The Client Portal allows you to share Item selections, Proposals and Invoices with your Client. You have full control over allowing your Client access to the Portal and have control over what you share with your Client. In addition to sharing Items, Proposals and Invoices, your Clients can approve Items and Proposals and they can pay Proposals and Invoices directly in the portal with DesignPay. With DesignPay all payments through the Client Portal are automatically entered into Design Manager. If you don't have a DesignPay account, click here to learn more and set up an account.
The first step in using the Client Portal with your Clients is to enable and setup your Client Portal preferences. If you have not done this, click here to learn more.
When the Client Portal is enabled (turned on) in a Project, you can decide what is shown to your Client by clicking on the computer icon next to Items, Proposals, and Invoices in the Project Dashboard.
Items
Items
To include an Item in the Client Portal, click on the computer icon next the the Items Ref. No. When the computer icon shows as green the Item is in the Client Portal. When the computer icon shows as grey the Item is not in the Client Portal. You can also select Items by clicking in the box next to each Item on the left, then clicking on the Actions button and selecting Include on Portal or Remove from Portal.
You can send your Client an email with the link to the Client Portal to view and approve the Items (Item Approval must be selected in the Client Portal Settings). To do this, click on the Actions button and select Send Client Notification.
This will open an email template to the right. You can edit the fields shown in the email template as needed. When ready, click Send. When you click Send you will also get an email copy sent to the email address listed under Settings - User Settings and Correspondence Email. Note: If you want to view the Client Portal before sending the notification to your Client, go to Settings in your Project and under Client Portal, click on the Launch Portal button.
When you and your Client receive the email, click on the button that says 'Click here to view your documents' to open the Client Portal. The Client Portal will open to the Dashboard page and you can click on Review Now or Items (to the left) to view the Items.
The Items are shown with the information entered under the Item (image, name, description, quantity). The Unit Price and Total Price is calculated from the information entered under the component (% type, markup, unit cost, quantity and sell price). Note: the price shown does not include Sales Tax. Item Approval was not turned on for the Client Portal picture below.
When the Item Approval setting option is enabled, your Client will be able to approve and decline Items in the Client Portal. The Client Portal picture below shows that two Items have been approved and one Item has been declined.
When Items are approved or declined, you can see this within the Item list in Design Manager. Go to the Project and on the Items page, you'll see a new column for Portal Status and each Item enabled on the Client Portal will show a green or red dot. Green indicates that the Item was approved. Red indicated that the Item was declined. If the dot shows as grey, it indicates that the Item is not enabled in the Client Portal and the Item Approval Setting was not enabled for this Item.
When your Client has made their decisions with the Items, you can remove the Items from the Client Portal and you will still be able to see the Portal Status in Design Manger. The next step would be to add the approved Items to a Proposal and send the Proposal to your Client via the Client Portal.
Proposals
Proposals
To include a Proposal in the Client Portal, click on the computer icon next the the Proposals Ref. No. When the computer icon shows as green the Proposal is in the Client Portal. When the computer icon shows as grey the Proposal is not in the Client Portal. You can also select Proposals by clicking in the box next to each Proposal on the left, then clicking on the Actions button and selecting Include on Portal or Remove from Portal.
You can send your Client an email with the link to the Client Portal to view and approve the Proposal (Proposal Approval must be selected in the Client Portal Settings). To do this, select the Proposal by clicking in the box to the left and then click on the Actions button and select Send.
This will open an email template to the right. You can edit the fields shown in the email template as needed. When ready, click Send. When you click Send you will also get an email copy sent to the email address listed under Settings - User Settings and Correspondence Email. Note: If you want to view the Client Portal before sending the email to your Client, go to Settings in your Project and under Client Portal, click on the Launch Portal button.
When you and your Client receive the email, click on the button that says 'Click here to view your documents' to open the Client Portal. The Client Portal will open to the Dashboard page and you can click on Review & Pay or Proposals (to the left) to view the Proposal.
The Proposal is shown with Proposal No. and Name. The Proposal page will show a Total Due with the Deposit amount requested and a Total Proposed Price without the Deposit amount requested. You can view a PDF of the proposal by clicking on PDF to see all the items and information. When your Client views this, they can click on Pay Deposit to pay via DesignPay with ACH or Credit Card. If you do not have a DesignPay account, when your Client clicks on Pay Deposit, you will get an error message. Communicate with your Client to pay via Check when you do not have DesignPay. When the Approval on Proposals setting option is enabled, your Client will be able to approve and decline Proposals in the Client Portal. The Client Portal picture below shows that the Proposal has been approved.
Note: The Total Deposit Due includes Sales Tax if you have this enabled in your default settings and Require Signature was not turned on for the Client Portal picture below.
When the Require Signature setting option is enabled, your Client will be able to Approve & Sign the Proposal in the Client Portal. They can free hand add a signature by clicking on Add Signature or they can type in their signature by clicking on Use Text Signature (when using text signature, will need to generate signature before accepting). When your Client clicks on Approve and Sign, this is the pop-up window they will see to add their signature.
When Proposals are approved, you can see this within the Proposal list in Design Manager. Go to the Project and on the Proposals page, you'll see a new column for Portal Status and each Proposal enabled on the Client Portal will show a green or red dot. Green indicates that the Proposal was approved. Red indicates that the Proposal was declined. If the dot shows as grey, it indicates that the Proposal is not enabled in the Client Portal and the Proposal Approval Setting was not enabled.
When your Client pays your Proposal through DesignPay, the payment transaction will be added to your DesignPay Dashboard and when the payment is successful, the payment will be added to Design Manager as a Cash Receipt and recorded in the Proposal and updated on the Proposal PDF and updated in the Client Portal. You will receive an email when your Client pays the Proposal through the Client Portal. If you do not have an account with DesignPay, you will need to enter and post the payment manually into Design Manager and when posted, the payment will be recorded in the Proposal and updated on the Proposal PDF and updated in the Client Portal.
When your Client has made their decision on the Proposal, you can remove the Proposal from the Client Portal and you will still be able to see the Portal Status in Design Manger. The next step would be to create an Invoice when the Items on the Proposal have been or will soon be installed/delivered to the Client and send the Invoice to your Client via the Client Portal final payment.
Invoices
Invoices
To include an Invoice in the Client Portal, click on the computer icon next the the Invoices Ref. No. When the computer icon shows as green the Invoice is in the Client Portal. When the computer icon shows as grey the Invoice is not in the Client Portal. You can also select Invoices by clicking in the box next to each Invoice on the left, then clicking on the Actions button and selecting Include on Portal or Remove from Portal.
You can send your Client an email with the link to the Client Portal to view and pay the Invoice. To do this, select the Invoice by clicking in the box to the left and then click on the Actions button and select Send Invoice.
This will open an email template to the right. You can edit the fields shown in the email template as needed. When ready, click Send. When you click Send you will also get an email copy sent to the email address listed under Settings - User Settings and Correspondence Email. Note: If you want to view the Client Portal before sending the email to your Client, go to Settings in your Project and under Client Portal, click on the Launch Portal button.
When you and your Client receive the email, click on the button that says 'Click here to view your documents' to open the Client Portal. The Client Portal will open to the Dashboard page and you can click on Review & Pay or Invoices (to the left) to view the Invoice.
The Invoice is shown with Invoice No. The Invoice page will show a Total Due with Previous Payments (any past payments applied to this Invoice or other Invoices listed) and a Balance Due. You can view a PDF of the Invoice by clicking on PDF to see all the items and information. When your Client views this, they can click on Pay Now to pay via DesignPay with ACH or Credit Card. If you do not have a DesignPay account, when your Client clicks on Pay Now, you will get an error message. Communicate with your Client to pay via Check when you do not have DesignPay.
When your Client pays your Invoice through DesignPay, the payment transaction will be added to your DesignPay Dashboard and when the payment is successful, the payment will be added to Design Manager as a Cash Receipt and recorded in the Invoice and updated on the Invoice PDF and updated in the Client Portal. You will receive an email when your Client pays the Invoice through the Client Portal. If you do not have an account with DesignPay, you will need to enter and post the payment manually into Design Manager and when posted, the payment will be recorded in the Invoice and updated on the Invoice PDF and updated in the Client Portal.
When your Client has paid the Invoice, you can remove the Invoice from the Client Portal.