In Clio Manage you can manually record payments for bills and trust requests. You can also edit and delete bill payments. If you need to change a payment for a trust request, you will need to return the funds. Learn more here.
Note: If you are using Clio Payments, you can use a client’s stored payment method to record payment for future bills without having to request payment from a client. You can also ask clients to pay directly via credit card, debit card, eCheck (US only), Apple Pay, or Google Pay. Learn more about Clio Payments here.
Record bill payments
When recording a bill payment, you can select the source of payment as a direct payment, credit card payment, eCheck payment, or apply trust funds if the client has funds in their trust account.
- Direct payment
- A direct payment is a payment made directly to the firm without using any Clio-integrated payments platform, such as Clio Payments. When you record a transaction as a direct payment, the transaction automatically moves to a paid state.
- Credit card
- If you select credit card, you will have the option to enter your client’s credit card details for the bill payment. For US customers, a credit card payment can take 1-2 business days before the payment is fully processed and deposited into your bank account. For Canadian customers, the payout time is up to three business days.
- eCheck/ACH
- US customers can select eCheck as a payment option. If you select eCheck, you will have the option to enter your client’s eCheck details for the bill payment only if you have Clio Payments enabled on your account. An eCheck payment can take 5-7 business days before the payment is fully processed and deposited into your bank account. There is no limit to the number of eChecks you can accept each day, but a single client can make a maximum of five eCheck payments in a single day, with a limit of $25,000 per transaction.
- Trust account
- You can apply any trust funds at the client or matter-levels for the bill payment. If you submit a trust request to your client to top-up their trust funds, you can only accept payment through direct payment, credit card, or eCheck. Learn more about trust requests here.
View bill payment history
Once a payment is recorded, you can view which firm user recorded the payment in the bill timeline, via your firm feed, and in the matter timeline.
- Go to Billing or go to the Bills subtab in a contact or matter.
- Optional: Select the Paid quick filter subtab to view paid bills only.
- Click Filters to narrow your search results.
- Click the Bill ID. You can also click the down arrow next to Send and select View bill.
- Under Bill Timeline, view the bill creation and payment history.
- Go to Dashboard > Firm Feed.
- Click Filter.
- Under Type, select Bill payment or Trust request payment.
- Go to the matter’s Dashboard.
- Scroll down to Timeline.
- Select Filters to narrow your results by bill payment or trust request.
Bill payment status overview
Once a payment has been made, you can view the status of the payment by going to Online payments > Transactions. Paid transactions may show any of the following payment statuses:
- Authorized
- Your credit card/bank account details have been accepted and the payment is currently being processed. Authorized payments can still be voided by clicking Void.
- Completed
- The payment has been successfully processed and will be deposited into the relevant bank account. The timeframe for when a payment is fully processed and deposited into your bank account depends on your client's payment method and the bank processing the transaction See the section above on Record payment for payout timeframes for credit card and eCheck payments. Completed transactions cannot be voided and can only be refunded.
- Failed
- The payment details were rejected by the other bank or something went wrong with the transaction.
- Chargeback
- The disputed payment amount has been withdrawn from your firm's operating account.
- Disputed
- A dispute/chargeback has been initiated by the cardholder or account holder.
- Dispute Won
- Your firm won the dispute and the funds have been successfully reclaimed. Learn more about disputes and chargebacks here.
Edit recorded bill payments
When editing a recorded payment, you can edit all fields other than the write-off or credit note section. If you need to apply a credit note or write-off a bill payment, you will need to delete the payment first. Learn more about credit notes here.
- Go to Billing or click the Bills subtab in a contact or matter.
- Optional: Click the Paid quick filter subtab.
- Click the bill ID to open the bill. You can also click the down arrow next to Send and select View bill.
- Under the Payments subtab, click Edit next to the payment.
- Make your changes and click Edit payment.
- Go to the contact or matter’s Transactions subtab.
- Select the account where the funds were deposited.
- Find the payment transaction and click Edit.
- Make your changes and select Edit payment.
Unlink payments
If you accidentally linked a payment to the incorrect client or matter, you can unlink the payment and link it to the correct client without having to issue a refund. You can unlink payments for paid bills and simple payments that were processed in one of your bank accounts (payments from the New charge button in the Online payments tab), allowing you more choices with payments and a better client experience.
Note: You cannot unlink payment plan payments or change links for simple trust payments (payments charged to one of your bank accounts) after partial or full refunds are made.
- Go to Online payments.
- Optional: Click Filters to narrow your transaction results.
- Find the payment and then click Edit.
-
Under Client, select the new client for the payment.
- Once the client is selected, you have the option to choose a matter. You cannot, however, link the payment to only a matter.
- Optional: Check the box for Apply payment to issued invoice automatically if you want this payment to be applied to approved bills for this client.
- Click Update payment.
- Click Yes, update payment to confirm and unlink the payment.
Delete recorded bill payments
You can only delete a recorded payment if it is a direct payment or eCheck payment. Credit card payments that have been completed can only be refunded or unlinked. Learn more about refunding payments here.
- Go to Billing or click the Bills subtab in a contact or matter.
- Optional: Click the Paid quick filter subtab.
- Click the bill ID to open the bill. You can also click the down arrow next to Send and select View bill.
- Under the Payments subtab, click the down arrow next to Edit and select Delete.
- When the warning prompt appears, select Delete.
