After you have configured accounts receivable, the first step in managing accounts receivable is to record amounts that must be paid by your customers. If an order has been created, you can convert the order into an invoice when the goods are shipped. If no order exists, you can create the invoice manually.
You record discounts, shipping charges, and other item charges on the invoice before you post it. You can track serial or lot numbers on sales invoices.
You can create prepayment invoices, for example, if you require your customers to pay a deposit before you manufacture or ship goods. If you ship the goods in more than one shipment, you can post a partial invoice for each shipment.
When you receive payments, you record them in the Payment Registration window or the cash receipt journal. You apply invoices to receipts to close them. You can apply a receipt to the corresponding invoice when you post the receipt, or after you post the receipt.
Finally, you can send reminders or finance charge memos to customers with overdue balances.
The following table describes a sequence of tasks, with links to the topics that describe them. These tasks are listed in the order in which they are generally performed.
| To | See |
|---|---|
Issue an invoice for prepayment before the goods or services are shipped. | |
Create an invoice, either on the basis of a sales order, or without a pre-existing sales order. | |
Apply payments to open customer, vendor, or bank account ledger entries, either automatically based on an imported bank statement file or manually. Reconcile bank accounts when all payments are applied. | |
Post a receipt in the cash receipt journal. | |
Apply a receipt to a sales invoice. | |
Remind customers of overdue amounts, calculate interest and finance charges, and manage accounts receivable. |