How do I track instalments and overdue payments in a travel agency?
A holiday paid in instalments needs a clear calendar: deposit, instalments, due dates and a list of what is still unpaid. If you keep it all in Excel, overdue amounts show up late. Below is the method and what you can do in the software.
Short answer
- Set a deposit and split the rest into equal instalments, each with a due date.
- Record each payment or refund when you receive it.
- An instalment unpaid after its due date becomes overdue.
- The ageing report groups overdue amounts by days late.
- You send the reminder yourself: the software only prepares the text and keeps the log.
Worked example
Example (illustrative figures): a tour costs EUR 2,400. The deposit is 30%, i.e. EUR 720. The remaining EUR 1,680 is split into 4 instalments of EUR 420.
On 20 June, instalment 1 appears in the 1–30 days bucket of the ageing report.
Example: payment schedule
| Type | Amount (EUR) | Status on 20 June |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit (1 May) | 720 | Paid |
| Instalment 1 (1 June) | 420 | Overdue 19 days |
| Instalment 2 (1 July) | 420 | Not yet due |
| Instalment 3 (1 August) | 420 | Not yet due |
| Instalment 4 (1 September) | 420 | Not yet due |
Common mistakes
- Not setting due dates, so you don't know when an instalment becomes overdue.
- Recording the payment late, so the displayed balance is wrong.
- Checking overdue amounts monthly instead of weekly.
- Mixing currencies in the same total.
How 4AgencyTravel helps
- You generate a deposit and 1–24 instalments with due dates, directly on the booking.
- You record payments (cash, transfer, card — only as a noted method) and refunds manually; you print an HTML payment confirmation, which is not a fiscal receipt.
- The receivables ageing report (not yet due, 1–30, 31–60, over 60 days) is split per currency.
- For a reminder you open an e-mail or WhatsApp with prefilled text and keep a log; nothing is sent automatically.