# Payment methods

Create the ways a debtor can pay, a bank account or cash, agree them on each contract, and see where they show, from the installments and payments to the reminders the debtor receives.

A payment method tells the debtor where to pay and tells you how a payment arrived. Collection keeps its own list of methods, apart from any accounting. The demo has two: **Bank transfer**, to Harbor National Bank, and **Cash**.

## Before you start {#before-you-start}

- Creating or changing a method needs the **User** access right on **Collection** or above; **Readonly** only reads the list.
- Each method belongs to one company; in a database with several companies, the **Company** field says which.

## Create a method {#create}

1. Open **Collection/Configuration/Payment Methods**. The list shows each method's **Name**, **Type**, **Account Owner**, **Bank Name** and **IBAN**.

![The two methods of the demo, a bank transfer to Harbor National Bank and cash.](https://jaah.app/web/image/13893-515683b4/collection-payment-methods-methods_list-en.png)

2. Click **New** and type the **Name**, as the debtor will read it. The name can be translated: each language keeps its own wording.
3. Choose the **Type**: **Bank Transfer** or **Cash**. **Bank Name** and **IBAN** appear for a bank transfer only.
4. In **Account Owner**, choose the contact who holds the account.
5. Save.

![A bank transfer method with its bank, IBAN and account holder; due-date reminders show them to the debtor.](https://jaah.app/web/image/13897-adf353e2/collection-payment-methods-bank_method-en.png)

A bank method shows as its name followed by its bank everywhere it is picked, such as "Bank transfer - Harbor National Bank".

## Agree the methods on a contract {#on-a-contract}

The contract's **Payment Methods** field lists the methods the debtor may use ([Create a collection contract](create-a-collection-contract)). From there:

- **Create Installments** fills each new installment with the contract's methods. Each installment keeps its own **Payment Methods**, which you can change one by one.
- Changing the contract's methods later replaces them on all its installments, paid ones included.
- A payment can only use one of the contract's methods, or any method of the company when the contract names none. **Register Payment** started from an installment picks its method when the installment has exactly one ([Register a payment](register-a-payment)).

## What the debtor sees {#what-the-debtor-sees}

The due-date reminder to the debtor lists the installment's methods, or the contract's when the installment has none:

- a bank transfer with its bank name, its IBAN and its account holder;
- cash with its name only.

Without any method, the reminder asks the debtor to get in touch about how to pay. The PDF receipt of a payment names the method used. Reminders are set in [Installments and reminders](installments-and-reminders#reminders).

## Follow the payments by method {#by-method}

In **Collection/Installments/Payments**, search by **Payment Method** or group the payments by it to see what arrived through each account.

## FAQ {#faq}

### Can I hide a method I no longer use? {#hide}

There is no archive. Remove it from the contracts that should no longer offer it. Deleting it also takes it off every contract, installment and payment that named it.

### Why can't I pick a method when I register a payment? {#cannot-pick}

The contract names other methods. Add this one to the contract's **Payment Methods** first.

### Do methods take money online? {#online}

No. A method is information for the debtor and for your follow-up; the money arrives outside the app, and you record it as a payment with its proof.

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- Source: https://jaah.app/docs/collection/payment-methods
- Updated: 2026-10-28
- Version: Collection 19.0.3.2.5
- Verified: 2026-10-28