> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.arcuserp.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Record Customer Payments
> Use the order payment screen to collect or record customer money by card, ACH, check, cash, wire, external payment, payment terms, or available account credit.
## Before You Start
* The order must have a remaining balance and must not be cancelled.
* Your role must allow receiving customer payments.
* Card and ACH payments require Stripe to be connected and ready.
* Cash payments require an open register session.
* ACH payments require a verified saved bank account.
* Check payments require a check number before they can be recorded.
* Applied credit requires available credit on the customer account.
**Do not use customer payments for vendor bills**
This page records money coming in from customers. Use [Pay Bills and Print Checks](/support/accounting/pay-bills) when you are paying a vendor.
## Open the Payment Screen
1. Go to **Orders** and open the order you want to collect against.
2. Review the order status, customer, and balance due.
3. Click **Process Payment** from the order action area.
4. Confirm you landed on the order payment screen before entering money.
## Record a Payment
1. Review the customer, order number, and amount due at the top of the page.
2. Use the order breakdown on the right to confirm subtotal, tax, paid amount, and remaining balance.
3. In **Payment Details**, set the payment date, reference, and notes if your team uses them.
4. Confirm the amount on the first payment line. It usually starts with the remaining balance.
5. Select the payment method tile for that line: **Cash**, **Card**, **ACH**, **Check**, **Terms**, **Wire**, **Credit**, or **External**.
6. Fill the required details for the method you chose.
7. Click **Add another payment method** if the customer is splitting the payment across methods.
8. Review the total indicator, then click **Record \$X.XX**.
**Use split payments for real mixed tenders**
If a customer pays part by card and part by cash, add a second payment line instead of creating separate order payments.
## Payment Method Rules
| Method | What to check |
| ---------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Cash | Select an open register session. Use **Exact**, the bill/coin keypad, or type the amount tendered. If the customer tenders more than the balance, review **Change Due** or turn on **Keep change as account credit**. |
| Card | Choose a saved card. If Stripe is connected, use **Add a new card** at the top of the payment screen before selecting the card line. Configured processing fees can apply. |
| ACH | Choose a verified saved bank account. ACH can take several business days to settle. |
| Check | Enter the check number and any reference your team needs for deposit matching. |
| Payment terms | Use when the balance should remain receivable under agreed terms instead of being collected now. |
| Wire or external | Record the amount after you have the outside confirmation or reference. |
| Applied credit | Apply only credit that is already available on the customer account. |
## Short Pays and Over Pays
Arcus compares the total you are recording to the order balance. If the payment is short,
the **Confirm short payment** modal opens. Confirm only when the remaining balance should stay open and be collected later.
The payment batch total cannot exceed the balance due. If the total indicator shows **Over by**, reduce a line amount or remove a line before recording. The exception is cash tendered over the applied amount: the cash panel shows **Change Due**, and you can either give change or keep the over-tender as account credit.
**Card and ACH timing**
A recorded card payment is usually immediate after approval. ACH can have bank processing
time. Your fulfillment and accounting workflow may treat pending ACH differently from
settled money.
## What Happens After Recording
* The order balance and payment status update.
* The payment appears in the order payment history.
* Cash payments can update the selected register session.
* Applied credit reduces the customer's available credit.
* Payment terms keep the amount open in accounts receivable.
* You return to the order's payment area so you can continue fulfillment or review history.
## Common Blocks
* **Cannot record yet banner**: read the inline reason below the header. It names the exact missing requirement for the current line, such as a register session, saved card, saved bank account, or check number.
* **No open register**: open a cash register session before using cash.
* **Stripe not connected**: card and ACH are unavailable until Stripe is configured.
* **No saved card**: if Stripe is connected, click **Add a new card** on the payment screen, save it, then select it on the card line.
* **No verified bank account**: add or verify the bank account on the customer account before using ACH.
* **ACH still pending verification**: finish bank verification before using that bank account.
* **Missing check number**: enter the check number before recording a check payment.
* **Invalid payment date**: choose a valid date in an open accounting period.
* **Terms blocked**: clear the account hold, credit limit issue, or terms setup first.
* **Cancelled order**: cancelled orders cannot accept new payments.
* **Fully paid order**: review the existing payment history instead of adding another payment.
**Correct mistakes with payment history**
If money was recorded incorrectly, use the payment history actions for refund, void, or correction.
Avoid changing the order total just to hide a payment mistake.
## Related Articles
Build a sales order, add customers, set addresses, and add products.
Understand draft, open, paid, fulfilled, cancelled, and voided states.
Save cards and bank accounts for future customer payments.
Track customer balances, aging, statements, and collections work.