Collect payment in online estimates

Overview

You can collect deposits directly through online estimates in the ServiceTitan Customer Portal. This simplifies the process for you and your customers by automating payment collection and improving cash flow. You can also let your customers sign an Estimate now and pay the deposit later.

Setup overview

Before you can collect deposits through online estimates, you must do the following:

1. Enable estimate deposits

2. Enable deposit workflow

Step 1: Enable estimate deposits

To enable estimate deposit:

1. Go to the top toolbar and click Settings .

2. In the side panel, click Estimates > Estimate Deposit.

3. Enter a percentage in the Default deposit field.
   

4. Under Deposit Collection Rule, select when your customer pays the deposit:

   • Require deposit upon signature: Customer must pay the deposit upon signing.

   • Allow deposit payment later: Customer can sign now and pay the deposit later.

5. Click Apply.

The deposit amount is required on all estimates your customer accepts through online estimate links or the Customer Portal, unless you override it when you send the estimate. Existing accounts use Require deposit upon signature until you change the setting. You can change the setting at any time, and estimates you’ve already sent keep the behavior they were sent with.

Step 2: Enable deposit workflow

Enable the deposit workflow to ensure deposits are exported as accurate journal entries. When enabled, Payments not yet applied to an Invoice are treated as deposits—debiting Undeposited Funds and crediting the account you select. Once the deposit is applied to an invoice, the journal entry updates automatically to debit that account and credit Accounts Receivable.

For more on enabling this workflow, see Enable Deposit Workflow.

Set deposits when you email an estimate

When you send an online estimate by email, each estimate card on the Email Estimate screen includes deposit controls. You can use these controls to override the default deposit percentage for a specific estimate, or turn off the deposit requirement entirely.

Each estimate card displays the following controls:

• Collect Deposit: Controls whether the customer pays a deposit on this estimate. This toggle is on by default based on your default deposit setting. Turn it off if a deposit isn’t needed for this estimate.

• Deposit Amount: Shows the deposit calculated from the default percentage. You can enter a new percentage in the % field, or click $ to switch to a specific dollar amount. Changing one value automatically recalculates the other. The card also displays the estimate Total and the calculated Deposit amount. It also shows the estimate status, Open or Sold.

Update deposits on individual estimates

1. Open the estimate and click Email Estimate.

2. On the Email Estimate screen, select the checkbox on the estimate card you want to change. The deposit controls appear.
   

3. To change the deposit amount, enter a new value in the Deposit Amount field. Use the $ / % toggle to switch between a dollar amount and a percentage.
   

4. To remove the deposit requirement for an estimate, turn off the Collect Deposit toggle. The customer can accept and sign this estimate without making a payment.

5. Repeat for any other estimates as needed, then click Send.

Note: You can also do this on a Sold estimate if your customer hasn’t paid the deposit yet. Once a deposit is paid, online or on site, the Collect Deposit toggle locks and the card shows Deposit Paid.

Update deposits on estimates in bulk

1. On the Email Estimate screen, select the estimates and click Adjust Selected Deposits.
   

2. On the Bulk Override Deposits pop-up, check or uncheck Require deposit to enable or disable deposits for all selected estimates.
   

3. Enter a new Deposit Amount as a percentage or dollar value.

4. When finished, click Save to update all selected estimates.

Note: Any changes you make to the deposit on the Email Estimate screen apply only to that specific send. They do not change the default deposit percentage in Settings > Estimates > Estimate Deposit.

How customers pay a deposit online

When you send an online estimate to your customer, the included online estimates link takes your customer to Customer Portal where they can view and approve their estimates.

What your customer sees when it’s time to pay depends on your Deposit Collection Rule setting:

• Require deposit upon signature: Your customer pays the deposit as part of accepting the estimate.

• Allow deposit payment later: After signing, your customer chooses to pay the deposit now or later.

Sign the estimate

1. In Customer Portal, your customer can review the online estimates and click Sign & Accept. 

2. On the next screen, your customer reviews the amount and the deposit, and clicks Sign & Accept. 

3. On the next screen, your customer reviews any terms, signs the authorization, and clicks Accept & Continue.        

   Note: Customers on the mobile device can sign using their touchscreen while customers using a computer can type an e-signature.

      

Pay the deposit now

If your account requires the deposit at signing, the payment screen opens next. If your account allows paying later, the Deposit Payment window asks, When would you like to pay the deposit? If your customer selects Pay $[deposit amount] now:

1. Your customer enters the payment information and clicks Submit Payment. 

2. A confirmation screen appears with the payment details. Your customer clicks Close. 

3. The online estimate updates to Accepted and shows the paid deposit. 

Pay the deposit later

If your account allows paying later, your customer can select Pay later in the Deposit Payment window and click Finish and pay later. A screen confirms that nothing is charged today. The estimate shows as Accepted with a Pay Deposit button.

When your customer is ready to pay:

1. On the online estimate, they click Pay Deposit on the accepted estimate. They can also click View to open the estimate PDF view, then click Pay Deposit there.

2. They enter their payment information and complete the payment. A confirmation screen shows the amount paid, a confirmation number and the remaining balance.

The deposit then shows as paid. ServiceTitan records the deposit on the Customer Record and doesn’t create a new invoice.

See estimate and deposit status on the customer record

On the customer record, the opportunities and estimates table shows two columns next to the total: Estimate Status, such as Open, Sent or Sold, and Deposit Status, Paid or Unpaid. You can filter the table by either column to see which estimates still need a deposit without opening each one.

Want to learn more?

• Visit ServiceTitan Academy and enroll in Customer Portal Basics

• See Use Online Estimates

• See Customer Portal overview