The Hypothetical Schedule and Invoice Mismatch
Let us examine a hypothetical Taylor and Jordan Wedding. The accepted quotation lists ten hours of coverage, two crew roles, and a total project cost of $5,000 USD. The client paid a $2,000 USD retainer on January 10, 2027. The records show an outstanding balance of $3,000 USD, which is due on May 1, 2027. Meanwhile, the project schedule lists a final timeline review meeting on May 15, 2027, ahead of the June 5, 2027 event date.
If your client portal only displays the project schedule, the couple will see the May 15 meeting but not the May 1 payment deadline. If they rely exclusively on the portal schedule view to know what happens next, they might miss the fact that a payment is due two weeks before that meeting. You must decide whether to keep the portal strictly reserved for creative milestones or to display the payment total alongside the scheduled events. This decision determines how many different tabs or records the client has to check to understand their upcoming obligations.
Comparing Portal Capabilities
Different studio software handles the visibility of schedules and financial totals in distinct ways. Some platforms keep these records entirely separate, requiring the user to navigate to different sections of the tool.
Studio Ninja's client portal documentation includes quote, contract, questionnaire and invoice tabs.[1]
HoneyBook separates project information visible to clients from a section marked Not visible to clients.[2]
If your current tool relies on distinct tabs, the existing setup is adequate for clients who are willing to click through to a dedicated invoice tab. However, if you want the remaining $3,000 USD total to be immediately visible when the client logs in to check the May 15 meeting time, you must determine if your platform allows combining these fields in a single view.
Resolving the Record Mismatch
To resolve this mismatch between the financial deadline and the creative schedule, you need to compare the active project records. Open the invoice record for the Taylor and Jordan Wedding and locate the final due date of May 1, 2027. Next, open the portal schedule view and locate the closest upcoming meeting, which is May 15, 2027.
Once you have both dates, evaluate the portal layout. If the portal forces a strict separation between the invoice and the schedule, you can decide whether to add a manual note to the schedule about the May 1 payment, or simply leave the records in their respective tabs. If the portal allows you to display a payment total on the main dashboard, check the configuration settings to enable it. This step integrates the $3,000 USD balance with the timeline, making both the financial and creative data visible at the same time.
Testing Project Visibility in RevePod
You can test this visibility configuration using a sample project. When creating a project from an inquiry with an accepted quotation, RevePod can prefill the schedule, deliverables, payment total and quote details. The owner reviews the prefill before saving the record.
Once the project is saved, the RevePod client portal shows the project schedule and shared project information, subject to visibility settings and plan access. By opening the client view for the Taylor and Jordan Wedding, you can confirm whether the $5,000 USD total and the $3,000 USD remaining balance are displayed alongside the May 15 timeline meeting. USD is a supported currency. Testing this with a sample record lets you verify exactly which fields appear in the shared view before you invite a real client to the portal.
Portal Visibility Checks
- Compare the accepted quotation total against the prefilled project payment record.
- Check the final invoice due date against the closest scheduled client meeting date.
- Review the client portal preview to see which schedule fields are currently visible.
- Verify if the chosen currency displays correctly on the shared portal dashboard.
- Check the portal configuration settings to confirm if you can hide or show the payment total.
Sources & further reading
Walk through the client side before inviting a couple
RevePod has a project client portal with schedule, contract and payment information, and deliverable links, subject to your plan and visibility settings. Use the demo to inspect the client experience, then set up a trial project.
- Review the project schedule and the information you intend to share.
- Check which contract, payment and delivery details are visible.
- Open the client link yourself before sending it to a client.
A client portal does not replace your editing application or establish that files are backed up. Custom portal domains are a Max-plan feature; check current pricing for plan access.
