# Jewelry store step 6: part payments and layaway plans

> Let customers buy jewelry in instalments. Take a deposit, keep the piece aside, record each payment and hand over the piece when the balance is paid.

Source: https://docs.smartposhub.com/business-types/jewelry/step-6-part-payments-and-layaway/  
Last updated: 2026-10-30  
Product: SmartPOS Hub (https://smartposhub.com)

Jewelry is often bought over several weeks: a deposit today, then monthly instalments, and the piece goes home when it's paid. In SmartPOS Hub a layaway is simply a **sale with a part payment**: the balance stays due on the invoice and you record each instalment against it.

## Before you start

- The customer is a named contact (Walk-In Customer can't owe money). Add phone and ID details in the contact.
- Set a **credit limit** and **pay term** on the customer if you want limits. See [Customer credit limits and advances](https://docs.smartposhub.com/selling/customer-credit-limits-and-advances/).

## 1. Take the deposit

1. In **Sell › POS**, pick the customer and add the piece (with its tag number, [step 4](https://docs.smartposhub.com/business-types/jewelry/step-4-serials-certificates-and-warranties/)).
2. Press **Multiple Pay**.
3. Type the deposit in **Amount** and choose the method. The **Balance** in red is what stays due.
4. Write the plan in the payment note or sale note, for example "Layaway: 3 instalments every 30 days".
5. Press **Finalize Payment** and confirm with **OK**. Print the invoice for the customer.
6. Put the piece in your layaway drawer with the invoice number.

![Sell Details of invoice AN-06935 with status Partial, three gold pieces with serial numbers, and one payment of 1,719.90 in cash noted Layaway deposit against a total of 7,166.25](https://docs.smartposhub.com/_astro/jewelry-layaway-sale.Bip1ZZbJ.png) (web app page: `/sells`)
*A layaway sale: Partial status and the deposit as the first payment.*

## 2. Record each instalment

1. Open **Sell › All sales**, search the customer and choose **Actions › Add payment** on the layaway sale. (Or open the customer and press **Add payment**.)
2. Enter the amount and method and **Save**.
3. The **Payment Status** stays **Partial** until the last instalment, then turns **Paid**.

## 3. Hand over the piece

When the status is **Paid**, give the customer the piece, its certificate and a final receipt. The full history of payments is on the sale and in the customer ledger.

## Follow up on open layaways

| Check | Where |
|---|---|
| All open layaways | **Sell › All sales**, filter **Payment Status** Partial |
| Late instalments | Filter **Overdue** (older than the customer's pay term) |
| What one customer owes | Customer page: **Balance due**, ledger |
| Totals per customer | **Reports › Supplier & Customer Report** |

**Tip:** 
Send a polite reminder before each due date. The customer page has the phone number, and if you use Messaging you can send the reminder from SmartPOS Hub.

## Cancelled layaways

Take a **Sell Return** of the piece: the piece goes back into stock, and the money already paid is refunded or kept as store credit, depending on the outcome you choose and your return settings. A cancellation fee can be set as **Restocking fee (%)** in **Sell › Return settings**.

The full worked example (20 % now, 50 % later, the rest at the end) is in [Credit and part payments](https://docs.smartposhub.com/selling/credit-and-partial-payments/).

Next: [step 7: repairs](https://docs.smartposhub.com/business-types/jewelry/step-7-repairs/).

  - [Credit and part payments](https://docs.smartposhub.com/selling/credit-and-partial-payments/)
  - [Customer ledger](https://docs.smartposhub.com/customers/customer-ledger/)

## Frequently asked questions

### Is there a separate layaway screen?

No. A layaway is a normal sale with a part payment. The invoice shows Partial and the amount still due, and you add each instalment with Add payment.

### Does the piece leave stock when I take the deposit?

Yes, the sale takes it out of stock straight away, so nobody else can sell it. Keep the piece in a layaway drawer with the invoice number until the last payment.

### How do I see all open layaways?

Sell › All sales with Payment Status Partial (or Due), or the customer's page, which shows the balance due. Reports › Supplier & Customer Report lists what each customer owes.

### What if the customer wants to pay before choosing a piece?

Record the money as an advance payment on the customer. It sits as Advance Balance and pays for the sale later.

### The customer gives up the layaway. What now?

Take a sell return of the piece. The amount already paid can go back as a refund or stay as store credit, following your return settings.

### Can I stop credit for some customers?

Yes. Set a credit limit on the customer. A sale that would go over the limit is stopped.