How to Log Payment Without Invoice

Last reviewed: June 9, 2026

On this page

Use this workflow to record customer money that should become customer credit because no invoice is being selected.

When to use this workflow

Use Log Payment Without Invoice when a customer sends money before an invoice is ready or when the money should remain available as customer credit.

Do not use this workflow when the payment belongs to an existing invoice. Use How to Log Payment so the payment is linked directly to the invoice.

Do not create a new customer credit to correct a payment mistake unless your finance process specifically requires it.

Before you start

Confirm:

You have permission to record customer payments.
The customer already exists in PAX.
The payment should not be linked to an invoice yet.
The payment amount and payment date are correct.
The payment method is known.
Check number is available when the payment method is Check.
Any credit card, wire, or EFT fee is known.

If the customer does not exist yet, create the customer first with How to Add Customer.

Screen path

Dashboard > Sales > Payments > Log Payment Without Invoice

Steps

Open Dashboard > Sales > Payments.
Select Log Payment Without Invoice.
In Select Customer, type the customer code or customer name.
Select the correct customer from the list.
Review the customer summary and Current Credit Balance.
Enter Payment Amount.
Confirm Payment Date.
Select Payment Method.
Enter the reference:

Payment method	Reference label
`Check`	`Check Number`, required.
`ACH`	`ACH Reference`, optional.
`EFT`	`EFT Reference`, optional.
`Wire`	`Wire Confirmation`, optional.
`Credit Card`, `Cash`, `Other`	`Reference Number`, optional.

If the payment method is Credit Card, Wire, or EFT, enter the fee if applicable and review the net amount received.
Review the note that the payment will be logged as customer credit.
Review GL Entries to be created.
Select Record Payment.
Open Customer Detail if you need to confirm the updated customer credit balance.

What happens behind the scenes

When the modal opens, PAX loads the customer list for selection. After a customer is selected, PAX loads that customer's current available credit balance.

When Record Payment is selected, PAX:

Validates that a customer is selected.
Validates that the payment amount is greater than zero.
Creates a payment record with no invoice linked.
Marks the payment as a prepayment/customer credit.
Stores the payment amount, fee, date, method, reference, and user.
Updates customer credit through the payment credit-balance logic.
Uses payment posting logic to create the related accounting entries.

Payment without invoice does not create a Sales Order, invoice, shipment, invoice line, customer record, or accounting adjustment to a specific invoice.

The customer credit can later be applied from How to Log Payment when an invoice is ready.

Troubleshooting

The customer cannot be selected

Likely cause: The customer code or name does not match an existing customer, or the customer list did not load.

Safe fix: Search by exact customer code. If the customer does not exist, create it before recording payment.

Contact support if: The customer exists but cannot be selected.

Customer is required

Likely cause: Text was typed in Select Customer, but no valid customer was selected.

Safe fix: Select the customer from the list or clear the field and search again.

Contact support if: A valid selected customer is still rejected.

Check Number is required

Likely cause: Check is selected as the payment method and the check number is blank.

Safe fix: Enter the check number in Check Number.

Contact support if: The payment is not a check but PAX still requires a check number.

The customer credit balance does not look right

Likely cause: Credit balance is based on payment and credit activity, not on the customer master record.

Safe fix: Review Customer Detail and payment history before entering another credit.

Contact support if: The payment was recorded but the customer credit balance did not update as expected.

The payment should have been applied to an invoice

Likely cause: Log Payment Without Invoice was used instead of Log Payment.

Safe fix: Do not enter a duplicate invoice payment. Apply the customer credit to the correct invoice from the payment modal if that is the approved workflow.

Contact support if: The credit cannot be applied or the payment was recorded under the wrong customer.