Additional payments (sometimes referred to as retainers, or non-invoiced payments) give your clients the ability to make non-specific payments toward their account balance. Additionally, retainers in Canopy can be managed using two primary methods: either through a deposit feature on engagements or by manually creating additional payments, providing flexibility depending on client and practitioner needs.
Typically, clients might make additional payments if they want to pre-pay for a service they know is coming up, or they would rather their practitioner decide which invoices to apply them to. Retainers can also act as a financial cushion, allowing clients to ensure uninterrupted services or to streamline future billing processes.
Additional payments entered into Canopy can be applied directly to an invoice or stored as Credits. You can allocate these payments across invoices as you desire. Alternatively, you can use the deposit feature directly on an engagement, which simplifies the process by automatically storing the payment as a credit tied to that engagement.
To get started:
Click on the Global Add Button on the global navigation bar.
Select Payment from the secondary navigation menu.
Select a Client in the "Client name" field to apply the additional payment as a credit.
Enable the Additional Payment toggle to mark the payment as a credit.
Input a description for the payment, such as "Retainer" or "Pre-payment for specific service" and enter the payment amount into the provided box.
You can also select the outstanding invoices this contact may have if they have provided sufficient funds. But again, you can apply it to an invoice later on.
Click Continue.
The Payment date defaults to the current date. If needed, change the payment date to a future date.
Use the Select payment method dropdown to select a payment method.
You can choose from a saved payment method, or select a new payment method and input the payment details.
If needed, click + Add a note to the payment.
Click Continue to proceed to the confirmation modal
Click Done.
Click Confirm and pay to create a credit for the additional payment.
You can quickly enter additional payments by clicking Make Another Payment.
Print or Download the receipt by clicking the associated icons.
Once you’ve saved, the additional payment is saved as a Credit. You can find this under the Credits page:
Click on Billing
Select Credits
You should have your new additional payment saved as a credit, along with your description. Let’s click on it - do that by clicking the number of the invoice reference number.
Here, you can view the credit statement. You can download or print the statement from here. And you also have limited options for editing your Credit note. Let’s click Edit.
You can change the description and add notes or terms that will appear on an invoice. But you cannot change the contact, dates or the currency received.
Click Save Credit when you’re finished.
You can then apply that credit to an invoice, as needed. Let’s go back to that Credit.
It’s pretty simple - select an invoice from the dropdown. As you do, you can see the invoice balance. Then choose how much to credit from the credit balance. Just click an invoice, then press Apply Credits.
Once you do, the credit statement changes to show the remaining balance.
If you want to show the credit as applied to an open invoice, go to the invoice by selecting:
Billing
Clicking invoices
Locate the invoice you applied it to.
Best Practices for Retainer Management
Always record payments and create invoices in Canopy first, and let the system sync to QBO.
Frequently review synced data to ensure all service items, clients, and financial information align correctly.
Utilize the deposit feature for simpler retainer tracking when tied to specific client engagements. To ensure seamless syncing with QuickBooks Online (QBO), verify that all service items, such as retainers, are properly matched between Canopy and QBO. This includes keeping names, rates, and tax codes consistent. Always prioritize creating invoices and recording payments in Canopy to maintain accurate integration.