What is the difference between a payment application and an invoice in construction?

A payment application is a formal notice stating the cumulative value of work completed and the net amount the contractor considers due. The employer or contract administrator then issues a Payment Notice confirming the certified amount. On some contracts, the contractor raises a formal invoice against the certified sum; on others, the application itself serves as the payment notice and invoice.

What happens if the employer fails to issue a Payment Notice on time?

Under the Construction Act 1996 and equivalent legislation, if the payer does not issue a valid Payment Notice by the contractual deadline, the contractor's payment application becomes the notified sum - the full amount applied for must be paid by the final payment date. A Pay Less Notice is the only mechanism the employer can use to pay less than the notified sum.

How should a disputed Pay Less Notice be handled?

Record the withheld amount and stated reasons immediately. Assess each deduction against your priced variation log and job record. If the dispute cannot be resolved by negotiation within the prescribed period, adjudication under the Construction Act provides a fast, binding resolution route. Time limits for challenging a Pay Less Notice are short - act within days, not weeks.

Operations

Construction - processing a payment application

Monthly application. Certified amount. Paid in full.

Zigaflow Editorial

Published 28 May 2026

Zigaflow Editorial publishes Zigaflow's guides, insights, industry resources, glossary and workflow pages. Zigaflow is responsible for what they say. Spotted an error? Email support@zigaflow.com.

Step by step

Confirm Valuation DatesJobs
Open the job record and record the valuation date, Payment Notice deadline, and final date for payment before preparing the application.
Calculate Cumulative ValueJobs
Tally cumulative works completed, add approved variations with written references, deduct retention to arrive at the gross certified amount.
Calculate Net Sum DueInvoices
Deduct the cumulative amount previously certified to produce the net sum due for this application period.
Submit the ApplicationInvoices
Send the completed application in writing to the contract administrator or employer, referencing contract, job number, and sequential application number.
Monitor Payment Notice DeadlineMentions
If no valid Payment Notice is received by the contractual deadline, notify in writing that the application has become the notified sum due in full.
Handle Pay Less NoticeJobs
Log withheld amounts and stated reasons, assess against the variation log and job record, and respond to any disputed deductions in writing within the prescribed period.
Reconcile Payment ReceivedXero
Record payment against the certified or notified sum, update cumulative certified total in the job record, and log any shortfall as a disputed amount.
Update Retention RecordProject Tracking
Record retention deducted, update the running retention balance, and log the forecast practical completion date for the first retention release.

What this workflow solves

We submit payment applications on time but have no system to track whether the employer has issued a Payment Notice within the contractual window - so we miss the deadline to enforce the notified sum.
Our variations are priced in emails and spreadsheets, and when the monthly application is due we can never be confident we have captured every approved change.
Retention balances are tracked informally - we know roughly how much is held but we have no record of the practical completion date or when the second half of retention becomes due.

Frequently asked questions

See it live

Want to see this workflow in Zigaflow?

Book a demo and we'll run through your exact process live.

Book a free demo Build your own workflow

Construction - processing a payment application

Step by step

What this workflow solves

Frequently asked questions

Related workflows

Got a different workflow?