Payment account report
Every payment you take or make should end up in an account: the bank, the cash box, a card clearing account. The payment account report shows which account each payment went to, and gives you a Link Account button for the ones that never got one.
Payment account report in SeroPOS
Payments by account
See each payment alongside the payment account it was recorded in.
Find unlinked payments
Payments with no account stand out, so nothing is missing from your account balances.
Link Account in place
Link an unlinked payment to the right account directly from the report.
Warning on the accounts list
List Accounts warns you when there are payments not linked to an account.
Defaults per location
Set a default account for each payment method at each location so new payments link themselves.
Feeds the account reports
Linked payments flow into the cash flow, trial balance and balance sheet reports.
Which account did each payment land in
Payment accounts are how SeroPOS tracks where money sits: a bank account, a cash box, a savings account, a card clearing account. A payment only changes an account's balance when it is linked to that account. The payment account report lists payments with the account each one went to, which makes it the place to confirm that money landed where you expected.
It sits in the web back office under Payment Accounts, as Payment Account Report. It needs the Account module switched on in Business Settings under Modules, and a role with access to accounts. Once it is on, Payment Accounts appears in the sidebar, and this report sits next to the balance sheet, trial balance and cash flow report.
Fixing unlinked payments
Payments can end up without an account, usually because they were taken before accounts were set up or with a payment method that has no default account. These payments are real, but they do not show in any account balance, so the cash flow report and the account books come up short.
The report shows these payments and gives each one a Link Account action. Choose the account the money actually went into and save. The payment then counts toward that account's balance and appears in its account book. The List Accounts screen also warns you when unlinked payments exist, so you know to come back here.
- Open Payment Accounts, then Payment Account Report
- Find payments with no account
- Use Link Account on each one
- Pick the account the money went into and save
Stopping it happening again
The lasting fix is to give every payment method a default account. Under Settings, then Business Locations, each location lists the payment methods it accepts on the POS and the catalogue, and each method can have a default account. Set cash to the cash box and card to the bank or a card clearing account, and new payments at that location are linked as they are taken.
If you add a new payment method later, such as a custom label for e-transfer, remember to give it a default account at each location as well. The same goes for a new location. When you add one under Business Locations, set its payment methods and default accounts before the first sale, so its payments are linked from day one.
Part of a set of account reports
Linked payments feed the rest of the Payment Accounts reports. The cash flow report lists debits and credits with a running balance for each account. The trial balance and balance sheet include account balances. All of them are only as complete as the links behind them, so checking this report first is a good start to month end.
If you use the Accounting add-on module, it has its own Transactions screen for mapping sales and purchase payments to ledger accounts, with defaults per payment method in its settings. That screen is separate from Payment Accounts and is part of the Accounting add-on, so you only need it if you keep full double-entry books in SeroPOS.
Frequently asked questions
What is an unlinked payment?
It is a payment recorded against a sale, purchase or expense that has not been assigned to a payment account. It is still a real payment, but it does not count toward any account's balance. The payment account report lists these so you can link them with Link Account.
How do I link a payment to an account?
Open Payment Accounts, then Payment Account Report in the web back office. Find the payment, use Link Account, choose the account the money went into and save. The payment then shows in that account's book and in the cash flow report.
How do I make new payments link automatically?
Go to Settings, then Business Locations, and edit each location. For each payment method the location accepts, choose a default account. New payments taken with that method at that location are then linked to that account without anyone choosing. Do this for each location you run.
Why is my bank account balance lower than expected?
Often some payments were never linked to the account. Check the payment account report for unlinked payments and link the ones that went to the bank. Then compare the account's running balance in the cash flow report with your statement.
Do I need payment accounts to use SeroPOS?
No. Sales, payments and the standard reports work without them. Payment accounts add account balances, transfers, deposits and the account reports, including this one. They are switched on with the Account module in Business Settings. They are worth setting up if you want account balances in SeroPOS.