Send an Invoice for Event Deposits

Use Invoices for Event Deposits

Occasionally, your guests may want to make a reservation for a large party or event. If your restaurant requires a deposit, you can use the Toast Invoicing feature to send an invoice for the deposit. There are two distinct ways to do this:

Option #1: To be used when items are known for the invoice:
- Charge the event deposit amount with the invoice that includes all the menu items (e.g. a Continental Breakfast package). Once the guest arrives at your restaurant or the order is delivered, use the steps below to create a payment option that can be used to subtract the deposit value from the check total.
Option #2: To be used when items are unknown and you are simply charging the deposit:
- Send the invoice requesting the deposit payment in advance. This allows you to resend the invoice later for the final payment which might include the menu items. Learn more about this option below.

Option #1: Charge a Deposit When Items are Known

With this option, you have the ability to charge the event deposit amount with the invoice that includes all the menu items. Once the guest arrives at your restaurant, you can create a payment option that can be used to subtract the deposit value from the check total.

Create an Event Deposit Menu Item for Toast Invoicing

Start off by creating a specific menu item for the deposit. Let's call it Event Deposit:

In Toast Web, navigate to Menus > Menu management > Edit menus.
Select your desired menu and group and create your new item. To learn more about creating items, check out this Support Center article: Menu Items.
If the price is always the same, enter that value as the Base Price. Otherwise, select Open Price. This will prompt the user to add a dollar amount when creating the invoice.
In the Reporting section, select Yes for Defer Revenue. With this option, Paid in total will now appear in reporting on the day the invoice is paid.
Once you've finished creating the item, Save and Publish your changes.

Note: By default, event deposits are not limited to a minimum or maximum amount.

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Generate & Send the Deposit Invoice With Toast Invoicing

Once you've created your menu item for the deposit, the next step is to create and send an invoice to your guests. You can do this in Toast Web by navigating to Payments > Payment method > Customer invoices. To learn more about this process, check out the Support Center article: Send an Invoice to Your Guests.

Create an Event Deposit Payment Option

Next, you'll need to create a new payment method so the event deposit amount can be removed from the final payment.

Navigate to Payments > Payment methods > Other payment options.
Select + Add to create a new payment option.
Name your new payment option. You can use something like "Deferred Event Deposit" for clear reporting.
For the Tax Exempt setting, make sure No is selected so the tip percentages on the invoice will be based on the full total.
When finished, select Save and Publish.

Use the Deferred Event Deposit Payment Option on the POS

After your guest has completed their event or is paying for their check, use the other payment option you just created to subtract the deposit value from the check total.

To do so, add the item(s) to the check and select Pay ($) on the POS.
On the payment screen, enter the deposit value (ex: $500) in the Amount tendered field and select Other payments.
Choose the appropriate deposit option from the list of other payment types (e.g. the Deferred Event Deposit option you created earlier).
Select Yes once the confirmation screen appears.
Toast will remind you that there is still a balance remaining. Select Pay Remaining Balance to continue collecting payment for this check.

Option #2: Charge a Deposit When Items Aren't Known

With this option, you can send the invoice requesting the deposit payment in advance, allowing you to then resend the invoice later for final payment.

Generate an Invoice Requesting a Deposit Payment

To generate an invoice that includes a deposit request with Toast Invoicing, follow these steps:

In Toast Web, navigate to Payments > Payment methods > Customer invoices and create an invoice.
Add customer and menu item information. Use this Support Center article for more details on creating an invoice: Send an Invoice to Your Guests.
Under the Payment schedule section, select +Add deposit request
Enter the Due date and Amount requested.
Finalize any other details and then select Review invoice. Now you're ready to send the invoice to your guest.

Lastly, once the deposit has been paid for by the guest, you'll need to re-open the invoice and send the revised invoice with the necessary menu items in order to collect the final payment. To do so, you should be able to select the paid invoice from the invoices list, make any adjustments, and resend the invoice for payment.

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