--- title: "Recording payments made outside Qualy (external, direct-to-partner, and offsets)" description: "How to mark a payment as paid when money changed hands outside Qualy—cash and other external methods, a customer who paid the partner directly, or applying an existing deposit to a payment with Offset." lastModified: "2026-06-13" lang: "en" wordCount: 1211 url: https://qualyhq.com/training/payments/recording-payments-made-outside-qualy --- ## Site navigation - [For schools](/international-education/for-schools.md) — For international education schools - [For agents](/international-education/for-education-agents.md) — For international education agents - [Explore](/training.md) — Watch videos on how to use Qualy - [About](/about.md) — Learn about Qualy's mission and values - [Pricing](/pricing) - [5-min demo](/demo.md) - [Login](https://dashboard.qualyhq.com) # Recording payments made outside Qualy (external, direct-to-partner, and offsets) > Keep your records complete when money moves outside Qualy—or reuse a deposit you've already received. ## At a glance - **Intended for:** Everyone - **Available in:** All plans - **Reading time:** 5 minutes - **Last updated:** 31st May 2026 ## Quick summary Not every payment goes through Qualy's checkout. You can record three kinds: an External payment (money received outside Qualy—cash, bank transfer you took yourself, and others); a payment the customer made directly to your partner; and an Offset, which applies money from an existing transaction (like a deposit) to another payment for the same customer. These don't move money through Qualy—they keep your records and payouts accurate. External and direct-to-partner payments wait for approval before they're final. ## Overview Most payments run through Qualy's checkout—but not all. A customer pays cash, transfers money to you directly, or pays your partner school without going through Qualy. And sometimes a customer already has money sitting with you (a deposit) that should cover another payment. Qualy lets you record all of these so your books and your partner payouts stay accurate. There are three tools here, and they're different: ### External payment — money received outside Qualy Use this when **you** received money some other way. You choose **how it was paid**: - **Cash** - **External bank transfer** (a transfer you took into your own account) - **Cryptocurrency** - **Another system** - **Other** Enter **how much was paid**, and Qualy records it against the payment. No money moves through Qualy—you're recording something that already happened so the payment shows as settled. ### Paid directly to the partner Use this when the customer **paid your partner directly**—for example, the student paid the school themselves rather than through Qualy. You record that the **partner was paid directly**, which settles their share so Qualy doesn't also try to pay them. ### Offset — apply an existing deposit to a payment Use this when the customer **already has money with you** on another transaction—classically a **deposit**—that should go toward this payment. Offset **allocates part of an existing transaction to cover this one**. It's an internal move of money you already received, not a new charge. ## Recording an external or direct-to-partner payment Both are recorded the same way and both go through a **quick approval step**: 1. Choose to mark the payment paid outside Qualy 2. Pick **external** (and the method—cash, etc.) **or** that the customer **paid the partner directly** 3. Enter the amount 4. The payment is **recorded, then approved** (you can auto-approve as you record it) Until it's **approved**, a recorded payment sits as **pending review** rather than counting as settled. This is the same reason a commission can show "pending review"—Qualy didn't see the money move, so it waits for you to confirm. Because Qualy didn't process the money, it **can't automatically pay your partner** their share of an externally-paid payment. That payout waits for you to handle it. See the payouts guide for how to settle it. ## Using an Offset When a customer has a credit or deposit to draw from: 1. On the payment, choose **"Offset from another transaction"** 2. Pick the **source transaction** (Qualy shows only eligible ones) 3. Set **how much to allocate**—up to the source's remaining balance 4. The amount is drawn from the source and applied to this payment Eligible sources are transactions for the **same customer**, in the **same currency**, with a **positive balance still available**. If you see "No eligible source transactions found," there isn't a matching credit to draw from. Offset is **not a refund**—amounts are always positive. And if you've used a transaction as an Offset source, you **can't refund or reject that source** until you reverse the Offsets drawn against it. A common use: a student pays a **deposit** up front, then later you create the tuition payment and **offset** part of the deposit against it—no need to ask the student to pay that part again. ## Frequently asked questions ### What is an 'external payment'? It's a way to record money you received outside Qualy, so your records stay complete. You pick how it was paid—Cash, External bank transfer, Cryptocurrency, Another system, or Other—and enter how much was paid. No money moves through Qualy; you're recording something that already happened. ### When would I use the 'paid directly to the partner' option? When the customer paid your partner (a school or agent) directly, instead of through Qualy. You record that the partner was paid directly, which marks the relevant share as settled so Qualy doesn't also try to pay the partner. ### What's the difference between an external payment and a direct-to-partner payment? An external payment is money that came to you outside Qualy (e.g. cash). 'Paid directly to the partner' is money the customer gave the partner, not you. Both are 'paid outside Qualy', but they tell Qualy who actually received the money. ### Do external or direct-to-partner payments take effect immediately? They go through a quick approval step first—recorded, then approved (or rejected). Until approved, a recorded payment sits as pending review rather than counting as settled. You can also choose to auto-approve when you record it. ### What is an 'Offset'? Offset applies money from an existing transaction—most commonly a deposit the customer already paid—toward another payment for the same customer. It's an internal reallocation of money you already received, not a new charge and not a refund. Use it when a customer has a credit or overpayment on one payment that should cover another. ### What are the rules for using an Offset? The source must be a transaction for the same customer and the same currency, with a positive available balance. You choose how much to allocate, and it can't be more than the source's remaining balance. Offset amounts are always positive—it isn't a way to refund. ### Why can't I find a transaction to offset from? Qualy only offers eligible sources—a transaction for the same customer, in the same currency, with money still available to allocate. If you see 'No eligible source transactions found', there isn't a matching credit/deposit to draw from for that customer and currency. ### I'm trying to refund a payment but Qualy won't let me—why? If that payment's transaction has active Offsets drawn against it (you used it as a source to cover other payments), you can't refund or reject it until those Offsets are reversed first. Remove the Offsets, then refund. ### Do these recorded payments affect my revenue/cash-flow reports? External and direct-to-partner payments are real money received (just outside Qualy's processing), so they count. An Offset is an internal reallocation of money you already received, so it isn't counted again as new cash—it just moves an existing amount to where it's needed. ### Does marking a payment paid outside Qualy change how the partner gets paid? Yes—because Qualy didn't process the money, it can't automatically send the partner their share. The related payout waits for you to confirm/handle it (it shows as pending review) rather than going out automatically. See the payouts guide. ## Prefer doing this via the Qualy API? Head over to our developer docs for everything you need—endpoints, examples, and simple how-tos. 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