Milestone Payments and Deposits

Don't Fund the Job Yourself

If you're doing a kitchen refit or a bathroom overhaul, you shouldn't be fronting all the material costs yourself. Milestone payments let you split a job into chunks — so money comes in as the work progresses. It protects your cash flow and keeps things fair for the customer too.

How Milestones Work

When you create a quote or job in A.X.E.L, you can split the total into payment milestones. Each milestone gets its own invoice, so the customer pays in stages as you hit each point.

Think of it like this: you agree a price, then break it down so you're not waiting until the very end to see a penny.

Common Splits

A.X.E.L gives you quick presets for the most common arrangements:

• 50/50 — half upfront, half on completion. Classic and simple.
• 30/70 — 30% deposit to cover materials, 70% when the job's done.
• Custom — set as many milestones as you want with whatever percentages or amounts suit the job.

Example: £10,000 bathroom refit — £3,000 deposit (materials), £4,000 at first fix, £3,000 on completion.

Setting Up Milestones

1. Create or open a quote/job
2. Go to the Payment Schedule section
3. Choose a preset split or tap Custom
4. Name each milestone (e.g. "Deposit", "First fix complete", "Final payment")
5. Set the amount or percentage for each
6. Save

A.X.E.L makes sure the milestones add up to the total. If they don't, it'll flag it so you can adjust before sending anything to the customer.

Deposit Invoices

Once your milestones are set, you can generate a deposit invoice for the first payment straight away. This is the one you send before you even pick up a tool — it covers your materials and shows the customer you run a tight ship.

The deposit invoice looks just like a normal invoice but clearly states it's a deposit, with the remaining balance shown so everyone knows where they stand.

Invoicing Each Milestone

As you complete each stage of the job, come back and generate the next milestone invoice. A.X.E.L keeps track of:

• Total job value
• Amount invoiced so far
• Amount paid
• Amount remaining

So at any point you can see exactly where the money's at. No spreadsheets, no scribbled notes on your phone.

Tracking What's Paid

Each milestone shows its status — Pending, Invoiced, or Paid. When you open a job, the payment schedule gives you a clear picture of cash in vs cash outstanding.

This is gold when you're juggling multiple jobs. At a glance you know which customers owe you money and which milestones are coming up next.

Tips from the Trade

• Always take a deposit on big jobs — it weeds out time-wasters and covers your materials.
• Be clear upfront — show the customer the payment schedule before you start. No surprises means no arguments.
• Don't start the next phase until the current milestone is paid. A.X.E.L makes it easy to see what's outstanding so you can have that conversation early.

Milestone payments aren't just about getting paid — they're about running a professional operation. Your customers will respect it, and your bank balance will thank you.