Customers and balances
A family pays for two children using one bank transfer. Keeping the billing customer consistent makes it possible to find both invoices, allocate the receipt and explain the remaining balance without creating duplicate customer records.
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Create or find a customerExplain a customer balanceIf the balance looks wrongContinue withCreate or find a customer
- Open Accounting > Invoicing > Customers. Search for the existing customer before selecting New customer.
- Enter the customer’s name and the available contact and billing details. Review the receivable account, currency and payment terms rather than accepting unsuitable defaults.
- Save the customer and review its profile details. Use the Invoices, Receipts and Credit notes tabs to inspect its accounting documents.
Explain a customer balance
Start with the invoices and their outstanding amounts, then inspect receipts, credit notes and allocations. An unallocated payment and an unpaid invoice can coexist until the correct allocation is posted. Keep currencies separate when comparing amounts.
Use the invoice, receipt and credit-note records to explain the selected customer’s activity. Confirm the dates and opening balances before sharing a reconciliation. The original invoice remains the commercial record of the charge.
If the balance looks wrong
- Check for a duplicate customer or a receipt recorded against another family.
- Confirm that the invoice and receipt are submitted, not drafts.
- Check the receipt’s allocations and any available customer credit. Do not edit an issued invoice’s total to make its outstanding amount disappear.