# Payments

> Money a customer paid, applied to their issued invoices and posted to the general ledger.

A payment records money a customer paid. Its lines apply it to the customer's issued
[invoices](/docs/apps/finance/invoices), an amount to each, so every invoice shows what is still due.

## How it works

A payment is a [Document](/docs/concepts/records/documents): a draft has no number, and receiving it
makes it final. You draft the payment with the customer, the day it arrived, and the deposit
account where the money landed, such as 1000 Cash. Add a reference, such as a check number, to
find it later.

**Receive payment** does three things at once:

- Numbers the payment per entity, such as PAY-US-3.
- Posts the deposit against the customer's receivable to the general ledger, and applies it to
  each invoice it pays.
- Makes the payment final.

Each line settles at most what its invoice still owes, and only an issued invoice of the same
customer. Each invoice then shows what it was paid and what is still due.

**Void payment** reverses what it posted, dated today, such as for a bounced check. The invoices it
paid fall due again.

<ActionRef id="finance.payments.receive" />

<RecordReference type="finance.payment" />

## Next steps

<Cards>
  <Card
    title="Invoice a customer"
    href="/docs/guides/invoice-a-customer"
    icon="receipt"
  >
    Issue an invoice and record its payment.
  </Card>
  <Card
    title="Customer accounts"
    href="/docs/apps/finance/customer-accounts"
    icon="users"
  >
    Whom an entity bills, and on what terms.
  </Card>
</Cards>