Overpayment
An overpayment is money a client pays beyond the invoice, such as a mistyped transfer or a double payment. Ask if they want a refund or a credit. Write the answer against that invoice.
What it means
An overpayment usually starts on the client’s side. They type the wrong amount, or they send a second payment by mistake. The extra money is not yours to keep by default. You and the client need to agree what happens to it.
Ask the client whether they want the difference refunded or held as a credit against a future invoice. When they answer, write the decision against the invoice, with the amount and the date. An overpayment with no record can turn into a dispute months later.
An $850 invoice gets a $1,000 bank transfer, because the client mistyped the amount. You message them, they ask for the $150 refunded, and you record it against that invoice the same day.
Treating an overpayment as a tip or a buffer against the client’s next invoice without asking first. The client may have made a typing mistake and expect the difference back.
See also
Where this shows up
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- guide How to get paid faster, without the awkward follow-up The reminder cadence here stops most late invoices from becoming a collections problem.
- tool Late payment fee & interest calculator Enter an overdue balance, a rate, and the days late. You get the interest, the total now due, and a reminder line to copy and paste.
- tool Payment method check Enter your invoice amount, your card fee, your hourly rate, and how long a transfer takes. The tool compares card, bank transfer, and cash for this invoice. It shows the fee, your time, and when the money lands.