Payment Schedules Manual
The payment schedule projects upcoming collections and disbursements based on unsettled instruments and invoices (post-dated cheques, drafts, payment due dates). It helps anticipate treasury needs and prevent shortfalls.
Overview
Where the journal tracks the past, the payment schedule looks to the future: it lists instruments falling due (post-dated cheques and drafts on the customer side, supplier due dates, payroll, bank charges) with their date. By adding these upcoming flows to the current balance, the company obtains a projected balance that reveals a potential treasury strain in advance.
Business goal
- Anticipate money coming in and going out
- Detect treasury shortfalls in advance
- Track post-dated cheques and drafts
- Plan follow-ups and deferrals
Target audience
- Treasurer — manages upcoming liquidity
- Management — decides deferrals / financing
- Accounting — tracks instruments to be collected
Link with treasury
The payment schedule starts from the current account balance and adds the pending instruments coming from deposit slips and unsettled invoices.
Access and navigation
Left-hand side menu: Finance → Payment schedule (or Finance dashboard, which shows the treasury projection).
The treasury payment schedule
The screen lists the instalments sorted by date, with their direction (collection / disbursement), the party concerned, the method (post-dated cheque, draft, transfer) and the amount.
| Due date⇅ | Direction⇅ | Third party⇅ | Method⇅ | Amount⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15/06/2026 | Coll. | SOCIÉTÉ FONDS CLAIR | Post-dated cheque | 9,200.000TND |
| 20/06/2026 | Disb. | Supplier ECAR | Draft | 12,480.000TND |
| 30/06/2026 | Disb. | Staff (payroll) | Transfer | 38,600.000TND |
| 05/07/2026 | Coll. | SOCIÉTÉ BUFFET CONCEPT | Draft | 7,735.000TND |
Payment schedule columns
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Due date | Date on which the instrument must be collected or paid. |
| Direction | Coll. money in · Disb. money out. |
| Party | Customer (collection) or supplier / staff (disbursement). |
| Method | Post-dated cheque, draft, transfer, cash. |
| Amount | Green for a collection, red for a disbursement. |
Upcoming collections
Customer instruments falling due
Money expected from customers: post-dated cheques and drafts arising from sales invoices not yet settled.
- Post-dated cheques — cheques received but dated for a future due date
- Customer drafts — trade instruments falling due
- Invoice due dates — agreed deferred payments
Once the instrument is actually collected, it generates a Collection (+) entry in the journal and disappears from the payment schedule.
Upcoming disbursements
Planned outflows
Money to be paid out: supplier due dates, payroll, bank charges and other commitments.
- Supplier due dates — drafts and purchase invoices to be paid
- Payroll — staff pay on a fixed date
- Bank charges & fees — periodic bank deductions
When due, the outflow generates a Disbursement (−) entry in the journal, linked to its origin (purchase payment, payroll, bank charges…).
Projected balance
The projected balance anticipates the treasury available on a given date by adding the upcoming flows to the current balance.
Formula
Projected balance = Current balance + Σ upcoming collections − Σ upcoming disbursements.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Current account balance | 312,740.500 TND |
| + Upcoming collections | +16,935.000 TND |
| − Upcoming disbursements | −51,080.000 TND |
| = Projected balance | 278,595.500 TND |
Negative projected balance? If total disbursements exceed the treasury available by a due date, plan ahead: customer follow-up, supplier deferral, account top-up or financing.
Due date sources
The payment schedule's lines are automatically fed by unsettled documents:
Received from customers, dated for a future due date.
Trade instruments for customers and suppliers.
Agreed payment due dates (sales / purchasing).
Fixed-date payroll and periodic bank fees.
Post-dated cheques are also managed on the deposit slips side; once credited, they move from forecast (payment schedule) to actual (journal).
Filters & export
Search by period
Restricts the payment schedule to a window (week, month, quarter).
Filter by direction
Shows only upcoming collections or disbursements.
PDF export
Prints the treasury forecast to PDF.
Excel export
Exports the instalments for analysis or simulation.
Lifecycle (workflow)
flowchart LR P([Unsettled item
cheque · draft · due date]):::s --> E[Payment schedule line]:::p SA[(Current balance)]:::st --> PR[Projected balance]:::p E --> PR PR --> D{Projected balance < 0?}:::s D -->|yes| AL([Act ahead: follow-up / deferral / financing]):::ko D -->|no| OK([Cash flow under control]):::ok E -.->|due date reached| J([Journal entry]):::ok classDef p fill:#ECFDF5,stroke:#16A34A,color:#065F46; classDef s fill:#F5F3FF,stroke:#8B5CF6,color:#5B21B6; classDef st fill:#FEF3C7,stroke:#F59E0B,color:#92400E; classDef ok fill:#D1FAE5,stroke:#10B981,color:#065F46; classDef ko fill:#FEE2E2,stroke:#EF4444,color:#991B1B;
Business rules
Forecast, not actual — the payment schedule projects upcoming flows; it does not change the actual balances until the instrument is collected or paid.
Automatic transition — when due, the settled instrument generates an entry in the journal and leaves the payment schedule.
Monitor the projected balance — an anticipated dip allows action in advance (follow-up, deferral, financing) rather than suffering a shortfall.
Date consistency — the reliability of the payment schedule depends on the due dates entered on invoices and instruments; keep them up to date.
Roles & permissions
| Action | Treasurer | Accountant | Sales | Admin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| View the payment schedule | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Filter / search | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Export (PDF / Excel) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Manage instruments / due dates | ✅ | ✅ | — | ✅ |
Indicative matrix — depends on the profiles defined in your company.
FAQ & Tips
An instalment has disappeared from the list?
The instrument has probably been settled: it has moved into the journal. Also check the period filter.
My projected balance is turning negative?
Plan ahead: follow up with customers whose due date is approaching, negotiate a supplier deferral, or top up an account before the critical date.
Tip — review the payment schedule every week
A weekly glance at the next 30 days is enough to avoid most treasury strains.
