A customer balance looks wrong

A customer's balance should always equal the sum of all unpaid invoices and outstanding payments they have made to you. If the displayed balance looks wrong, use these steps to identify and fix the problem.

Symptom

The customer balance shown in Usystems does not match what you expect. For example:

• The balance shows they owe money when all their invoices are marked paid.
• The balance is higher or lower than it should be.
• The balance was correct yesterday but changed without explanation.

Likely causes (ordered by probability)

1. An invoice was deleted or its status changed. When an invoice is cancelled or reversed, its amount is removed from the balance. Check the customer's invoice list to confirm all invoices are still there and have the status you expect.

2. A payment was not assigned to this customer. If someone recorded a payment but selected the wrong customer or left the customer blank, this customer's balance will not decrease. Check the Payments list to see if there are any unallocated payments or payments assigned to the wrong customer.

3. A payment was reversed or deleted. If a payment was marked as cancelled, the customer's balance will go back to what it was before that payment was recorded.

4. Exchange rate changes affected the balance. If the customer has invoices or payments in a currency other than your default, changes in exchange rates can make the balance appear different. Balances are always shown in the currency of the customer's country, not your home currency.

5. A data entry error or duplicate. Rarely, an invoice or payment may be recorded twice, or an amount may be entered incorrectly.

Fix for each cause

Invoice status issue:

1. Go to Contacts → Customers Open in Usystems

2. Click the customer's name to open their profile.

3. Scroll to the Invoices section and check that all invoices are present and have the correct status (Unpaid, Partially Paid, or Paid).

4. If an invoice is missing, use the Date filter to search for invoices from that period. If you find it, check whether it was cancelled or if there was an error.

5. If an invoice status is wrong, open it and check its payment history or contact your administrator.

Unallocated or misdirected payment:

1. Go to Payments Open in Usystems

2. Check for any payments marked as Unallocated (showing no customer or invoice). These increase the company's cash but do not reduce any customer balance.

3. If you see an unallocated payment that belongs to this customer, open it and click Edit. Change the customer and/or assign it to the correct invoices.

4. Check the payments list for any marked with the wrong customer name. If found, edit them to correct the customer.

5. After you fix the payment customer or invoices, save it. The balance will update immediately.

Reversed or deleted payment:

1. Go to Payments Open in Usystems

2. Filter by the customer's name and look for any payments marked Cancelled or Reversed.

3. If you see one that should not have been reversed, click it and check the history or remarks. If it was cancelled in error, ask your administrator to restore it or create a new payment with the same amount.

Currency or exchange rate issue:

1. Go to Contacts → Customers Open in Usystems

2. Open the customer's profile and look for the Country or Currency field. Confirm it matches the currency used on their invoices.

3. If the balance is denominated in a currency other than your home currency, check the current exchange rate. The balance shown in Usystems is always accurate; the difference you see may be from the exchange rate on the date the payment was recorded.

4. If the customer's country is wrong, edit it. The balance will recalculate.

Duplicate or incorrect entry:

1. Go to Contacts → Customers and open the customer.

2. Check the Invoices and Payments sections for any exact duplicates (same date, same amount, same description).

3. If you find a duplicate invoice, ask your administrator to delete it.

4. If you find a duplicate payment, edit it to change the amount to zero or delete it.

5. Go to the Transactions report to see the general ledger impact and confirm the correction.

When to contact support

Contact your administrator or support if:

• The balance is still wrong after checking all invoices and payments.
• You see conflicting data (an invoice shows as paid but the balance is still due).
• A deleted invoice cannot be recovered.
• You need a balance audit going back several months.

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