What if a client wants to pay in instalments not tied to milestones?

Yes - CrmLeaf supports date-based payment schedules as well as milestone-based. You can set invoice trigger dates (e.g. 1st of each month) independently of project milestones. This is useful for long-duration projects or when a client has a fixed monthly payment arrangement.

Can I handle multi-currency invoicing?

Yes. Each client or deal can be set to a specific currency. Invoices are generated in the client's currency. If you operate in multiple markets, different deals can run in different currencies simultaneously, and the revenue dashboard consolidates in your base currency.

Does CrmLeaf sync invoices to QuickBooks or Xero?

Yes. CrmLeaf integrates with QuickBooks Online and Xero. When you send an invoice in CrmLeaf, it syncs to your accounting software automatically - including client details, line items, tax and payment status. Payments recorded in CrmLeaf update the invoice status in your accounting system too.

What happens to the billing if a milestone is delayed?

If a milestone is not completed by its due date, no invoice is created - the billing trigger waits for actual completion. This prevents billing for work not yet done. If a milestone is pushed back, the invoice simply fires later when the milestone is marked complete.

TUTORIAL 11 · INVOICING & PAYMENTS

How to set up milestone-based invoicing for solar projects

This tutorial walks you through configuring a payment schedule on a solar project, assigning billing amounts to each milestone, and tracking payments so every invoice fires automatically when a milestone is completed - with zero manual triggers.

CrmLeaf TeamUpdated July 202610 min readFinance teams & project managers

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STEP 1 OF 4

Set the payment schedule on the deal

The payment schedule is the backbone of milestone billing. It defines how the total project value is split across billing events - usually tied to project phases. Set it at the deal stage so everything is agreed before work starts.

Open the deal record → scroll to "Payment Schedule"
Click "Add Payment Schedule"
Choose schedule type: Milestone-based, Date-based or Manual
For milestone-based: add each billing event with amount and trigger milestone
Common structure: 30% deposit on deal sign, 40% on installation start, 30% on commissioning
Save payment schedule - client can see this in the proposal

Always agree the payment schedule before the client signs the proposal - include it in the proposal document. This prevents payment disputes later and sets clear expectations from day one.

WHAT YOU SEE WHEN DONEPayment schedule configured and visible on the deal. Billing amounts and triggers defined before the project starts.

STEP 2 OF 4

Link billing amounts to project milestones

Once the project is created from the won deal, link each payment schedule tranche to a specific project milestone. When that milestone is marked complete, the invoice is created automatically.

Open the project → go to Milestones
Click a milestone → "Set Billing Trigger"
Enter the invoice amount or select from the payment schedule tranche
Set tax rate (VAT, GST or none) applicable to this invoice
Confirm client billing details (invoice recipient, address, payment terms)
Repeat for each billable milestone

For the deposit invoice (raised at deal sign), set it as a "manual" trigger - it fires when you click "Send Deposit Invoice" after the deal is won, not on milestone completion.

WHAT YOU SEE WHEN DONEEvery billable milestone has an invoice amount attached. No milestone can be completed without the invoice being created.

STEP 3 OF 4

Review and send invoices

When a milestone is marked complete, CrmLeaf creates the invoice automatically. Review it, personalise if needed and send. The client receives the invoice by email with payment instructions.

Milestone marked complete → notification appears in Finance dashboard
Go to Invoices → the new invoice shows as "Draft"
Review: client name, invoice date, line items, amount and tax are pre-filled from the milestone
Add any notes (e.g. "Payment due within 14 days per contract")
Click "Send Invoice" - client receives email with invoice PDF
Invoice status updates to "Sent"

Set up your invoice email template once in Settings → Invoice Template. Every auto-generated invoice will use your branded template - saving you formatting time on every invoice.

WHAT YOU SEE WHEN DONEInvoice sent to client immediately on milestone completion. No delay between work completed and billing triggered.

STEP 4 OF 4

Track payments and manage outstanding balances

As clients pay, record payments against invoices. CrmLeaf tracks partial payments, outstanding balances and overdue invoices - giving finance a live view of cash position at all times.

Go to Invoices → click an invoice → "Record Payment"
Enter payment amount, date and payment method
If partial: CrmLeaf updates balance - invoice status becomes "Partially Paid"
Overdue invoices appear in the Overdue report automatically after the due date passes
Send payment reminders from within the invoice record
Revenue dashboard shows total collected, outstanding and overdue by project, client and month

Review the outstanding invoices report every Monday morning - it takes 2 minutes and ensures no overdue invoice goes unnoticed for more than a week.

WHAT YOU SEE WHEN DONEEvery payment recorded. Partial payments tracked. Overdue invoices flagged. Finance has a live cash position without a spreadsheet.

You've completed this tutorial

Set up once - invoices fire automatically every time a milestone is completed. Tick steps off as you complete them using the progress tracker.

Next: Lead to commissioning

Continue learning

Keep going with the next tutorials in the Solar CRM series.

TUTORIAL