FAQ: Contact Statement of Account Report
Quick answers to questions about running and using the Contact Statement.
Q: Can I run a statement for multiple contacts at once?
No. A statement is for one contact only. If you want to see balances for all contacts, use the Contact Balance report instead. If you need statements for multiple contacts, run one statement per contact and combine them manually or with a mail merge.
Q: What does "opening balance" mean?
The opening balance is what the contact owed or was owed on the day before the "from date" of your statement. It helps you verify that your starting point matches the contact's records. Include it unless you are reporting from the very beginning of your relationship with that contact.
Q: Why does the statement show a negative balance?
Negative balance usually means the contact has a credit balance — they have paid more than they owe you, or you have paid them more than you owe them. For customers, this means they have a prepayment or overpayment. For vendors, this means you have given them a prepayment or advanced funds.
Q: How do I know if my statement matches the contact's records?
Send them the statement (in PDF is best) and ask them to confirm it matches their records. If there is a discrepancy, ask them which transaction doesn't match and investigate. Common reasons include timing differences (they recorded a payment on a different date) or a transaction they have not yet recorded on their end.
Q: Can I include partial payments or credit notes in the statement?
Yes. The statement shows all transactions, including payments, credit notes, and refunds. They appear as separate rows in the detail.
Q: What if a transaction is missing from the statement?
This usually means:
- The transaction was posted to a different contact (check spelling of the contact name).
- The transaction date is outside the reporting period (check your from/to dates).
- The transaction has not yet been recorded in Usystems (check if it is still a draft or pending).
Q: How do I print a statement formatted nicely?
Export to PDF and then print the PDF. This preserves the layout and fonts. Alternatively, export to Excel, format it as you like, and then print.
Q: Can I customize the columns shown in the statement?
No. The statement columns are fixed (date, reference, description, debit, credit, balance). If you need custom columns, export to CSV or Excel and edit the file as needed.
Q: Why does the closing balance not match what I expect?
Check:
- Did you include the opening balance in your calculation?
- Are all transactions in the period showing (check if you used a currency filter that excluded some transactions)?
- Did you sum the debit and credit columns correctly?
If none of these explain it, compare your statement with the contact's records or check the Contact Balance report for that same date.
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