Project — deposit
The deposit invoice record with amount, status, and the signed proposal attached.
Agency finance · Milestone billing
Deposit and milestone invoice records, organized per project
When you bill a project in milestones — deposit up front, payment at the midpoint, balance on delivery — each invoice has to tie back to the deliverable that triggered it. Without records per project, you lose track of which milestone is paid and which sign-off is still pending. Cash Workspace lets you record each milestone invoice with its description, amount, and status, and attach the sign-off that authorized it.
The problem
Why milestone billing gets tangled
A milestone project produces several linked invoices over weeks or months. Without one record per project, you can't tell which milestone is billed, paid, or signed off.
- The deposit was paid but you're not sure the midpoint invoice ever went out.
- A milestone sign-off email is in someone's inbox, not with its invoice.
- The final invoice is sent before the client formally approved the milestone.
- Across five active projects, you can't see which milestones are still unpaid.
- Deposit and balance amounts don't reconcile because they live in different tools.
The workflow
Track a project's milestones in order
Set up the milestone records per project, then update each one as it's billed, paid, and signed off.
- 1
Map the milestones
List the project's milestones — deposit, midpoint, final — with the amount expected at each.
- 2
Record each invoice
When a milestone is reached, record its invoice with the milestone description, amount, and due date.
- 3
Attach the sign-off
File the client's milestone sign-off or approval document with the invoice that it authorizes.
- 4
Update the status
Mark each milestone invoice draft, sent, partially paid, paid, or overdue as it progresses.
- 5
Review the project
Scan the project's milestone records to confirm what's billed, paid, and still outstanding.
Record structure
What to record for each milestone invoice
These fields keep every milestone invoice tied to its deliverable and its status.
- Project
- The project the milestone belongs to, kept as one record set.
- Milestone
- Which milestone this is — deposit, midpoint, final, or a named phase.
- Description
- The deliverable that triggers this invoice, in one line.
- Amount
- The amount due at this milestone and currency.
- Invoice number
- The invoice number linking this milestone to your numbering scheme.
- Status
- Draft, sent, partially paid, paid, or overdue for this milestone.
- Sign-off document
- The client's approval or sign-off attached to the invoice it authorizes.
- Due date
- When this milestone's payment is due.
Example setup
An example project milestone setup
One way to organize a three-milestone project inside your workspace.
Project — midpoint
The midpoint invoice with its milestone description and sign-off document.
Project — final
The final invoice with the delivery sign-off attached and its status tracked.
Project — sign-offs
All client approval documents linked to the milestone they authorized.
Common mistakes
Milestone record mistakes to avoid
- Recording the deposit but not the later milestone invoices.
- Sending a milestone invoice before the sign-off is recorded.
- Leaving milestone statuses stale, so paid and unpaid blur across projects.
- Keeping sign-off documents in email instead of with their invoice.
- Splitting deposit and balance across tools so the totals don't reconcile.
How it helps
How Cash Workspace helps
Milestone records per project
Record deposit, midpoint, and final invoices under one project so the whole billing arc is visible.
Sign-offs attached to invoices
Attach each approval document to the milestone invoice it authorizes so deliverable and billing stay linked.
Clear milestone statuses
Mark each milestone invoice draft, sent, partially paid, paid, or overdue and update it as the project moves.
Related
Related milestone billing workflows
Deposit invoice records
Organize deposit invoices and their statuses.
Fixed-fee project records
Track fixed-fee projects that bill in stages.
Partial payment records
Record partial payments against a milestone.
Unpaid invoice tracker
Track unpaid milestone invoices across projects.
All finance workflows
Browse the full Cash Workspace workflow library.
FAQ
Milestone billing records FAQ
- How do I keep deposit and final invoices reconciled?
- Record each milestone invoice under the same project with its amount and status, so you can see the deposit, midpoint, and final together and confirm the totals add up.
- Should the sign-off live with the invoice?
- Yes. Attach the client's milestone sign-off to the invoice it authorizes, so the deliverable approval and the billing are never separated.
- Does Cash Workspace send milestone invoices automatically?
- No. You issue invoices yourself and record them in the workspace. Cash Workspace organizes the records and statuses; it does not send invoices or process payments.
Organizing help — not tax, accounting, or legal guidance
Cash Workspace is a free workspace for organizing invoices, expenses, receipts, clients, and documents. This page is organizing guidance only — not tax, accounting, legal, or bookkeeping guidance. Cash Workspace does not connect to your bank, does not scan or read your receipts for you, and does not move or collect payments. Whether an expense is deductible depends on your situation, so confirm it with a qualified accountant or tax professional.
Keep every milestone tied to its invoice
Start a free workspace and record each project's deposit, midpoint, and final invoices with their sign-offs attached, so you always know what's billed, paid, and pending.