How to set up the sales deposit automation to invoice a deposit against a billing schedule?

This article covers automating a sales deposit invoice from a billing schedule sales order, within the Sales Ledger. This is a separate automation from the one that generates the regular scheduled invoices – see Generating scheduled invoices with the billing schedule automation for that.

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Unlocking the sales deposit document type

Before you can automate a sales deposit, the 'Sale invoice: Deposit' document type must be unlocked and configured with a document series and an account default. By default, this document type is locked.

1. Navigate to Document Types
2. Search for 'deposit'
3. Select the green dot near the top right of the screen to reveal inactive document types
4. Open the 'Sale invoice: Deposit' document
5. Select the three dots menu and choose 'Unlock'.

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Assigning a document series

Once unlocked, the document type needs a document series before it can be used in an automation.

1. With the document open in edit mode, go to the 'Series' tab
2. Assign a document series
3. Set the date from field to any historic date before your earliest order that needs picking up
4. Save the changes.

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Assigning an account default

The deposit automation maps to your debtors control account through an account default, not directly through the Chart of Accounts.

1. Navigate to Account Defaults
2. Search for 'sale'
3. Tick the record with purpose 'Sale: Deposit'
4. Confirm the account is set to your debtors control account

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Creating the sales deposit automation

1. Navigate to Automations and select 'New'
2. Set 'Automation type' to 'Sale deposit'
3. Set 'From doc type' to 'Billing Schedule'
4. Set 'To doc types' and 'Default' to 'Sale invoice: Deposit'
5. Set 'Trigger' to 'Automatic upon posting'
6. Save the automation

Because the trigger is set to automatic upon posting, the deposit invoice is raised as soon as the billing schedule sales order is posted. You do not need to run this automation manually, unless the date for the deposit is in the future. 

For how to create a billing schedule order, including adding the deposit, see How to create a sales order with a billing schedule? and How to add a deposit to a billing schedule sales order?