Sometimes an order or a payment are accidentally entered incorrectly. Here are some common scenarios and best practices for fixing them.
It is generally not recommended that the amounts associated with orders and payments are modified after the transaction is saved. This can create difficulties with the audit trail if it ever needs to be reported on, as well as create data integrity issues in the payment allocation.
It is especially important to follow best practices if the financial information is exported - changing data from a past exporting period would cause reconciliation problems.
Orders
For orders that can be edited, it is safe to edit the following by clicking into the order, changing the value and saving
- Reference Order
- Order Details
- Salesperson
Order Date and Event cannot be edited.
It is not recommended that Item, Item Price and Quantity are edited: the ability exists to address certain rare specific scenarios, but in 99% of cases please follow the workflows described below.
Voidable orders
In most cases the easiest way to fix an erroneous order is to Void it. Just use the Void link on the Orders screen. Then if necessary a new corrected order can be added.
Booth space orders
Orders that are attached to booths, such as booth space orders and premiums, do not have a Void Order button.
The best way to correct any issues with these is from the floorplan by using the Move Exhibitor feature to relocate them temporarily, and then placing them back in their desired location with the correct rate.
Booth Space Orders with Excessive Amounts
If a booth space has an obviously incorrect very large Order Amount, the reason is that the Price for the Booth Space is always pro-rated per square foot - the Quantity should always equal square footage of the booth.
If you enter the full price of the booth into the Price Override box, the result will be an improbably large number
For this scenarios use the Move Exhibitor feature to temporarily relocate them somewhere else, and then Move Exhibitor again to place them into the right location, this time making sure that the Price is pro-rated per square foot correctly.
Booths with Undesired Premiums
If a premium has been charged and needs to be removed, the process is to use Move Exhibitor to move them elsewhere and then move them back.
IMPORTANT - when moving them back, by default the Premium order will remain selected. It is necessary to click into the Premium order field and then click on the highlighted Item to un-select it.
Tax Orders
If automatic tax calcuation features are in use, the Orders for automatic tax calculation cannot be voided and should not be backed out manually. They will be recalculated and updated based on the current taxable Orders.
Payments
If a Payment is editable, the following aspects can be updated by clicking into the payment itself and making the change
- Payment Date
- Tracking Number
- Details
- payment allocation (line items on which funds are entered) without changing the total
Payment Mode cannot be changed
It is not recommended that the total amount of payment be changed, as that can have adverse effects.
Instead, refund the payment, and add a new payment if necessary.
Note: the payments will be visible on the Statement, so ensure Tracking Number field is used to record the explanation for the refund
Online credit card and ACH payments
If the erroneous payment was charged online, such as with payment modes Online Credit Card and ACH, they cannot be edited at all. If a change is necessary, these must be refunded by using the corresponding Refund types which return funds to the payer.
- Online Credit Card Refunds
- ACH refund process is similar, but use Online ACH Refund payment mode.
Other payment types
If a payment is editable, the best way to refund it for the purpose of fixing an error is to use the same Payment Mode as was used originally. (This is different from issuing a Refund to give money back: in that case you may wish to consider your reporting needs, and choose either Refund or the specific mode by which you are giving back the money).
Fixing Payment Allocation
Applying funds to correct Orders/GLs
If payments are allocated towards the wrong line item (booth instead of sponsorship or vice versa), the best way to correct this is to add a Transfer payment that shifts payments between line items.
Fixing Negative Overpayments
If there is a negative number on the Overpayment line, the exhibitors' ability to pay will be impacted. Refunds should only be made from overpayment if there exist no orders to refund from.
To fix a Negative Overpayment, edit the existing order.
- Take a careful note of the Total field.
- Delete the negative payment amount from the Overpayment line
- Type in negative payment amount on any Order line which has some funds in it.
- Double-check that the Total has not changed
- Save.
- On Financial Summary screen, click Process. This will ensure that the payments are calculated correctly.
Negative Overpayments in locked Payments
It is not the expected behavior of the system to allow negative overpayments in payment types that are locked, such as Online Credit Card Refund, ACH Refund and System Transfer.
However, if orders or payments have been deleted or edited in ways that are not recommended by best practices above, a System Transfer payment may sometimes contain a negative overpayment.
Please reach out to your A2Z team and give them a formal permission to update the given company's record so they may rectify the issue.