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Overview
A Financial Transaction is an event carried out between a buyer and a seller to exchange services or physical goods measured in terms of money. The transaction’s nature is differentiated by its classification(Invoice, Credit Note, Payment, Refund etc.). It involves a change in the status of the finances of the businesses or individuals involved, which is directly reflected on the customer's Accounts Receivable by updating its balance.
Major features
- The classification determines the nature of the Financial Transaction, including its notation in the double-entry accounting system (debit or credit). Financial transaction type classifications are predefined in the system and cannot be overridden. The following Classifications are available:
- Payment : Used to credit the account. i.e. deduct money from balance
- Invoice: Used to debit the account. i.e. add money to balance
- Credit Note: Used to credit the account. i.e. deduct money from balance
- Refund: Used to debit the account. i.e. add money to balance (Can only be created if a negative account balance exists)
- Invoice Cancellation: Used to credit the account. i.e. deduct money from balance
- Payment Cancellation: Used to debit the account. i.e. add money to balance
- Write Off
- Financial transactions that are not already posted can be rejected. Posted transactions can be cancelled.
- Posting of financial transactions depicts that the transaction is taken into consideration by system financial processes, such as its inclusion in the account's balance. Once posted the transaction can no longer be updated.
- Transactions can be created with an intermediate step (before being posted) giving you the ability to make subsequent changes before posting.
- Allocations are used to allocate credit financial transactions against invoices, in order to settle any outstanding amount. Allocations are applied automatically by the system based on the allocation principle specified in the system.
- Invoices which are not expected to be settled, due to customer's inability to proceed with the settlement can be written off.
- Payments can be moved between accounts
Setting Up Financial Transactions
Categories
Financial Transaction categories are used to provide a business classification to the transaction such as user-input, automated, call centre. These classifications provide the user with input on how the transaction was handled, and can also be used by the business to analyse the type of calls they receive. Once categories are configured you can add the ones you would like to make available from each financial transaction type.
Payment Methods
Payment Methods are the options available to customers for paying for products. The payment method is defined during the creation of payments. Once configured you can add the ones you would like to make available from each financial transaction type. Payment methods related to payment gateways, such as PayPal or credit card, once configured must also be added to the payment gateway providers so that the system can identify how the payment will be received.
Refund Methods
Refund Methods are the options available to for refunding a customer's account. The refund method is defined during the creation of refunds. Once configured you can add the ones you would like to make available from each financial transaction type. Refund methods related to payment gateways, such as PayPal or credit card, once configured must also be added to the payment gateway providers so that the system can identify how the refund to the customer will be made.
Rejection Reasons
Rejection Reasons is the explanation for rejecting a financial transaction. Only Financial Transactions in a 'Draft' state can be rejected. Once configured you can add the ones you would like to make available to use in the system in the financial transaction definition.
Types
Financial Transaction Types determine the behaviour and nature of each financial transaction, which is according to the classification set on the Financial Transaction Type. There are seven classifications that can be used to create financial transaction types and multiple types can be created for each classification, such as a payment type to be used for voucher payments and another type for cash payments. On creating a payment you can select the type that it best fits the purpose.
Types can also be used by different processes in the system as conditions. For example, you can set up the system to void a wallet transaction when a 'wallet related' payment cancellation type is created.
Once configured the default financial transaction types (one from each classification) must be added to the financial transaction definition
Type fields
The table describes the sections of Financial Transaction Type Data Entry page, and explains how the fields in the page are used.
Mandatory Configurable
Main Information | |
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Classification: Determines the nature of the transaction, including its notation in the double-entry accounting system (debit or credit). Classifications are predefined in the system and cannot be overridden.The supported Classifications are:
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Allowed Payment Methods | |
The predetermined ways to make a payment. Available and Mandatory on Conditions only if the Classification if set to Payment. | |
Allowed Refund Methods | |
The predetermined ways to make a refund. Available and Mandatory on Conditions only if the Classification if set to Refund. | |
Allowed Categories | |
Predetermined categories which can be used in Financial Transactions of each Type. |
Business Definitions
Financial Transaction Definition includes the default financial transaction types which will be used when transactions of each classification are automatically generated as well as the reasons which can be used by agents when rejecting a financial transaction.
Definition fields
The table describes the sections of Financial Transaction Definition Data Entry page, and explains how the fields in the page are used.
Mandatory Configurable
System Generated Financial Transaction Settings | |
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Determines the financial transaction types that will be selected automatically (i.e. by default) when a financial transaction of each classification is created.
Default Write Off Product: The product which will be | |
Available Rejection Reasons | |
Defines the reasons for which financial transactions in a 'Draft' state can be rejected. |
Related configuration areas
The following modules are related to Financial Transactions and they must or may be configured for the Financial Transactions module to operate at its full capacity.
Module Link | Area | Description | Configuration Type |
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Accounts Receivable | Accounts Receivable Definitions | Define the allocation principle which will be used for allocating credit to debit transactions, the credit period rules to be applied on accounts, in order for the due date of invoices to be calculated correctly as well as create the system write-off account which will be used when writing off invoices. | Mandatory |
Wallets | Configuring Wallet Definitions | Define which types of wallet transactions and events occurring in the wallet should trigger the creation of a financial transactions and vice versa. | Optional |
Payment Gateways | Payment Gateway provider | Create the payment gateway providers which will be used for handling payments, payment cancellations and refunds occurring in CRM.COM. For example, a payment in CRM.COM which should be paid through a PayPal account or a credit card. On setting up the provider define the payment and refund methods that should be handled by the provider. | Optional |
Using Financial Transactions
Finance > Financial Transactions > Manage Financial Transactions
Use financial transactions to debit or credit the customer's account. CRM.COM provides seven different classifications of financial transactions, each with its distinct characteristics and behaviour. The classification is set on the financial transaction type which will in turn be selected when creating a new financial transaction.
Transactions are either manually created or generated by the system. Refer to figure 1 to find out which classifications debit and credit the account as well as information on whether the transaction is created through user intervention or generated by the system. Refer to each classification section below to find out which processes generate each transaction.
Figure 1.
Invoices
Invoices are used to debit the account. They can be generated either by system processes or manually by the user.
System processes generating invoices
- When Normal Billing Run is executed to charge customers for goods and services rented or purchased through subscriptions and jobs, invoices are generated.
- Wallets which are used to fund prepaid subscriptions and redeem awards for reward participants, can be directly related to an account in which case a credit transaction taking place in the wallet can be reflected as a debit in the account by the generation of an invoice.
- When a debit wallet transaction is voided, crediting the wallet, then the account can be debited accordingly by the generation of an invoice.
- Quick Sales a process used to easily and quickly sell physical goods to customers, generates invoices to charge the customer's account.
User actions generating invoices
Invoices to charge an account can be created manually by using the New > Invoice action available in the Summary page of Financial Transactions.
Invoice fields
The table describes the sections of Invoice classification Financial Transaction Data Entry page, and explains how the fields in the page are used
Mandatory Configurable
Main Information | |
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Number The transaction number of the invoice which is automatically generated on posting the invoice. Reference Number: The reference number of the invoice which is automatically generated by creating the invoice (before posting). Accounts Receivable: The Accounts Receivable that the Invoice is created for. Currency: The currency with which the account owner chose to be charged and pay (Set on the account). Financial Transaction Type: Select the financial transaction type of classification invoice for which the invoice will be created with Life Cycle State: The life cycle state of the invoice which can be any of the following and will be set by the system according to your actions (save as draft, save, reject) :
Rejection Reason: The reason selected when rejecting the transaction. Is available only if the transaction is rejected. Category: Select the category of the invoice. Only categories listed as 'Allowed' on the related financial transaction type can be applied. Issued On: The date that the invoice was issued on. Posted On: The date that the invoice was 'Posted' on, which is set by the system. Due On: The date on which the credit period for a 'posted' invoice ends. If not defined then it is automatically set by the system based on the credit period allowed for the account. If defined then it will be validated against the credit period set on the account. | |
Items | |
A list of items which are invoiced; at least one item must be provided. The following aggregated amounts are also calculated dynamically:
Once the transaction is saved 'VIEW APPLIED TAX RATES' link is available in items section which displays the Tax Rates that were applied per item. | |
Log Information | |
Shared Notes: Provide notes for the invoice. Each time the notes are amended, the user and the date are logged. Back Office Code: Set a code which is used by external systems to refer to a specific financial transaction. The Back Office Code is not mandatory, but if specified then it should be unique. |
Credit Notes
Credit notes are used to credit the account. They can be generated either by system processes or manually by the user.
System processes generating credit notes
- When Normal Billing Run is executed to charge subscriptions and jobs for rented or bought services and goods, credit notes are also generated for periods that were erroneously charged or charged are regretted.
- Wallets which are used to fund prepaid subscriptions and award reward participants, can be directly related to an account. If the wallet of the account owner is about to be cancelled and there is money in the wallet then the amount can be reimbursed in the account so it won't be lost by the generation of a credit note
- When a credit wallet transaction is voided, debiting the wallet, then the account can be credited accordingly by the generation of a credit note.
User actions generating credit notes
Credit notes can be manually created to credit customers for returned bought physical goods or services which the customer has complained about or just provide a discount to a customer for marketing or customer care issues. To create a manual credit note click on New > Credit Note action available in the Summary page of Financial Transactions.
Credit Note fields
The table describes the sections of Credit Note classification Financial Transaction Data Entry page, and explains how the fields in the page are used
Mandatory Configurable
Main Information | |
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Number The transaction number of the credit note which is automatically generated on posting the credit note. Reference Number: The reference number of the credit note which is automatically generated by creating the credit note (before posting). Accounts Receivable: The Accounts Receivable that the credit note is created for. Currency: The currency with which the account owner chose to be charged and pay (Set on the account). Financial Transaction Type: Select the financial transaction type of classification credit not for which the credit note will be created with. Life Cycle State: The life cycle state of the credit note which can be any of the following and will be set by the system according to your actions (save as draft, save, reject) :
Rejection Reason: The reason selected when rejecting the transaction. Is available only if the transaction is rejected. Category: Select the category of the credit note. Only categories listed as 'Allowed' on the related financial transaction type can be applied. Issued On: The date that the credit note was issued on. Issue Reason: The reason that a credit note was manually issued. Posted On: The date that the credit note was 'Posted' on, which is set by the system. | |
Items | |
A list of items which are credited; at least one item must be provided. The following aggregated amounts are also calculated dynamically:
Once the transaction is saved 'VIEW APPLIED TAX RATES' link is available in items section which displays the Tax Rates that were applied per item. | |
Invoices to Credit | |
The invoices that are intended to be credited. If the allocation principle is set to FIFO then the invoices added in this section are ignored. However if the allocation is Against Item & FIFO then the invoices added here will be allocated against the credit note and if they were already settled by other credit notes or payments then those will be de-allocated. Refer to Allocations section below to find out how CRM.COM handles allocations. | |
Log Information | |
Shared Notes: Provide notes for the credit note.Each time the notes are amended, the user and the date are logged. Back Office Code: Set a code which is used by external systems to refer to a specific financial transaction. The Back Office Code is not mandatory, but if specified then it should be unique. |
Payments
Payments are used to credit the account. They can be generated either by system processes or manually by the user.
System processes generating payments
- Payments in CRM.COM can be done by using vouchers. When a voucher is used then a payment is generated to credit the account with the amount of the voucher
- A process to pay unsettled bills with credit cards registered through STRIPE or any other payment gateway, results in the generation of payment transactions. The process can be configured to be automatically run daily, weekly or monthly and collects all credit cards of account owners which choose to pay their bills through the registered credit card and settles them by creating a payment in CRM.COM and sending a request to Stripe to withdraw the money from the customer's back account.
- In case the payment is done through Stripe then the payments created are directly posted
- In case the payment is done through any other payment gateway then the life cycle state remains as 'Pending Verification' and must be manually updated or through a WEB API, as soon as the gateway provides confirmation that the payment has been successfully processed.
User actions generating payments
Payments to credit a customer's account can be created manually by using the New > Payment action available in the Summary page of Financial Transactions.
Payment fields
The table describes the sections of Payments Data Entry page, and explains how the fields in the page are used
Mandatory Configurable
Main Information | |
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Number The transaction number of the payment which is automatically generated on posting the payment Reference Number: The reference number of the payment which is automatically generated by creating the payment (before posting) Accounts Receivable: The Accounts Receivable that the payment is created for Currency: The currency with which the account owner chose to be charged and pay (Set on the account) Financial Transaction Type: The financial transaction type of classification payment for which the payment will be created with Payment Method:The method of payment for the specific transaction. Only payment methods listed as 'Allowed' in the Financial Transaction Type can be applied. Amount: The amount of the Payment Payment Preference: The accounts receivable 'Payment Preference' that will be used to process the payment. Life Cycle State: The life cycle state of the payment which can be any of the following and will be set by the system according to your actions (save as draft, save, reject) :
Rejection Reason: The reason selected when rejecting the transaction. Is available only if the transaction is rejected. Category: The category of the payment. Only categories listed as 'Allowed' on the related financial transaction type can be applied. Issued Date: The date that the payment was issued on. Posted Date: The date that the payment was 'Posted' on, which is set by the system. Voucher: The voucher that was used for the payment and resulted in its creation and posting. This information is available only if the payment was created by using a voucher. Received On / By User / By Unit : The date, the user and the unit (the unit of the user ) on which the payment was received. | |
Payment Information | |
The invoices and/or bills intended to be paid. If the allocation principle is set to FIFO then the invoices/bills added in this section are ignored. However if the allocation is Against Item & FIFO then the invoices added here will be allocated against the payment and if they were already settled by other credit notes or payments then those will be de-allocated. Refer to Allocations section below to find out how CRM.COM handles allocations. | |
Payment Gateway information | |
Provides information related to the Payment Gateway Provided that processed the Payment. This section is applicable only if the specified payment method is processed by a Payment Gateway Provider | |
Log Information | |
Shared Notes: Provide notes for the payment. Each time the notes are amended, the user and the date are logged. Back Office Code: Set a code which is used by external systems to refer to a specific financial transaction. The Back Office Code is not mandatory, but if specified then it should be unique. |
Refunds
Refunds are used to refund customers, as in, give them back cash, in case that they have unused money in their account (i.e. the account balance is below 0). Therefore, a refund will debit the account.
User actions generating payments
Create a refund to debit the account with the amount refunded to the customer by using the New > Refund action available in the Summary page of Financial Transactions.
Refund fields
The table describes the sections of Payments Data Entry page, and explains how the fields in the page are used
Mandatory Configurable
Main Information | |
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Number The transaction number of the refund which is automatically generated on posting the refund. Reference Number: The reference number of the refund which is automatically generated by creating the refund (before posting). Accounts Receivable: The Accounts Receivable that the refund is created for. Currency: The currency with which the account owner chose to be charged and pay (Set on the account). Financial Transaction Type: Select the financial transaction type of classification refund for which the refund will be created with. Amount: Define the amount of the refund. Refund Method: Select the method by which the customer will get back money for example cash or credit card. Payment Preference: The accounts receivable 'Payment Preference' that will be used to process the refund. Life Cycle State: The life cycle state of the refund which can be any of the following and will be set by the system according to your actions (save as draft, save, reject) :
Rejection Reason: The reason selected when rejecting the transaction. Is available only if the transaction is rejected. Category: Select the category of the refund. Only categories listed as 'Allowed' on the related financial transaction type can be applied. Issued Date: The date that the refund was issued on. Issue Reason: The reason that the customer was refunded. Posted Date: The date that the refund was 'Posted' on, and which is set by the system. | |
Log Information | |
Shared Notes: Provide notes for the refund. Each time the notes are amended, the user and the date are logged. Back Office Code: Set a code which is used by external systems to refer to a specific financial transaction. The Back Office Code is not mandatory, but if specified then it should be unique. |
Write-off
Write -off are used to remove an amount owed to the account if the account owner is unable and will never pay for that amount. Write offs are used to remove a whole invoice.
User actions generating write-off
Write-offs are explicitly created against invoices. To write off an invoice access the Data Entry page of the invoice and click on Actions > Write off from the Action menu. Only invoices which are not settled can be written off.
Write-off fields
The table describes the sections of Write Off Data Entry page, and explains how the fields in the page are used
Mandatory Configurable
Main Information | |
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Number The transaction number of the write-off which is automatically generated on posting the write-off. Reference Number: The reference number of the write-off which is automatically generated by creating the write-off (before posting). Accounts Receivable: The Accounts Receivable that the write-off is created for which is set by the system. Currency: The currency with which the account owner chose to be charged and pay (Set on the account). Financial Transaction Type: Select the financial transaction type of classification write-off for which the write-off will be created with. Life Cycle State: The life cycle state of the write off which can only be Posted. Posted transactions are permanent, cannot be edited and affect the account's balance. (The write off will credit the account for the amount of the invoice that was written off). Category: Select the category of the write off. Only categories listed as 'Allowed' on the related financial transaction type can be applied. Issued Date: The date that the write off was issued on. Issue Reason: The reason provided when writing off the invoice. Posted Date: The date that the write off was 'Posted' on, which is set by the system. Invoice Written Off: Information related to the invoice which is written off, which is set by the system. Write Off Account Invoices: Information related to the new invoice created in the company's write-off account which is set by the system. | |
Items | |
A single item which includes the default write off product as this is defined in the financial transaction definition. The line item's total amount is the same as the written off invoice's remaining unpaid amount but it additionally includes other amounts,such as net and VAT amount, depending on the write off product's applicable VAT rate. | |
Log Information | |
Shared Notes: Provide notes for the write off. Each time the notes are amended, the user and the date are logged. Back Office Code: Set a code which is used by external systems to refer to a specific financial transaction. The Back Office Code is not mandatory, but if specified then it should be unique. |
Invoice Cancellation
Invoice Cancellation are used to credit the account when the full amount of an invoice must be cancelled due to an error or a customer changing their mind about a buy. They can be generated either by system processes or manually by the user.
System processes generating invoice cancellation
Wallets which are used to fund prepaid subscriptions and redeem awards for reward participants, can be directly related to an account in which case a debit transaction taking place in the wallet can be reflected as a credit in the account. When a credit wallet transaction that had previously caused the generation of an invoice in the account, is voided, crediting the wallet, then an invoice cancellation is created to cancel the amount that previously debited the account.
User actions generating invoice cancellation
Invoice cancellation, to deduct an amount that an account was mistakenly charged with or for the return of items, can be created by cancelling the related invoice by using the Actions > Cancel action available in the Data Entry page of the invoice you wish to cancel
Invoice cancellation fields
The table describes the sections of Invoice Cancellation classification Financial Transaction Data Entry page, and explains how the fields in the page are used
Mandatory Configurable
Main Information | |
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Number The transaction number of the invoice cancellation which is automatically generated on saving the cancellation action. Reference Number: The reference number of the invoice cancellation which is automatically generated on saving the cancellation action. Accounts Receivable: The Accounts Receivable that the invoice cancellation is created for. Currency: The currency with which the account owner chose to be charged and pay (Set on the account). Financial Transaction Type: Select the financial transaction type of classification invoice cancellation for which the invoice cancellation will be created with Life Cycle State: The life cycle state of the invoice cancellation which can only be Posted. Posted transactions are permanent, cannot be edited and affect the account's balance. Category: The category of the invoice cancellation which was set when cancelling the invoice. Only categories listed as 'Allowed' on the related financial transaction type can be applied. Issue Reason: The reason that the invoice cancellation was created, defined when cancelling the invoice. Issued On: The date that the invoice cancellation was issued on. Posted On: The date that the invoice cancellation was 'Posted' on, which is set by the system. Cancelled Invoice: Information related to the invoice that was cancelled. | |
Items | |
A list of items which were included in the invoice that was cancelled. | |
Log Information | |
Shared Notes: Provide notes for the invoice cancellation. Each time the notes are amended, the user and the date are logged. Back Office Code: Set a code which is used by external systems to refer to a specific financial transaction. The Back Office Code is not mandatory, but if specified then it should be unique. |
Payment Cancellation
Payment Cancellation are used to debit the account when the full amount of a payment must be cancelled due to an error. They can only be generated by user intervention.
User actions generating payment cancellation
Payment cancellation, to debit back an account for the full amount of a payment that did not pass through, can be created by cancelling the related payment by using the Actions > Cancel action available in the Data Entry page of the payment you wish to cancel
Payment cancellation fields
The table describes the sections of Payment Cancellation classification Financial Transaction Data Entry page, and explains how the fields in the page are used
Mandatory Configurable
Main Information | |
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Number The transaction number of the payment cancellation which is automatically generated on saving the cancellation action Reference Number: The reference number of the payment cancellation which is automatically generated on saving the cancellation action Accounts Receivable: The Accounts Receivable that the payment cancellation is created for Currency: The currency with which the account owner chose to be charged and pay (Set on the account) Financial Transaction Type: Select the financial transaction type of classification payment cancellation for which the payment cancellation will be created with Life Cycle State: The life cycle state of the payment cancellation which can be one of the following:
Category: The category of the payment cancellation which was set when cancelling the payment. Only categories listed as 'Allowed' on the related financial transaction type can be applied. Amount: The amount to be deducted from the account (which is equal to the amount of the cancelled payment) Issue Reason: The reason that the payment cancellation was created, defined when cancelling the payment Issued On: The date that the payment cancellation was issued on Posted On: The date that the payment cancellation was 'Posted' on, which is set by the system Cancelled payment: Information related to the payment that was cancelled | |
Payment Gateway Information | |
Information related to the Payment Gateway Provided that processed the Payment Cancellation. | |
Log Information | |
Shared Notes: Provide notes for the payment cancellation. Each time the notes are amended, the user and the date are logged. Back Office Code: Set a code which is used by external systems to refer to a specific financial transaction. The Back Office Code is not mandatory, but if specified then it should be unique. |
Creating and processing Financial Transactions
Actions are subject to validations which take place before an action is initiated (prerequisite) or after it is submitted (postcondition).
Selecting and creating a/an Financial Transactions
Navigate to Financial Transactions and specify the criteria that match the Financial Transactions you are interested in, or click on NEW from the Actions Menu to create a new Financial Transactions. Proceed by providing the mandatory information as defined in the tables above before you SAVE
Classification | Invoice | Credit Note | Payment | Refund |
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System Processing |
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Modifying a financial transaction
As long as a transaction has not been posted it can be edited by using the EDIT from the Actions Menu to enter edit mode.
Additional Information
Prerequisites | Life cycle state = 'Draft' |
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Rejecting a financial transaction
If transactions have not yet been posted (i.e. draft life cycle state) and they should not be taken into account by financial processes then they can be rejected. To reject a transaction click on Actions > Reject from the Actions menu of the transactions Data Entry page. The reason for rejecting the transaction must be selected from the drop-down list.
Additional Information
Prerequisites | Life Cycle State is 'Draft' |
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Postconditions | A reason for the rejection is specified The related account is not 'Terminated' |
System Processing | The life cycle state of the transaction is updated to 'Rejected' |
Posting a draft financial transaction
If a transaction was created in a Draft state then it can be posted at any point by using the ACTIONS > POST action available in the Data Entry page of the transaction.
Additional Information
Prerequisites | Life cycle state is 'Draft' | ||||
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Postconditions |
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System Processing |
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Cancelling an invoice
Invoices that have already been posted can be cancelled. Cancel invoices that were erroneously created to credit related account with the full amount of the invoice. The result of the action is the creation of a new financial transaction of classification, Invoice Cancellation. To cancel, click on Actions > Cancel from the Action menu in the Data Entry page of the invoice you wish to cancel.
Additional Information
Prerequisites | Life Cycle State of the invoice transaction is set to Posted |
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System Processing | A new financial transaction is created with an 'Invoice Cancellation' classification Life cycle state of the Invoice Cancellation is set to 'Posted' Posted Date is set equal to current date Transaction number is set Invoice cancellation is allocated against the cancelled invoice Any payments or Credit Notes which are already allocated against the cancelled Invoice are de-allocated |
Cancelling a payment
Payments that have already been posted can be cancelled. Cancel payments that were erroneously created to either Debit the related account with the full amount of the payment. The result of the action is the creation of a new financial transaction of classification Payment Cancellation.
To cancel click on Actions > Cancel from the Action menu in the Data Entry page of the payment you wish to cancel.
Additional Information
Postconditions | The accounts receivable for the Payment is not 'Terminated' |
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Prerequisites | Life cycle state of the payment transaction is set to Posted |
System Processing | A new financial transaction is created with a 'Payment Cancellation' classification Life cycle state of the Payment Cancellation is set to 'Posted' . If the payment was related to a Payment Gateways then the life cycle state of the cancellation will be set to "Pending Verification" and not "Posted" until is handled successfully by the Gateway Posted Date is set equal to current date Transaction Number is set Invoice Cancellation is set against the cancelled Invoice If the payment is allocated against one or more Invoices then it is de-allocated
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Moving a payment between accounts
You can transfer money from one account to another even between different account owners. Moving Payments can also be accomplished from system accounts to customer accounts. For example, if while processing bank payments the system cannot identify an account that the payment was made for, the payment can be moved in the suspense system account. Once the customer that made the payment is identified then the payment can be moved from the suspense account to the customer account.
To move payments click on Actions > Move to Account from the Actions menu of the Data Entry page of the payment you wish to move. Select the Destination accounts receivable and click on SAVE.
Additional Information
Prerequisites | Life cycle state of the payment is 'Posted' |
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Postconditions | The destination accounts receivable for the payment is not 'Terminated' |
System Processing | A Payment Cancellation is created against the initial accounts receivable, referencing the original payment
An identical Payment is created against the destination accounts receivable
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Writing off an unsettled invoice
There are cases where debts owed by customer will not be paid due to various reasons, such as a diseased customer. In such cases, the invoices can be written off so that they can be excluded by taxes paid from your company. To write off an invoice click on Actions > Write Off from the Actions menu of the Data Entry page of the invoice you wish to write off. Select the Type of write off that will be created and the issue reason and click on SAVE.
Additional Information
Prerequisites | Not available for invoices that are 'Settled' Life cycle state of the invoice must be 'Posted' |
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System Processing | A write off invoice is created for the unsettled amount of money and allocated against the written off invoice. The account is credited accordingly A new invoice is created in the write off account which is the same as the write off invoice |
Paying an invoice using quick pay
The Quick Pay process supplements the usual method of creating payments (through Financial Transactions) and is used to quickly settle outstanding invoice amounts.
You can access Quick Pay through Actions > Quick Pay found at the Actions Menu in the Data Entry page of the invoice. The amount for which the payment is made cannot be modified however the rest of the information can be amended. Once all the information is provided click on SAVE.
Additional Information
Prerequisites | Not available for invoices that are 'Settled' |
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System Processing | A payment is created an allocated against the invoice |
Allocation of financial transactions
Allocations are used in order to settle the outstanding balance of accounts by assigning credit financial transactions against invoices. Allocations are applied automatically by the system following the Allocation Principle specified on the Accounts Receivable Definitions.
Two possible allocation principles are supported by CRM.COM but only one can be selected by the system at a time.
- FIFO: First In First Out
- Allocation occurs at posting
- All unallocated transactions are taken into consideration, regardless of which one is being posted
- The oldest credit transaction is allocated against the oldest invoice.
- The oldest credit transaction is identified by comparing the Posting Date.
- The oldest invoice is identified by comparing the Due Date.
- The Allocation Type is set to FIFO
- FIFO & Against Item
- Allocation occur at posting
- Allocations are always performed Against Item when the credit Financial Transaction refers to one or more specific (Intended) invoices.
If the credit Financial Transaction refers to more than one invoice, then the Allocation is applied on those invoices using the FIFO principle.
Allocating a Financial Transaction
Allocations are performed automatically during the posting of a financial transaction and according to the selected principle. If the selected principle is FIFO & Against Item, then it is necessary to define the intended invoices or Bills when creating the payment. If no intended invoices are defined, then the system will apply the FIFO principle. If the selected Principle is FIFO, it is not necessary to define any invoices for which a payment is conducted.
How does the FIFO Allocation Principle work?
Allocations based on the FIFO Principle follow these rules:
Allocations are always performed first in first out.
The oldest credit transaction is identified by comparing the Posting Dates.
The oldest invoice is identified by comparing the Due Dates.
The oldest credit transaction is allocated against the oldest invoice.
Allocations are performed Against Item only when an invoice cancellation is posted
In the case of an invoice cancellation, the cancellation transaction is always allocated against the selected invoice and the Allocation Type is set to 'Against Item'
If there are other transactions which are already allocated against the selected invoice, then they are de-allocated and allocated again using 'FIFO'
- If a payment which was already allocated against an invoice is cancelled, then the payment is de-allocated and the invoice is re-allocated following the same principle
The de-allocation is performed by creating an Allocation record with negative amount and setting the Allocation Type to 'De-allocation'
The de-allocated record keeps a reference to the Allocation record that resulted in its de-Allocation.
The system always keeps a record of the Type of Allocation that has been performed.
How does FIFO and Against Item Principle work?
Allocations based on FIFO & Against Item Allocation Principle are performed using the following rules:
Allocations are always performed Against Item when the credit Financial Transaction refers to one or more specific invoices.
If the credit Financial Transaction is referring to more than one invoice, then the Allocation is applied on those invoices using FIFO
- If the amount to be allocated to the invoice is more than the un-allocated amount then
- If there are other transactions which are already allocated against an invoice using FIFO, then they are de-allocated and re-allocated based on 'FIFO'
- If the amount that should be allocated is still more than the unallocated amount of the invoice, then an amount equal to the unallocated amount is allocated against that invoice, setting the Allocation Type to 'Against Item' and the remaining amount of the credit Financial Transaction is allocated using FIFO.
Otherwise, "If the credit Financial Transaction amount is just enough to cover the invoice then the whole amount of the credit Financial Transaction is allocated against the invoice, setting the Allocation Type to 'Against Item'
Allocations are always performed on a FIFO basis if the credit Financial Transaction is not referring to specific invoices.
Allocations are always performed on an Against Item basis when an invoice cancellation is posted.
In the case of an invoice cancellation, the cancellation is always allocated against the referred invoice and the Allocation Type is set to 'Against Item'
If other transactions were already allocated against the invoice, then they are de-allocated and allocated again based on 'FIFO'
- When cancelling a payment already allocated against an invoice, the cancelled payment is de-allocated and the invoice is allocated again based on 'FIFO'
- De-allocation is performed by creating an Allocation record with a negative amount and setting the Allocation Type to 'De-allocation'
- The de-allocated record keeps a reference to the Allocation record that resulted in its de-Allocation.
Working with invoice due dates
What are Invoice Due Dates?
Financial Transactions classified as invoices must have a Due Date when they are posted. The Due Date is the date by which an invoice or a bill must be settled. It can be either added by the user or calculated and set by the system. In both cases, when saving a financial transaction the due date will be validated against the credit period of the account which is calculated based on the Due Date rules of the accounts receivable definition.
How does the Due Date Calculation work?
If a user does not specify a due date when posting an invoice, then the date is generated by the system based on the accounts receivable credit period , using the calculation below:
- If the rule is set to fixed number of days, then the Due Date is set equal to the Posted Date plus the specified number of days
- If the rule is set to the nth day, X months after the Posted Date, then the Due Date is set on the nth day, X months after the Posted Date
- If the rule allows a proximity range and a Credit Period is set on the corresponding Accounts Receivable then:
- If the Credit Period is set to plus X days, then the Due Date is set X days after the calculated Due Date
- If the Credit Period is set to minus X days, then the Due Date is set X days before the calculated Due Date
Applying business flows on Financial Transactions
Making payments and refunding customers through online accounts
Payments and refunds in CRM.COM can be made using online accounts such as PayPal, Stripe or through any other payment gateway which CRM.COM can integrate with. If you are already cooperating with a payment gateway then you can set up CRM.COM to create payments and refunds which can be fed in the payment gateway and once processed you can update CRM.COM accordingly.
Integration with STRIPE on the other hand allows you to directly make payment and refund requests to stripe and once completed CRM.COM will be updated accordingly.
In order to set up the system to support any of the 2 ways you will need to configure first financial transactions and then the Payment Gateway provider with which you work with.
- Create the Payment and Refund Methods which will be used to distinguish payments and refunds which should be handled by the payment gateway
- Set up your provider, either Stripe or any other and in the provider add the payment and refund methods related to them
- Set up an account Payment Preference which is also related to the payment gateway
To conduct payments and refunds via the payment gateway:
- Set the payment gateway related payment preference on the account and provide all the account details
- On creating a payment financial transaction select the payment method which is related to the payment gateway and the payment preference, as defined in the account with which the payment will be done. (same applies for refunds)
- For payments/refunds handled via Stripe the system will automatically send payment/refund requests
- For payments/refunds handled via any other gateway you will need to export the requests and send them to the payment gateway using the related WEB APIs
Communicating a payment
Payment information can be communicated by using the Communicate Payment action available through the Actions menu.
You can use Financial Transactions related communication tags (text that is automatically replaced by values specific to selected records) when creating communications for Financial Transactions. Tags are available for selection by typing '#'.
Refer to Communications manual for a complete list of Financial Transactions tags.
Financial Transactions Analytics
Segmenting Financial Transactions
You can group payments with common characteristics, such as payments conducted in the last week. Use the lists in system business processes such as notifying customers for payments made or for simple statistical calculations.
For more information on Segmentation and how you can create Financial Transactions lists refer to Segmentation.
Dashboards
Dashboards make information regarding the key performance indicators of the progress of the Financial Transactions available from a single integrated view. Dashboards are made up of components such as charts and summary tables. Refer to Dashboards for information on their use and set-up.
Dashboard components
Average Product Revenue per Unit per Month
The component displays the average product revenue for a specific period sold by a specific unit in a bar chart, grouped by product. In the absence of a date range, the average revenue of products within the current month will be displayed. You can select the products whose revenue is displayed through the settings.
- Product's revenue = (total amount that a Product was Invoiced -( VAT amount+ Tax amount)) - (the total amount credited in Credit Notes - (VAT amount + Tax amount )) - (the total amount included in Invoice Cancellations - (VAT amount+ Tax amount)
- Average Product revenue = (total revenue of the Product in a month divided by the number of distinct Accounts Receivable that the Financial Transactions resulting in the revenue were made against
Receipts per Month
The component displays the receipts (Receipts = Payments total - Payment Cancellations total - Refunds total) of the last 12 months, in a bar chart, grouped per month. For the calculation of the receipts only 'posted' transactions are considered
Revenue per Month
The component displays the revenue within last 12 months, in a bar chart, grouped by month. In the absence of a date range, the average revenue of products within the current month will be displayed.
- Revenue = (total invoice amount -( VAT amount+ Tax amount)) - (total credit notes amount - (VAT amount + Tax amount )) - (total invoice cancellation amount - (VAT amount+ Tax amount)
Reports
Financial Transactions information can be extracted in a structured format for analysis by using reports. The Financial Transactionsincluded in the report are selected and grouped based on user defined criteria. The user can select the fields displayed in the report.
Refer to Reports for information on their use.
Financial Revenue List Report
The report displays all the Invoices, Credit Notes and Invoices Cancellations that were posted within a specific period of time.
Financial Summary by accounting type report
The report displays:
- total revenue amounts grouped by transaction type, including Net, VAT, Tax and Discount amounts
- receipts by payment type
Financial Transactions List Report
The report displays all the financial transactions that were posted within a specific period of time.
Monthly recurring revenue (MRR) & Monthly recurring revenue growth (MRR Growth) report
MRR is a report that displays the monthly recurring revenue for all types of subscriptions, per subscription type or per normal or prepaid subscribers. It always displays the results of the last 12 months by default. The monthly recurring revenue growth is also available for all types of subscriptions, per subscription type or per normal or prepaid subscribers.
In order for the results of the report to be populated the MRR utility must be executed. The utility calculates the existing and growth revenue per month derived from rated termed (recurring) services up until the last day of the month before the current month.
Printouts
Financial transaction printouts displays all the information contained in a Financial Transactions. It is available through the Financial Transactions Data Entry page in one of the following formats: HTML, XLS, CSV, RTF, PDF.
Refer to Printouts for information on how they can be created, printed and sent.
Credit note details printout
A Credit Note Details printout provides information in the selected credit note.
Invoice details printout
An Invoice Details Printout displays information regarding a selected Invoice.
Invoice cancellation details printout
An Invoice Cancellation Details Printout provides the information of an Invoice Cancellation.
Payment printout
A Payment Printout provides the information of a payment.
Financial Transactions Business Examples
Scenario 1.
Company ZX would like to create refunds once a month for its customers with a negative outstanding balance. The refunds are paid out to the customers through their bank account. Once the bank makes the payment to the customer's account, the bank sends a file back to Company ZX with all the successful payments. Company ZX can the update the customer's accounts balances.
Solution
User Process
All the refunds should be created in a 'Draft' life cycle state and be sent out to the bank. Once the file with the successful payments is received from the bank, the refunds should be updated to 'Posted', (automatically) updating the balance of the account by that amount.
Scenario 2.
Company ZX would like to cancel 'Posted' Invoices that were created by error.
Solution
Configuration
An 'Operations' user should be responsible for cancelling Invoices created by error. 'Admin' users can configure different types of 'Invoice Cancellation Classified Transactions', in order to differentiate between reasons for cancelling an Invoice. For example, Cancellation Error Invoices & Cancellation Complaint Invoices.
User Process
The user should select the Invoice to be cancelled and create a Financial Transaction of the appropriate Type.
As a result, the Invoice will be available for future reference without affecting the account's Balance. The Financial Transaction 'Invoice Cancellation Type' indicates the reason the Invoice was cancelled. More detailed information can be viewed through the Cancellation's Issue Reason.
Scenario 3.
Company ZX imports Payments from the bank through an import file.
If the intended account is not found the Payment will be created in Company ZX system Suspense account. Back office personnel are responsible to manually check and move the Payments to the correct customer account.
Solution
User Process
Back office operators should follow the process described below:
Company's ZX Back office personnel should access Company's ZX suspense account daily. The action "Move to Account" should be executed for each of the Payments once the intended account has been determined.
Scenario 4.
A customer of Company ZX purchases 2 Cards. He gets a discount for both, 15% for the first one and €20 for the other one.
Solution
User Process
Create a new Financial Transaction of Type Invoice. In the Items tab add 2 lines with the following information
- Card 1
- Cost: 100
- Quantity: 1
- Discount
- Discount Percentage: 15%
- Card 2
- Cost: 100
- Quantity: 1
- Discount
- Discount Amount: €20
System Calculations:
- Card 1
- Subtotal: (100-15) = 85
- Card 2
- Subtotal: 80
- Card 1
Scenario 5a.
Company ZX wants the 15th day of the month as the Invoice 'Due Date'.
Solution
Configuration
The Accounts Receivable Credit Rule should be set up defining the nth day to be equal to 15 after x months are equal to 1.
User Process
When posting the invoice:
- If the user defines a date, the system either validates the date or returns an error message. e.g. In case the Date of Posting is on 20 May:
- If the 'Due Date' is Set to 21/05 an "Invalid Due Date" message is returned from the system
- If the 'Due Date' is Set to 16/06 an "Invalid Due Date" message is returned from the system
- If the 'Due Date' is Set to 15/06 no error message is returned and the 'Due Date' is saved successfully
If the user leaves the 'Due Date' empty the system will set it to 15/06
Scenario 5b.
Company ZX would like to have the 'Due Date' always set 10 days after the 'Posted Date'.
Solution
Configuration
The Accounts Receivable definition 'Credit Rule' should be set up defining X Days after the transaction's 'Posted Date' ( X = 10)
User Process
When posting the Invoice:
If the user defines a date, the system either validates the date or returns an error message. e.g. In case the Date of Posting is on 20 May:
- If the 'Due Date' is Set to 28/05 an "Invalid Due Date" message is returned from the system
- If the 'Due Date' is Set to 31/05 an "Invalid Due Date" message is returned from the system
- If the 'Due Date' is Set to 30/06 no error message is returned and the 'Due Date' is saved successfully
If the user leaves the 'Due Date' empty then the system will set it to 30/06
Scenario 5c
Even though Company ZX would like to allow agents to set the 'Due Date' at a maximum of 10 days after the 'Posted Date', it requires the System to set the 'Due Date' to 5 days after the 'Posted Date'.
Solution
Configuration
The Accounts Receivable definition 'Credit Rule' should be set up defining X Days after transaction's 'Posted Date' (X = 10)
Proximity range should be set to -5
User Process
When Posting the Invoice:
If the user defines a date, the System either validates the date or returns an error message. e.g. In case the Date of Posting is on 20 May:
- If the 'Due Date' is Set to 28/05 no error message is returned and the 'Due Date' is saved successfully
- If the 'Due Date' is Set to 31/05 an "Invalid Due Date" message is returned from the system
- If the 'Due Date' is Set to 30/06 no error message is returned and the 'Due Date' is saved successfully
If the user leaves the 'Due Date' empty then the system will set it to 25/05 (the smallest allowed 'Due Date' based on the set 'Proximity Range')
Scenario 6a.
Company ZX allows its customers to make payments using an online payment gateway
Solution
Configuration
- Financial Transaction Payment Methods
Configure the payment method that will be used for making payments through the online Payment Gateway - Financial Transaction Payment Type
Configure a payment transaction type and add the Payment method as allowed - Generic Gateway Provider
Configure the provider and select the allowed payment methods and the payment types that will trigger payments for the provider - Accounts Receivable Payment Preference
Configure an accounts receivable payment preference and relate it to payment gateway
Select fields which will be available and/or mandatory and will be entered by the user when selecting the payment preference on an accounts receivable
Set one of the selected fields as an identifier which will be used as a unique identifier (this could be an account number or a card number) - Accounts Receivable Definition
Add the payment preference in the allowed preferences of the account
User process
- Accounts Receivable
Enable the gateway payment preference on the accounts receivable
Provide the unique identifier (this could be an account number or a card number) and any other required information as configured in the payment preference - Financial Transactions
- Create a transaction and select the payment type you created
- Select the payment method which is related to the payment gateway
- The system will load the identifier you have provided in the accounts receivable payment preference
- Select it and proceed with saving the payment
Refer to Generic Gateway and Accounts Receivable manuals for more information
FIFO Principle
In the following example, we have one Invoice which has already been allocated to a Credit Note using the FIFO model. After a second Invoice is created the first Invoice is cancelled.
- Invoice 1: €20
- Invoice 2: €10
- Credit Note 1: €20
No | Action | Intended Invoices | Allocations | Allocation Type | Allocation amount | Unallocated Amount |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Creation of Invoice 1 | N/A | N/A | N/A | ||
2 | Creation of Invoice 2 | N/A | N/A | N/A | ||
3 | Creation of Credit Note 1 | N/A | Credit Note 1 allocated on Invoice 1 | FIFO | 20 | |
4 | Cancellation of Invoice 1 | Invoice 1 |
| |||
4a | Credit Note 1 de-allocated from Invoice 1 | N/A | N/A | De-allocation | 20 | |
4b | Creation of Cancellation Invoice 1 | N/A | Invoice 1 allocated on Cancellation Invoice 1 | Against Item | 20 | |
4c | Credit Note 1 allocated on Invoice 2 | N/A | Credit Note 1 allocated on Invoice 2 | FIFO | 10 | 10 |
FIFO & Against Item Principle
In the following example, we have 3 Invoices of which the 2 first are allocated from Credit Notes that were intended for the invoices in question. The first Invoice is then cancelled.
- Invoice 1: €10
- Invoice 2: €20
- Invoice 3: €20
- Credit Note 1 : €10 (Intended Invoice: Invoice 1)
- Credit Note 2 : €20 (Intended Invoice: Invoice 2)
No | Action | Intended Invoice | Allocations | Allocation Type | Allocation amount | Unallocated Amount |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Creation of Invoice 1 | N/A | N/A | N/A | ||
2 | Creation of Invoice 2 | N/A | N/A | N/A | ||
3 | Creation of Invoice 3 | N/A | N/A | N/A | ||
4 | Creation of Credit Note 1 | Invoice 1 | Credit Note 1 allocated on Invoice 1 | FIFO and Against Item | 10 | 0 |
5 | Creation of Credit Note 2 | Invoice 2 | Credit Note 2 allocated on Invoice 2 | FIFO and Against Item | 20 | 0 |
4 | Cancellation of Invoice 1 |
| ||||
4a | Credit Note 1 de-allocated from Invoice 1 | N/A | De-allocation | 10 | 0 | |
4b | Creation of Cancellation Invoice 1 | Invoice 1 allocated on Cancellation Invoice 1 | Against Item | 10 | 0 | |
4c | Credit Note 1 allocated on Invoice 3 | Credit Note 1 allocated on Invoice 3 | FIFO | 10 | 10 |
Notes
- If you are using a previous release, view CRM.COM Release Changes.
- Use the Financial Transactions WEB API to create and manage Financial Transactions from an external system, such as a customer portal. View Credit Notes, Refunds, Payments and Invoices WEB APIs for a complete list of actions available through the WEB API.
Glossary
CRM.COM Term | Definition |
---|---|
Accounts Receivable | A ledger of the financial transactions carried out between a company and its customers, such as invoices and payments. |
Payment Gateway | An e-commerce application service provider that authorises credit card payments for e-businesses. |
Stripe | A build in integration of CRM.COM and Stripe payment system, which can be used to accept online customer payments. |
Wallet | A financial account which allows customers to use a credit balance to fund transactions within CRM.COM. |
Wallet Transaction | A financial event used to debit or credit the wallet |
Normal Billing Run | A mechanism that is used to charge customers for goods and services provided over a period of time. Each run is usually performed on a monthly basis and issues a bill including the invoices and credit notes associated with customer subscriptions or jobs. |
Rewards Participant | The customers who have signed up for Rewards or have been automatically selected to participate. |
Quick Sale | Is the process through which users are able to easily and quickly sell physical goods to customers and invoice them the same time. |
Vouchers | Vouchers are an alternate way of paying an amount of money across CRM.COM modules. Customers can buy Vouchers and use them to perform payments within the system, while optionally, limitations can exist on the products money can be spent on. |