The problem
You collected a $2,000 deposit in January. You did the job in February. You invoiced the full $8,500 in March and forgot to subtract the deposit. Client pays $8,500. Now you have to figure out how to refund $2,000 or give a credit — or worse, you just keep it and wonder why the client is cold on you.
Or you remembered to subtract it — but you did the math yourself, typed a credit line into the invoice, and hoped the number was right. Double-check at 10pm after a long day is how $2,000 becomes $1,800 or $2,200 on the statement.
Deposits that live in a text thread, a sticky note, or "I'll remember" are deposits that eventually cause a fight.
Why we built it
Deposit tracking should be automatic. The moment you collect a deposit against a job, it should follow that job to the final invoice. No manual tracking. No mental arithmetic at 9pm. The client's statement should show the truth without you rebuilding it from memory.
How it works
When you request and collect a deposit against a job, DIRT logs it on that job. When you create the final invoice from the job, the deposit is already there — listed as a credit, automatically deducted from the total.
The client's final invoice shows something like: "Job total: $8,500. Deposit paid: $2,000. Balance due: $6,500." Clear, professional, correct. (Example figures.)
If you collected more than one deposit — progress payment mid-job, then another before materials — each credit stays attached. The balance due is the job total minus what already cleared, not a number you typed by hand.
You still review before send. The credit is pre-filled so you aren't inventing the math under pressure.
What changes for your business
Before
Deposit is a number you wrote on paper or remember from a text. Sometimes it makes it onto the final invoice correctly. Sometimes the client pays twice and you eat the embarrassment. Sometimes you under-bill and find out months later. Either way you look sloppy — and sloppy on money is how you lose the next referral.
After
Collect the deposit through DIRT, build the invoice through DIRT — the deposit is always applied. Balance due is always right. No refund conversations that start with "I thought we already paid that."
Common questions
What is a deposit credit on an invoice?
A deposit credit is when a deposit the client already paid gets applied against a later invoice, reducing what they still owe. Instead of billing the full remaining balance and expecting the client to do the math, the deposit shows as a credit and the net balance adjusts automatically.
How does DIRT apply a deposit to a final invoice?
When you create an invoice on a job where a deposit was already collected, DIRT applies the deposit automatically so the balance reflects what the client actually still owes. The client sees the total, the deposit already paid, and the remaining amount due — clean and clear.
Do I need to track deposits separately to make the math work?
No. DIRT keeps the deposit in the job's payment record from the moment it's collected. When you bill the balance, the system already knows the deposit exists and applies it. You don't have to note it down or manually subtract it from the invoice total.
What does the client see when a deposit is credited?
They see a clear entry showing the deposit they paid, the current invoice total, and the net balance due. It's straightforward — the client can confirm their deposit was applied without having to call and ask you.
What if the client paid the deposit through a different method than the final invoice?
The deposit credit applies regardless of how it was collected. Whether the deposit came in by check, Venmo, or Stripe, DIRT records the payment and applies it as a credit on the next invoice. The payment method doesn't change the math.
Does using deposit credits keep my bookkeeping accurate?
Yes. DIRT keeps the full payment history — deposit, any progress payments, and final balance — on the job record. Every payment is accounted for with date and amount. That audit trail makes end-of-year reporting straightforward and eliminates "did I charge them twice?" questions.
Start free
Try it free.
Every DIRT plan includes this feature — Solo included. No credit card, no trial that expires. Set up in minutes and use it on your next job from the truck.