Invoices & Payments
Record a check, cash, or wire payment
Mark an invoice or milestone as paid when your client pays outside FirstSlate, and send a receipt.
Updated 2026-07-10
Not every client pays online. When a check, cash payment, or wire transfer comes in outside FirstSlate, you can record it manually so the invoice, your reports, and the client's receipt all reflect it.
Where to find it
Open a Sent invoice and click Record Payment (or Record Manual Payment, for a single-payment invoice). On a milestone invoice, this opens a list of unpaid milestones first, so you can pick the one that was actually paid. You can also record a payment from the invoice's row on Dashboard → Invoices without opening the full builder.
Recording the payment
The Record Payment dialog asks How did your client pay? (ACH / Bank Transfer, Check, Cash, Wire Transfer, or Other), a Payment Date (defaults to today, can be backdated, can't be set in the future), and optional Notes, free text useful for a check number or reference. Click Mark as Paid to save. If this was the invoice's final unpaid milestone (or its only payment), the whole invoice moves to Paid status.
Sending a receipt
After you mark a payment, FirstSlate opens a Send Receipt prompt with the client's email pre-filled and room for a short message. The method, date, and notes you entered populate the receipt email, so it's worth being specific in the notes field (for example, "Check #1234, received May 6"). You can also send a receipt later from the invoice's More actions menu.
Correcting a mistake
If you mark the wrong invoice as paid, open its More actions menu (the "..." icon) and choose Mark Unpaid. This reverts the invoice's status and clears the recorded payment method, date, and notes. It's available once the invoice shows as fully Paid.
Common questions
Does recording an offline payment charge the client anything?
No. It only updates your records. No money moves through FirstSlate for a manually recorded payment.
Will a manually recorded payment show up in Reports?
Yes. Recorded payments count toward your revenue totals in reports the same as online payments, using the payment date you entered.
Can I record a partial payment against a single-payment invoice?
Not directly. If you're expecting more than one payment on a project, set it up as a milestone schedule first so each installment can be tracked and recorded on its own.