Quick Start · Article 1.4
Get paid: what happens after your client signs
The moment your client clicks `Sign`, Clozo issues the deposit invoice, sends a payment-request email, and starts watching for the money to arrive. Here's the play-by-play.
Where this fits in the lifecycle
The signing event is the inflection point of the whole proposal. Up to that moment, nothing financial has happened — no invoice, no Stripe charge, no audit trail beyond "this client viewed the document". The instant they sign, Clozo issues a legal invoice numbered in your sequential register, sends an email with payment instructions, and starts the meter on payment terms.
Step by step
Client signs.
A Timeline event "Signed at 14:45 UTC" appears on your proposal detail page. Status changes from
ViewedtoSigned.Clozo issues the deposit invoice.
A PDF is generated within ~5 seconds (DEP-2026-0001 numbered against your year sequence). It appears in your Documents dropdown immediately.
Email goes out to the client.
Subject: "Your invoice for [project title]". Body includes your IBAN/BIC for SEPA, an EPC QR code, and (if Stripe is connected) a "Pay with card" button.
Client pays.
Two paths: (a) Stripe card: client enters card details, 3DS challenge if required, succeeds in seconds; webhook lands within ~2 seconds and we mark the invoice as paid. (b) SEPA bank transfer: client scans the QR code in their banking app, the transfer takes 1-3 business days; we'll mark the invoice paid once the funds arrive (you confirm manually or we detect via webhook).
Status changes to
Deposit paid.A second Timeline event records the payment with method and amount. The receipt PDF (REC-2026-0001) is generated automatically and attached to a confirmation email to both you and the client.
Real-time updates on the proposal detail page. Timeline grows: Sent → Viewed → Signed → Deposit paid. Each event has a timestamp. The Documents dropdown fills in: signed Service Agreement, deposit invoice, deposit receipt. Your dashboard reflects the new Deposit paid status with an amber badge.
Why this works this way
The reason we issue a separate deposit invoice (rather than one big invoice for the full amount) is EU VAT timing. Under Art. 65 of the EU VAT Directive, an advance payment is a chargeable event in itself — it triggers VAT liability the moment the payment is received. So you owe tax on the deposit before the project is finished. The deposit invoice (Anzahlungsrechnung in German, facture d'acompte in French) is the legal artefact that records that event. Later, when the project is done and you issue the final invoice (Schlussrechnung / facture de solde), it references the deposit invoice and deducts the deposit amount and VAT — so you don't pay tax twice. This sequence is enforced by §14 UStG in Germany and parallel rules elsewhere; getting it wrong can cost the client their input VAT deduction.
Troubleshooting
Keep reading
Lifecycle
Status: Deposit paid — work can start
The deposit landed (Stripe webhook or manual confirmation). Clozo flips the status, queues the deposit receipt PDF, and starts a behind-the-scenes job to pre-render the final invoice. You can begin the work.
Configuration
Stripe Connect: enabling card payments end to end
Five minutes through Stripe's onboarding turns on card payments for every future proposal — no extra config, no separate Stripe dashboard to manage, payouts land in your IBAN.
Proposals & Invoices
SEPA bank transfer with EPC QR — when offered, how it works, what to put on the invoice
Every Clozo invoice includes IBAN, BIC, and an EPC-format QR code that any modern EU banking app scans into a pre-filled SEPA transfer. Works with or without Stripe enabled.
Proposals & Invoices
The final invoice (INV-) — Schlussrechnung, facture de solde
The final invoice closes the project. It states the full work value, then explicitly references the deposit invoice and **deducts both the deposit amount and the deposit VAT**, so you don't pay tax twice. This deduction is mandated by §14 UStG and parallel rules across the EU.
