Expected Payments

Track payments you expect to receive from customers. Expected payments help with cash flow forecasting, control what customers see when paying through MyAccount, and provide payment details for customer correspondence.

Key Use Cases

Cash flow forecasting: See what payments are due and when, helping you plan your finances.

MyAccount payment control: When a customer pays through MyAccount, the system can show the expected payment amount instead of their full outstanding balance. This is useful when you want customers to pay a specific amount rather than their entire debt.

Customer correspondence: Include payment details in emails and letters using template variables. The system automatically formats amounts, dates, and payment instructions.

Adding an Expected Payment

1. View the customer’s account
2. Go to Add menu > Expected Payment
3. Enter the payment details:
   • Amount: How much you expect to receive
   • Expected Date: When you expect the payment
   • Expected Payment Type: Category for this payment (optional)
4. Add any references for tracking (optional)
5. If collecting by direct debit or card, select the account or card
6. Click Save

Understanding Expected Payment Status

Expected payments have two states:

Open: No payment covers the expectation. This includes expectations whose linked payment failed or was reversed. They appear in open lists, searches and open expected-payment correspondence selections.

Matched: A linked payment covers the expectation. Pending payments count, so Matched does not confirm that funds have arrived.

By Payment links to the payment. Covered by Payment shows whether it counts towards the expectation. If collection fails or the payment is reversed, the expectation is open again and keeps its payment link for investigation.

For example, a £150 expectation is matched while its linked Direct Debit is pending. If that payment fails, the expectation is open again. Check the linked payment’s status before arranging another collection.

Using Expected Payments in Correspondence

When sending emails or letters to customers, you can include expected payment details using template variables. The system replaces these with the actual values when generating the correspondence.

Available Template Variables

Variable	Description
%(expectedPaymentDate)	The due date, formatted for display
%(expectedPaymentDueDate)	Same as above
%(expectedPaymentDueBy)	Human-readable status: “due by [date]”, “due immediately”, or “overdue”
%(expectedPaymentAmount)	The amount with currency symbol (e.g., £150.00)
%(expectedPaymentMethod)	The payment type name
%(expectedPaymentType)	Same as above
%(expectedPaymentMessage)	Custom message based on the payment type
%(expectedPaymentInstructions)	Payment method instructions

Example Usage

A payment reminder template might include:

Payment of %(expectedPaymentAmount) is %(expectedPaymentDueBy).

%(expectedPaymentInstructions)

Which renders as:

Payment of £150.00 is due by 15th January 2025.

Please pay by bank transfer to: Sort code 12-34-56, Account 12345678

MyAccount Payment Collection

When customers pay through MyAccount, the system normally shows their total outstanding balance. Expected payments can override this.

How It Works

1. The system checks for expected payments due within the next few days
2. If found, it shows that amount instead of the total balance
3. Customers pay the expected amount rather than everything they owe

This is useful when:

• You’ve agreed a payment plan with the customer
• You want to collect a deposit before the full balance
• The customer is paying in instalments

Priority Rules

The system prioritises expected payments by due date:

• Payments due within 2 days take highest priority
• Payments due within 16 days take second priority
• If no expected payments exist, the system shows the normal outstanding balance

Direct Debit Account Selection

If an expected payment has a linked direct debit account, that account appears first in selection dropdowns on payment pages.

Viewing Expected Payments

From the Customer

1. View the customer’s account
2. Click Expected Payments in the left menu

The list shows all open expected payments. Use the filter options to include matched payments.

From a Payment

Open Linked Expected Payments on the payment record to see its expectations. The links remain available after a payment fails or is reversed.

Managing Expected Payments

Editing an Expected Payment

1. View the expected payment
2. Click Edit
3. Make your changes
4. Click Save

Your record and field permissions control what you can edit. Check any linked payment before changing the expectation’s amount or payment details. Covered by Payment is calculated from that payment and cannot be edited directly.

Deleting an Expected Payment

1. View the expected payment
2. Click Actions menu > Delete

Only delete expected payments that were created in error. If a customer’s circumstances change, consider updating the expected date instead.

Field Reference

Identification

Basic identification information for this expected payment.

No fields defined for this section.

Expected Payment References

Reference information for tracking this expected payment.

Field	Description
Our Reference	Internal reference for this expected payment
Customer's Reference	Customer's own reference for this payment

Expected Payment Details

Payment amount, due date, and method configuration.

Field	Description
Expected Payment Type	The type/category of this expected payment
Expected Date	The date this payment is expected to be received
Request Payment By	Payment methods to request from the customer
Amount	The amount expected to be paid
Direct Debit Account	Direct debit account to collect payment from
Payment Card	Payment card to charge for this payment

Payment Details

Actual payment allocation and completion tracking.

Field	Description
By Payment	The linked payment. Failed or reversed payments do not cover this expected payment.
Covered by Payment	Whether a linked payment covers this expected payment. Pending payments count; failed or reversed payments do not.

Best Practices

Set Realistic Due Dates

Choose expected dates that match when you genuinely expect to receive the money. This keeps your cash flow forecasting accurate and ensures MyAccount shows the right amounts at the right time.

Use Payment Types for Categorisation

Create expected payment types to categorise different kinds of payments: deposits, instalments, final payments, and so on. This helps with reporting and lets you set up type-specific messages for correspondence.

Link to Payment Methods

When you know how the customer will pay, link the expected payment to their direct debit account or payment card. This:

• Prioritises that account in MyAccount selection dropdowns
• Makes it easier to match payments when they arrive
• Enables automatic collection if your payment integration supports it

Review Unmatched Expected Payments

Regularly check for expected payments that have passed their due date without being matched. These might indicate:

• Missed payments that need chasing
• Payments that arrived but weren’t linked correctly
• Expected payments that should be updated or removed