Think of your payments dashboard as the financial heartbeat of your business. It takes all those individual payments you've recorded and transforms them into insights you can actually use.
Want to know if you're on track this month? Curious which payment methods your clients prefer? Wondering why some weeks feel busier than others? Your dashboard has the answers.
Let's explore what's there and how to make the most of it.
Getting to Your Dashboard
Click Payments in the sidebar, and you're there. The page is organized to give you the big picture at a glance:
- Metric cards at the top show your key numbers
- Interactive charts in the middle reveal patterns and trends
- Recent payments at the bottom list your latest transactions
Everything updates in real-time as you record new payments, so you're always looking at current data.
The Four Metrics That Matter Most
At the top of your dashboard, you'll see four cards highlighting your most important numbers. Here's what each one tells you:
Total Collected
This is the big one - the sum of every payment you've ever received through SemaQuote. Your cumulative revenue, all in one number.
Why it matters: This shows your overall business performance since day one. It's satisfying to watch this number grow over time.
This Month
Your total payments for the current calendar month, complete with a percentage comparison to last month.
Why it matters: This tells you whether revenue is growing, holding steady, or dipping. A green arrow pointing up means growth; red pointing down means you're behind last month's pace.
Example: An electrical contractor sees "This Month: $12,400" with "+15% vs last month" in green. Business is picking up - maybe seasonal demand is kicking in, or those new marketing efforts are paying off.
Average Payment
The mean amount across all your payment transactions.
Why it matters: This helps you understand your typical job size. Combined with payment count, it paints a picture of whether you're doing many smaller jobs or fewer larger projects.
Payments This Month
How many individual payments you've received this month.
Why it matters: Volume matters. Lots of payments with a lower average might mean service calls are booming. Fewer payments with a higher average might mean you're landing bigger projects.
Understanding Your Payment Volume Chart
The largest chart on your dashboard shows daily payment activity over the last two weeks. Here's how to read it:
- X-axis: Dates, labeled by day, month, and date number
- Y-axis: Payment amounts in dollars
- Green area: Visual representation of money coming in
- Hover anywhere: See exact amounts for any specific point
What the Patterns Tell You
Regular peaks on the same days: You've got predictable payment patterns. If Fridays consistently spike, many of your clients probably pay at week's end.
Extended flat sections: Days with no payments. A few quiet days are normal, but several in a row might mean it's time to follow up on outstanding invoices.
Upward trend over the two weeks: Your cash flow is improving - always a good sign.
Real-world insight: An electrician noticed her payment volume spiked every Monday. After some investigating, she realized property managers process payments on Fridays, which arrive Monday morning. Now she times her invoicing to align with that cycle and gets paid faster.
Summary Stats Below the Chart
Under the chart, you'll find:
- Total Collected: Sum for the displayed period
- Average Payment: Mean per transaction
- Total payments: Number of payments in the period
These give you the concrete numbers behind the visual.
The Weekly Activity Pattern
This compact chart breaks down payments by day of the week. It answers a simple question: which days bring in the most money?
Reading the Bars
- Tall bars: Days when payments frequently arrive
- Short bars: Quieter days for incoming money
Putting Weekly Patterns to Work
Knowing your payment rhythm helps with:
- Cash flow planning: Anticipate which days you'll have funds available
- Invoice timing: Send invoices so they arrive right before your peak payment days
- Follow-up scheduling: Plan collection calls for days when clients are actively processing payments
Example in action: A general contractor notices that Tuesday and Wednesday account for 60% of his weekly payments. He schedules materials purchases for Wednesday afternoon when he knows funds are likely to be there.
Payment Methods at a Glance
This chart shows how your total revenue breaks down by payment method - Card, Cash, Check, Venmo, and Zelle.
What Different Patterns Mean
Heavy card usage: Your clients value convenience. Consider making payment links more prominent in your invoices.
High cash percentage: Common for service calls and smaller jobs. Just make sure you have a solid system for tracking cash accurately.
Lots of checks: You're probably working with commercial clients or property management companies. Expect longer payment cycles and plan accordingly.
Growing Venmo/Zelle: Your client base might be skewing younger, or clients are simply preferring digital options. Either way, it's worth accommodating.
The Payment Trends Chart
This chart shows six months of invoiced amounts versus collected amounts - a powerful view into your collection health.
The Two Lines
- Invoiced: Total value of invoices you created each month
- Collected: Actual payments you received each month
What to Watch For
Healthy collection ratio: Collected amounts should roughly match invoiced amounts, allowing for normal payment delays. If you typically have 30-day terms, you'd expect this month's collections to roughly match last month's invoicing.
Growing gap between the lines: If invoiced consistently exceeds collected month after month, unpaid invoices may be piling up. Time to look at your collection process.
Months where collected exceeds invoiced: You're catching up on previous invoices - a good sign that clients are paying their outstanding balances.
Real-world example: A painter notices April shows $18,000 invoiced but only $12,000 collected, while May shows the opposite. This actually indicates a healthy process - clients are paying on typical 30-day terms.
Your Recent Payments List
Below the charts, you'll find a list of your latest payment activity:
- Client name
- Invoice number
- Payment method (with a colored icon)
- Amount received
- Date received
This gives you quick visibility into what's come in recently without having to dig through individual invoices.
Taking Action from the List
Click any payment entry to jump straight to that invoice. From there, you can:
- View the complete payment history
- Send a receipt or thank-you note
- Check if there's a remaining balance
- Access the client's information
Getting the Most from Your Dashboard
How Often Should You Check?
Quick daily glance: Know what came in today and catch any issues early.
Weekly review: Look at trends, compare to previous weeks, plan for the week ahead.
Monthly deep dive: Analyze patterns, compare month-over-month, adjust your strategy if needed.
Questions Your Dashboard Answers
Next time you're looking at your dashboard, try asking yourself:
- "Am I on track to beat last month's revenue?"
- "Which days should I plan on having cash available?"
- "Are clients paying faster or slower than usual?"
- "Should I push card payments more heavily?"
The data is there - you just have to ask the right questions.
Spotting Problems Early
Watch for these warning signs:
- Unexpected dips in payment volume
- Growing gap between invoiced and collected amounts
- Sudden changes in payment method preferences
- Multiple quiet days in a row
Any of these might indicate invoices stuck in approval, delivery issues, or clients who need a nudge.
Your payments dashboard turns raw numbers into business intelligence. The more attention you pay to these patterns, the better you'll understand your cash flow - and the smarter decisions you'll make about growing your business.
Want to dive deeper into your payment records? Check out how to view and manage your payment history.