Appearance
Adding Installment Payments in Batch
This guide walks you through creating a batch of installment payments for existing pledges, either by entering them manually or importing from a spreadsheet.
Creating a New Batch
- Go to Manage > Batches
- Click Create
- Give your batch a name (e.g., "January Pledge Payments" or "Q1 Installments")
- Select the Installments tab
TIP
Use descriptive batch names to make them easy to find later. You can edit the batch name anytime before processing.
Adding Installments Manually
Click Add to open the installment form. Fill in the required fields and any optional information.
Required Fields
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Pledge Profile | The pledge this payment applies to (offline pledges only) |
| Amount | The payment amount |
| Payment Date | When this payment was received |
Optional Fields
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Invoice ID | Link to a specific scheduled invoice (marks it as paid) |
| Reference ID | A unique identifier for this payment (useful for updates) |
WARNING
If a payment with the same reference ID already exists, core and revenue payment fields will be updated. Revenue splits, credits, and tags from the new import are handled as follows: tags are added (safe to re-import), custom values are replaced, and splits/credits are only created on initial import.
Revenue Settings
Each installment payment creates a revenue record. You can optionally set payment details:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Payment Method | How the payment was made (none, cash, check, bank transfer, credit card, gift in kind, other) |
| Payment Reference | Check number, wire reference, receipt number, etc. |
| Revenue Status | Payment status (defaults to completed) |
| Payment Channel | Online or offline (defaults to offline) |
| Payment Notes | Additional payment details |
| Fund | Which fund to allocate revenue to |
| Fund Amount | Amount to allocate to the fund (defaults to full payment amount) |
TIP
For check payments, use "check" as the payment method and enter the check number in the Payment Reference field.
Editing and Removing Rows
- Edit: Click anywhere on a row to open the form and make changes
- Delete: Click the trash icon on the right side of a row
Importing from Spreadsheet
For large batches, importing from a spreadsheet is faster:
- Click Import from Spreadsheet at the bottom of the batch
- Select your CSV or Excel file
- Map your columns to the correct fields (if needed)
- Review the imported rows
See Importing from Spreadsheet for detailed instructions on the import process.
Supported CSV Columns
Below is the full list of columns supported when importing installment payments from a CSV or Excel file.
Required
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
installment_profile_id | The pledge profile ID this payment applies to |
amount | Payment amount |
created_at | Date and time the payment was received (e.g., 2024-01-15 10:30:00) |
Optional
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
invoice_id | Link to a specific scheduled invoice (marks it as paid) |
reference_id | External or unique identifier — if a payment with the same reference ID exists, core and revenue payment fields will be updated. Revenue splits and credits are only set on initial import. |
Revenue
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
revenue_payment_method | Payment method (e.g., check, cash, bank_transfer) |
revenue_payment_reference | Reference number (check number, wire reference, etc.) |
revenue_status | Payment status (e.g., completed, pending) |
revenue_payment_channel | Where the payment was received (e.g., online, offline) |
revenue_payment_meta | Additional payment notes |
Fund
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
fund_id | Fund designation ID |
fund_amount | Amount to allocate to the fund |
Custom Fields (numbered, via column mapping)
Add custom field values using numbered columns:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
installment_custom_field_1 | Value for the first installment custom field |
installment_custom_field_2 | Value for the second installment custom field |
revenue_custom_field_1 | Value for the first revenue custom field |
revenue_custom_field_2 | Value for the second revenue custom field |
Add more numbered columns (_3, _4, etc.) as needed.
Revenue Splits (numbered, via column mapping)
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
revenue_split_fund_id_1 | Fund ID for the first split |
revenue_split_amount_1 | Amount for the first split |
Add more numbered pairs (_2, _3, etc.) as needed.
Revenue Credits (numbered, via column mapping)
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
revenue_credit_contact_id_1 | Contact ID for the credit recipient |
revenue_credit_amount_1 | Credit amount |
revenue_credit_type_1 | soft or hard |
revenue_credit_category_1 | Category: tribute, matching, solicitor, household, or other |
Add more numbered sets (_2, _3, etc.) as needed.
Tags (numbered, via column mapping)
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
revenue_tag_1 | Tag name for the revenue record |
Add more numbered columns (_2, _3, etc.) as needed.
TIP
Custom fields use numbered suffixes (_1, _2, etc.) and require the column mapping step during import. When you upload your file, map each numbered column to the correct field.
How Contacts Are Linked
Installments normally inherit their contact from the parent pledge (installment_profile_id). If a row provides contact_id explicitly, that contact is used instead.
If contact_id is provided but doesn't match any existing contact in your organization, processing errors out on that row with an "Invalid Contact ID specified" message — no silent fallback, no new-contact creation.
See Importing from Spreadsheet for the full matching behavior across batch types.
Reviewing Your Batch
Before processing, review your data:
- Check that amounts are correct
- Verify pledge profile assignments
- Confirm payment dates
- Look for any error indicators
Processing the Batch
When you're ready to finalize:
- Click Process Batch
- Confirm the action
- Wait for processing to complete
Important
Batch processing cannot be undone. Once processed, each installment payment becomes a permanent record. Double-check your data before processing.
After Processing
Once processed:
- Installment payments appear under the pledge in Manage > Pledges
- Revenue records are created automatically
- Pledge stats are updated (amount paid, remaining balance)
- Linked invoices are marked as paid
Tips and Best Practices
- Start small - Test with a few records before importing thousands
- Use reference IDs - Makes it easy to update records later
- Review before processing - Check for duplicates and errors
- Verify pledge profiles - Ensure each payment links to the correct pledge
- Keep your spreadsheet - Useful for troubleshooting or re-imports
- Process in batches - Split large imports into manageable chunks