Know what has been paid and what is still owed
IBIOS Payments is simple accounts receivable software for UK businesses that take deposits and balances. Record every payment against the quote or job it belongs to, take card payments by link, and see who still owes what. Raising invoices and automatic payment chasing are coming soon.
For: Any business that takes deposits, stage payments or balances. Use it on its own or alongside the other IBIOS products.
What it does
- LiveDeposits and balances recorded against each quote or job
- LiveProvider and transaction reference kept with every payment
- LiveA list of balances to chase, for managers
- LivePayment information limited to managers, directors and owners
- LivePay by link (SumUp or Stripe)
- Coming soonAutomatic payment chase reminders
- Coming soonSync with QuickBooks
Proven in a real business
IBIOS was built inside a working bathroom showroom in Northern Ireland, where it runs the business day to day. That is our proof story, not our limit: each product works on its own for any business that needs it.
Buying guide
Tracking deposits and balances: a practical guide for UK businesses
Written by the IBIOS team. IBIOS was built inside a working bathroom showroom in Northern Ireland, where it runs the business day to day. Last updated 18 October 2026.
How do you choose accounts receivable software for deposits and balances?
Start with one question: can anyone with the right access tell, in a few seconds, what a customer has paid and what they still owe on a job? If not, the problem is not how you take payments; it is where you record them. Choose for that, then for how money comes in.
- Every payment against its job. Deposit, stage payments and balance, each recorded against the quote or job it belongs to.
- A reference you can trace. Which provider took the money and its transaction reference, so you can match it to the bank or card statement.
- Who still owes what. A list of outstanding balances a manager can work through, not a mental note.
- Money going back out. Refunds, write-offs and credits recorded against the job, so the balance stays right and there is a trail.
- Who may see payment details. Managers and owners, not everyone with a login.
- How it reaches your accounts. Whether payments flow into your bookkeeping software or are entered there separately. Ask what is live.
Why record payments outside the accounts software?
Your accounts software knows money arrived. It rarely knows which quote revision the customer accepted, which fitting it relates to, or that the balance is due before the delivery goes out. Recording the payment against the job puts that answer in front of the person dealing with the customer.
In IBIOS each deposit and balance is recorded against the quote or job, with the payment provider and transaction reference, and managers get a list of balances to chase.
Customers can also pay deposits and balances by link today, through SumUp or Stripe, so the money comes in without a phone call or a bank transfer to match.
How do you handle refunds, write-offs and credits?
Money does not only come in. In IBIOS a refund is recorded against the job, so the balance updates and anyone looking at the job can see the money has gone back, and how.
Write-offs and credits are recorded as balance adjustments. Write off a small balance that is not worth chasing, or give a customer a credit for a goodwill gesture or a returned item, and the adjustment is recorded on the job and the balance updates, rather than a payment figure quietly edited by hand.
Who should see payment information?
As few people as can do the job. In IBIOS payment information is limited to managers, directors and owners. Sales staff can still see that a job is ready to go ahead without seeing the payment details behind it.
Never write full card numbers in notes, emails or spreadsheets. Take card payments through your payment provider and keep only its transaction reference.
Deposits, cancellations and late payment
If a consumer cancels within their cancellation period under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, which apply across the UK including Northern Ireland, you normally have to refund their payments, so record which payments relate to which quote version and when the contract was made.
For business customers, the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 lets you claim interest and fixed compensation on overdue invoices across the UK. Clear payment dates on the job make that claim far easier to support.
Bank statement, a payments app, your accounts software or IBIOS?
How the usual approaches work out for a business that takes deposits and balances on jobs.
| Option | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Bank statement and memory | A handful of jobs a month. | Payments with vague references, and balances that are only chased when someone remembers. |
| Card or payment-link app | Taking money quickly and securely. | Knows the payment, not the job; matching it back is still manual. |
| Accounts software alone | Invoices, VAT returns and the books. | Built around invoices; staff dealing with the customer often cannot or should not see it. |
| IBIOS | Deposits, balances, refunds, write-offs and credits recorded against the job, with provider and transaction reference, and a list of balances to chase. | Early access by waiting list. QuickBooks and Xero sync are coming soon, not live yet, so payments are entered in your accounts as you do today. |
What you need in place before you start
- Your deposit rule (for example, a deposit on acceptance and the balance before delivery or fitting).
- The payment providers you use, so each payment can be recorded with its reference.
- A list of jobs with balances outstanding today.
- A decision on which roles may see payment information.
- Your terms for cancellations and refunds, matched to your quote terms.
What it costs
Payment providers charge their own fees; tracking software is a separate cost. The bigger cost is the balance nobody chased and the deposit refunded twice because nobody could see it had already gone back.
Founding prices for waiting-list members are explained on the pricing page. Payments can be used on its own or alongside quoting and the CRM.
Last reviewed October 2026.
What people get wrong
- Recording a payment without the provider’s transaction reference.
- Letting the whole team see payment details.
- Releasing goods or booking fitting before checking the balance.
- Keeping card numbers in notes or spreadsheets.
- Refunding a cancelled consumer job without checking which payments relate to which quote.
- Editing a payment figure to make a balance look right instead of recording a write-off or credit.
- Assuming payments flow to your accounts because an integration is advertised. Ask whether it is live.
Related reading
- VAT and deposit calculator
- Late payment interest calculator
- Payment chases
- Quoting software buying guide
Payment tracking software FAQs
Is IBIOS Payments available now?
Yes. Payments is live: deposits and balances are recorded against each job. QuickBooks sync is coming soon.
Can I record refunds, write-offs and credits?
Yes. Refunds are recorded against the job, and write-offs and credits are recorded as balance adjustments, so the outstanding balance stays accurate.
Does IBIOS help with invoice chasing and credit control?
Partly. Managers get a list of outstanding balances to chase today; automatic payment chase reminders and raising invoices are coming soon.
Can customers pay deposits and balances by link?
Yes. Customers can pay deposits and balances by link today, through SumUp or Stripe, and each payment is kept with its provider and transaction reference.
Does IBIOS sync payments to QuickBooks or Xero?
Not yet. QuickBooks and Xero sync are coming soon; until then, enter payments in your accounts as you do today.
Can I use Payments without the rest of IBIOS?
Yes. Each IBIOS product works on its own and shares the same customer records if you add more later.
Not sure IBIOS fits the way you take payments?
Tell us how you take deposits and balances today and where you record them, and we will tell you honestly whether IBIOS will help or whether your current setup is already enough.
IBIOS Limited · company no. NI743167 · 10 Ballyclare Road, Doagh, Ballyclare BT39 0PE · Production is hosted in the UK.
Use Payments and cash flow in your business
IBIOS is in early access. Join the waiting list and we will email you when a place is available.