Payment How To's
Refunding a Customer Deposit
Last Updated: July 15, 2026Follow these steps to refund a customer deposit: Open the client and go to the Summary tab. Find the deposit in the Financial Transactions list and double-click to open it. Click Refund This Deposit on the ribbon. The Refund Customer Deposit window will open. Complete the Refund Method and Amount. Click OK when finished. The software will automatically create the refund and a $0 invoice. Both the original deposit and...
Deleting a Payment or Refund
Last Updated: July 15, 2026Find the payment or refund you want to delete. See also: Finding a Payment or Refund Open thepayment or refund. To delete it, click Delete on the ribbon, or open the Payment menu and choose Delete, or press Ctrl+D. A message box will ask if you’re sure you want to delete this payment or refund....
Finding a Payment or Refund
Last Updated: July 15, 2026From the Client Record Open the client record and click the Summary tab. See also: Finding a Client Find the payment or refund in the Transaction History section and double-click on it to open the payment or refund. From the Invoices Hub From the Invoices hub, find the invoice for this payment or refund. See...
Creating a Refund
Last Updated: July 15, 2026Important Information about Refunds There are two ways to create a refund in Spectra/Stratus. How you handle it depends on whether or not you post transactions to your accounting software (see Accounting Link), as well as what type of accounting method you use (see Company (Studio) Preferences – Accounting). Method 1 – You can issue a refund...
FAQ – Documenting a Returned Check
Last Updated: July 15, 2026Q: How do I document a returned check? A: The instructions for documenting a returned check (and any associated fees) are different based on whether the original invoice has been posted or not. This article gives instructions for both scenarios. Instructions Non-Posted Invoices Note: This method can also be used for posted invoices that still...
Creating a Payment
Last Updated: July 15, 2026HERE’S A FLASH FOR YOU! In addition to recording transaction activity on the Status Notes tab of each payment/refund, the software provides you with a security feature that allows you to require users to enter the proper credentials before creating, modifying, or deleting payments or refunds. Set up this security feature on the Invoicing page...
Client Payment Methods
Last Updated: July 15, 2026You can create one or more payment methods for a client that can be used on future payments, either for a new purchase or on a payment plan. Open the client and click on the File tab in the top left corner. Choose Payment Methods from the menu. On the Payment Methods page you’ll be...
Customer Deposits
Last Updated: July 15, 2026NOTE: This feature is available in the Essential, Professional, and Enterprise versions of both Spectra and Stratus Desktop. Customer deposits are used to record a payment you receive before an invoice has been created for a client. Customer deposits can then be applied to future invoices. Customer deposits will post in the same way that payments post. See also:...
Payment Plans
Last Updated: July 15, 2026NOTE: This feature is available in the Professional and Enterprise versions of both Spectra and Stratus Desktop. You can create a payment plan on any invoice in Spectra/Stratus. The Payment Plan feature allows you to create pending payments to be processed at a future date. You can create a single pending payment or a series...
Printing a Receipt
Last Updated: July 15, 2026Follow these steps to create a receipt that can be printed or emailed: Open the payment. See also: Finding a Payment or Refund Use the following tools on the ribbon to produce a receipt: Print – Click the down arrow and choose Receipt. The receipt will immediately print to an attached printer. Preview – Use this...