The quick answer
To record a customer deposit in NetSuite, open Transactions > Customers > Record Customer Deposits. Select the customer, enter the payment amount, review the date and deposit account settings, then save. Check the saved deposit’s amount and status.
When a customer pays before an invoice exists, record the advance as a customer deposit. This walkthrough checks the deposit itself; applying it to an invoice happens separately. The screenshots use sample data and fictional person and operating-company names.
Before you start
Confirm the customer, amount received, date, and where the funds should be recorded. Your role needs customer-deposit access. If the deposit belongs to a sales order, use the appropriate order-linked workflow and verify the association. Accounts Receivable must be enabled.
01. Choose the customer
Open Transactions > Customers > Record Customer Deposits and select Customer. The form shown here has 1 Test company selected.
Review any sales-order association when applicable. This example is a customer deposit without a demonstrated sales-order link.
02. Enter the amount and deposit details
Enter the payment amount and review the date, posting period, currency, and memo. The recording enters 100.00.
Check whether the funds belong in Undeposited Funds or an available bank account. The example uses Undeposited Funds; choose based on your actual deposit process.
03. Save and verify the deposit
Click Save. The example produces CD01, with 100.00 recorded to Undeposited Funds and Not Deposited status.
Confirm the customer and amount on the saved record. A saved deposit is not evidence that an invoice has been paid or that the bank deposit is complete.
Check the result
- The deposit belongs to the intended customer.
- The amount and currency match the advance received.
- The account and deposit status match the handling of the funds.
The advance is recorded. Apply it through the appropriate deposit-application workflow when the invoice is ready, and complete the bank deposit when needed.
Common questions
How do I create a Customer Deposit in NetSuite?
Open a new Customer Deposit form, select the correct Customer, enter the Payment Amount, and add an optional Memo. Complete any required account, subsidiary, currency, payment method, or classification fields shown on your form, then select Save. You need appropriate transaction permissions and A/R enabled.
What fields are required to record a customer prepayment?
The Customer and Payment Amount are typically essential. Depending on your account, role, subsidiaries, currency settings, payment configuration, and customized form, NetSuite may also require a destination account, payment method, currency, subsidiary, date, or classifications. Review all mandatory fields displayed before saving.
Does saving a Customer Deposit apply it to an invoice?
No. Saving creates the deposit transaction and generally records the funds as a customer-deposit liability; it does not automatically apply the amount to an invoice. A deposit application is a separate process. If the deposit is linked to a Sales Order, account configuration may automatically apply it when that order is invoiced.
Is a Customer Deposit automatically posted to Undeposited Funds?
Not necessarily. The destination depends on the account selected on the Customer Deposit form: Undep. Funds sends it there for later bank-deposit processing, while a bank account may record it directly. Saving confirms transaction creation, not bank settlement, reconciliation, or successful payment processing.