If you use the invoicing module, you can automatically process payment details from a file that you have exported from e.g. your accounting or banking software. Alternatively, you can create a CSV file manually by use of e.g. Excel or a simple text editor.
Recommended reading
- Job server
- Invoicing FAQ
- Payment runs / Sales reports
- Importing invoice details and agency sales data
Preparing a file to upload
This function requires a comma separated (CSV) file with the following columns:
- NUMBER – the invoice number
- AMOUNT – the amount paid with a dot as decimal separator (e.g. 100.50).
Additionally, your file may have the following optional columns:
- DATE – payment date formatted as dd/mm/yyyy (e.g. 07/07/2017 for 7 July 2017).
If this field is blank then the run date will be used - ACCOUNTNO – the user id
- DESCRIPTION – a description no longer than 150 characters.
Longer descriptions will be truncated.
Note that the first line of your file must have the exact names (titles) as shown above. So it must have the word NUMBER in the first column, and the word AMOUNT in the second column. The other columns are optional so these don’t have to be in your file. But if you want to import those columns then the the column headings must be DATE, ACCOUNTNO and/or DESCRIPTION. Other columns can be part of your file but such columns are ignored.
Payment descriptions (created by this function) will have information about the job id (for example Import run: 51) and a description and account number/user id if available. If you view an invoice it will be easy to see that a payment was the result of an Invoice payment run.
Note that the amounts are expected in the user’s currency. So if your base currency is GBP and an invoice was sent in EURO, then the amount received is expected to be in EURO. The import function will convert the amount to your currency using the current conversion rate.
Creating a Invoice payments run
In Back office, Site configuration, click on Job server in the side bar. Then click on New in the toolbar. In the job properties dialog, select the job type “Invoice payments run”. Click on the upload button to select and upload your CSV file. To run the import job as soon as possible, select the correct day (e.g. Monday) and set the run time to “after 00:00”.
Enter your e-mail address in the box at the bottom. A detailed report will be sent to this address. It is important that you check this report carefully.
When you are done, click on the Save button. Your job will be processed shortly. In the overview you can click on Refresh to check the status of your job.
About processing your payments file
A record in your payments file may be skipped because of the following reasons (this information is available in the job report that will be sent to you):
- The invoice number in your file is not valid or not found
- The invoice is already marked as paid in full
- The payment is in a currency other than yours, and the currency conversion rate is not found for either your or the user’s currency
Furthermore, a record in your payments file may not be processed because of an error while trying to store the payment. If this is the case, then you’ll see the error in your report.