Before recording a payment:
- You hold the
loans:writepermission. - The loan is active — payments cannot be posted to loans that are fully repaid or written off.
- The member’s savings balance is sufficient to cover the payment amount. If the member is bringing cash to pay their loan, record the cash as a savings deposit first, then record the loan payment.
- You know the exact payment amount and the date the payment was made.
Recording a Payment
Navigate to the loan
Click Loans in the left sidebar. Use the search bar to find the borrower by name, or browse the active loans list. Click the loan row to open the loan detail page.
Review the payment allocation
Before submitting, Agatabo displays a breakdown of how the payment will be split between principal, interest, and penalties. Verify this matches your expectation.
Payment Form Fields
| Field | Description | Required | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amount | The payment amount to deduct from the member’s savings balance | Yes | 50,000 RWF |
| Payment Date | The date the payment was received (defaults to today) | Yes | 2026-06-08 |
| Document | A receipt, mobile money screenshot, or other proof of payment | No | receipt.pdf |
Reviewing the Allocation Preview
Agatabo shows you exactly how the payment will be distributed before you confirm. Example for a 50,000 RWF payment:| Component | Allocated | New Balance |
|---|---|---|
| Interest | 12,000 RWF | 0 RWF (interest cleared) |
| Principal | 38,000 RWF | 400,000 RWF (reduced from 438,000) |
| Penalty | 0 RWF | 0 RWF |
| Total | 50,000 RWF | — |
What Happens Automatically
When you save the payment, Agatabo executes nine steps in a single transaction:- Validates the savings balance — confirms the member has at least the payment amount available.
- Deducts from the member’s savings — the payment amount is removed from their savings ledger account.
- Allocates across components — splits the payment between principal, interest, and penalties per the loan’s allocation order.
- Updates the loan balance — the outstanding principal and interest receivable are reduced.
- Creates a journal entry — a complete double-entry record is posted automatically (see example below).
- Marks installments as paid — installments that are fully covered are updated to Paid status; partially covered ones show Partially Paid.
- Recalculates arrears — if the loan had overdue amounts, arrears are updated to reflect the payment.
- Records the audit trail — your user ID, timestamp, and all payment details are logged.
- Sends a notification (if enabled) — the borrower receives a payment confirmation.
Journal Entry Example
For a 50,000 RWF payment (38,000 principal + 12,000 interest):| Date | Account | Debit | Credit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-08 | Savings — John Mugisha | 50,000 | — |
| 2026-06-08 | Loan Receivable | — | 38,000 |
| 2026-06-08 | Interest Receivable | — | 12,000 |
Common Scenarios
Full Installment Payment
The member pays exactly the amount shown on their installment schedule.Enter the exact installment amount
Find the scheduled amount in the loan’s installment table and enter it in the Amount field.
Verify the allocation
The full principal and interest components of that installment should be covered.
Partial Payment
The member pays less than the scheduled installment.Review the allocation
With INTEREST_FIRST: the 20,000 goes to interest first; if interest exceeds 20,000, the principal is untouched. Check the preview carefully.
Overpayment / Early Payment
The member pays more than the current installment — either to get ahead or to reduce the balance faster.Review the allocation
The current installment is satisfied first; the excess amount is applied to future installments or the remaining principal balance.
Overpayments are always welcome — they reduce the outstanding balance faster and lower the total interest owed on reducing-balance loans. Communicate this benefit to members who want to pay off their loans early.
Member Needs to Deposit Before Paying
If the member does not have sufficient savings to cover the payment, you must record a deposit first.Record the cash deposit
Navigate to Savings → Deposit History → Record Deposit and post the cash as a savings deposit. The member’s savings balance increases immediately.
This two-step process correctly captures both the cash inflow (deposit) and the loan repayment (payment from savings). Do not skip the deposit step — recording only the loan payment would attempt to deduct from an insufficient balance and will be rejected.
Common Issues
Insufficient savings balance
Insufficient savings balance
The member’s savings balance is less than the payment amount. Check their current balance in Organization Users → [Member] → Savings. If the member is bringing cash, record a savings deposit for the cash amount first, then return to record the loan payment.
Loan not found or not selectable
Loan not found or not selectable
The loan may already be fully repaid, written off as a default, or the loan ID may be incorrect. Verify the loan status in the Loans list. Payments can only be posted against loans with Active status.
Insufficient permissions
Insufficient permissions
Your account does not hold the
loans:write permission. Contact your administrator to request the correct permission. If you have loans:write with SELF scope, you can only record payments against your own loans.Invalid payment date
Invalid payment date
The payment date either falls in a closed accounting period or is set in the future. Ensure the date is within the current open period and is not later than today. Check Advanced → Period Closing to see which periods are open.