Record an advance payment

Take or log money from a customer before you've raised an invoice for it. ChargeOn holds it as a credit memo until there's something to apply it to.

Not seeing advance payments?

If the option is not available in your org, your Cyntexa account executive or support can confirm what is switched on for you.

Before you start

• Credit Memo enabled for this object — see the note above.
• The Record Advance Payment action added to the Account or Contact page layout — added the same way as the Charge action; see Part 6 of the quick start guide.
• You need the ChargeOn permission to record advance payments (part of the ChargeOn Admin or ChargeOn Credit Memo Manager permission set).
• To charge a saved card or bank account rather than record money you already received, the customer needs an existing saved payment method — this screen doesn't collect new card details.

Steps

1. Open the customer's Account or Contact record.
2. Click Record Advance Payment.
3. If more than one payment object has Credit Memo enabled, choose one from Payment object and click Next.
4. Enter the Amount.
5. Tick Auto-apply on recurring invoices if this credit should apply itself automatically to this customer's future recurring invoices as they're generated. It's unticked by default, for a one-off.
6. Choose how the customer is paying — Manual (Cash / Cheque / Wire) or Charge via gateway (Saved Payment Methods).
7. If a Contact picker appears, select who is paying.
8. Click Next.

If the customer already paid you directly

1. Choose Received via — Wire Transfer, Check, or Cash.
2. For Wire Transfer or Check, enter the Reference.
3. Add a Note, if it's useful.
4. Click Charge. Despite the label, nothing is charged here — this step saves the record.

If you're charging a saved payment method instead

1. Choose the Gateway.
2. Choose the Stored payment method.
3. Click Charge.

What you should see

A confirmation screen showing the amount recorded and the Credit Memo it created, at status Open. Optionally enter an address under Email receipt to and click Send receipt. Click View Credit Memo to open it, or Done to close.

It doesn't apply itself to just any invoice

An advance payment credit doesn't sweep onto whatever the customer happens to owe next. Apply it yourself, the same as any other credit memo — unless it sits against a recurring payment plan with Auto-apply on recurring invoices switched on, in which case it applies itself only to that plan's own future cycle invoices as they're generated. See Advance payments for the full rule.

If it does not work

Symptom	Likely cause	What to do
Record Advance Payment doesn't appear	The action hasn't been added to the page layout, or Credit Memo isn't enabled for any object	See Before you start
"Credit Memo feature is disabled. Contact your administrator."	The credit memo option is switched off for this object	Ask your administrator to enable it, or check with your Cyntexa account executive or support — see the note at the top of this page
"Credit Memo isn't configured for this object."	This payer's object isn't mapped as a payer on any payment object with Credit Memo enabled	An administrator maps it under Global Settings → Object and Rules
"Credit Memo is not enabled for this object." on the object picker	The payment object you chose has Credit Memo turned off	Pick a different object, or ask an administrator to enable it
No stored payment methods listed on the gateway step	This customer has no saved card or bank account with this gateway yet	The customer completes a payment first — see Save a payment method — or use the Manual path instead
The Reference field shows an error	Wire Transfer and Check both require a reference, and it accepts only letters, numbers and dashes	Fill it in using that pattern
The credit isn't applying to a new invoice automatically	It only applies itself to a recurring plan's own future cycles, and only when Auto-apply on recurring invoices was ticked when you recorded it	Every other invoice needs a manual apply