open the client's workspace and find the Payments box. It shows Total, Paid and Balance. If Total is empty, type it. A small use $(amount) button offers the total from the package.

The couple signs on their phone (see the e-sign guide). When they finish, the last screen says Pay your $(amount) retainer, with "That locks in (date) for you." and a Pay now button.

Open Invoices, press ＋ New invoice, and pick the client. Choose the terms:

• Standard / Wedding builds a schedule with a retainer line ("Retainer (due at booking)") and a balance line due before the event.
• Net 30 is a single due date.

Press Create. On the invoice page press Generate PDF, then Send to client. The couple gets the email "Your invoice from (your company) (invoice number)".

In their EQ timeline the couple opens the payment box. It shows a running statement (Total, Paid, Balance), quick-fill buttons Retainer $(amount) and Balance $(amount), an amount box and a Pay now button. A note reads "Pay any amount, any time. Secure checkout by Stripe. Your balance updates here within a minute of paying." They pay on Stripe's page.

You get a "Payment received" alert, in the app and by email: "(amount) from (couple)". The couple gets a receipt email, "Your receipt from (your company): (amount) paid (date)". The first payment on a booking gets the full first-deposit receipt with your refund and date-hold words.

In the Payments box enter the amount and date, pick a method (card, cash, check, Venmo, Zelle or bank), add an optional note, and press + Record.

The box Email the client a receipt is ticked by default. Untick it only if you are re-entering an old payment.

Press Rescheduled: next payment is a new retainer. The next payment then gets a full first-deposit receipt.