In bexio, it is not possible to directly create advance payment invoices. However, you can manage these transactions in two ways:
- Via the Sales module (recommended): by generating partial invoices directly from an order.
- Via the Banking / Contacts module: by recording an entry on the customer account and then linking it to the final invoice.
Summary:
1. Difference between advance payment invoice and partial invoice (with example)
When to use an advance payment invoice?
A customer pays an advance before full delivery of the service or product (e.g., a building contractor requests an initial transfer of CHF 50,000 on an overall estimated project, before the final settlement).
When to use a partial invoice?
The final total amount is already defined and fixed, but payment is staggered (e.g., training fees of CHF 1,000 payable in 3 installments).
In summary:
If the payment leads to a deduction on a subsequent final invoice, it is an advance payment. If the total amount is spread across several predefined due dates, it is a staggered payment / partial invoice.
Option 1: Create a partial invoice from an order
This method is the simplest and recommended one, as bexio automatically manages VAT and transaction reconciliation for your partial invoices.
- Create the order: Go to Sales → Orders and create your main order.
- Create the partial invoice: Open the order and click on Create partial invoice. Specify the amount or percentage for each partial invoice.
- Send and collect: Send the partial invoices to your customers. Once your transactions are received, reconcile the payment directly with this partial invoice in the Banking module.
Option 2: Direct receipt on the customer account, then applying it to the invoice
If the customer paid you an advance without you issuing an invoice beforehand:
- Record this payment: In the Banking module, post the received transaction via a customer entry or create an entry in that specific customer's contact record.
- Create the invoice for your customer and post it against the customer entry.
It is not possible to create multiple separate invoices beforehand and then group them later into a single overall invoice in bexio.