Cash Returns
A cash return records when a customer returns items from a cash invoice and you refund the money from a cash or bank account. When you save it, the system brings the returned inventory back into stock, generates the accounting entry for the refund and, where your country requires it, the corresponding fiscal document.
What is it and what is it for?
When a customer who paid in cash returns merchandise, the cash return is the document that records which items came back and how much money you refunded them. Unlike a credit note (which reduces an outstanding receivable balance), a cash return always involves a real cash outflow from one of your cash or bank accounts, because the original sale was already paid in full.
You don't have to type everything again: you can generate it directly from the original cash invoice, and the system automatically copies the customer, currency, sales rep, location and items from that invoice, so you only adjust what's actually being returned.
Screens in this area
| Screen | What it does |
|---|---|
| List | Lists all cash returns with filters by customer, subsidiary, location, sales rep, customer class, item, document number, reference, fiscal document (NCF) and the number of the affected cash invoice. You can customize the visible columns, and sort the list by clicking a column header (the first click sorts ascending, the second descending and the third removes the sorting); the sorting is stored in your column layout. If your company uses electronic invoicing, it also includes the Pending to sign variant. From here you create, delete, open the reports or send returns to batch printing. |
| Create / Edit | The return's form: general data (customer, refund cash account, currency, sales rep, location) and the table of returned items with their quantities, prices, taxes and calculated totals. It also lets you duplicate an existing return and customize the form. |
| Details | The same return in read-only mode, with the action buttons: print, duplicate, void, view the accounting entry, mark it as manually deposited and send it by email. |
| The printable format of the return, in its default layout or in any custom template your company created under HTML Templates. | |
| Batch print | Generates the PDF of several returns at once, filtered by number range, date, customer, item (included or excluded), sales rep, location, sales territory or cash account, using one of the available custom templates. |
How to record a cash return step by step
- Open it from the original cash invoice or create a new one from the list with the New button. If you come from the invoice, the system copies the customer, currency, sales rep, location and items from that invoice; you only need to adjust which items and how many are being returned.
- Check the customer and the cash account. The cash or bank account indicated is where the refund money comes from; the system proposes the account set up in your preferences, but you can change it.
- Adjust the returned items. Enter the quantity, price and tax for each item the customer returned; the returned inventory goes back into your stock once you save.
- Fill in the fiscal data when your country uses fiscal documents: the sequence used to number the return.
- Save. The system validates the customer, the items and the numbering before confirming the return. Once saved, you can print it or email it.
Key fields
| Field | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Customer | Who you're refunding. Must be active; determines the default currency and fiscal sequence. |
| Affected cash invoice | The original invoice the return comes from, if you generated it from that invoice. Lets you locate it later by filtering the list. |
| Document date | The return's accounting date. |
| Cash account | The cash or bank account the refund money comes out of. |
| Currency and exchange rate | The document's currency and its rate against the local currency. |
| Items | Each line specifies the returned item, quantity, unit, price, tax and, depending on your setup, division, lot, serial number, attribute, bin or customs declaration. |
| Sales rep | The salesperson associated with the return. |
| Subsidiary / Location | Where the returned inventory goes back to and which subsidiary the document belongs to for accounting purposes. |
| Fiscal sequence (NCF) | Which type of fiscal document numbers the return. Only visible in countries that use fiscal documents; the number cannot repeat or change once saved. |
| Printed at point of sale | Indicates whether the return was already printed from a point-of-sale register. |
| Reference | Free-form information to identify or annotate details of the document. |
| Attached files | Supporting documents, subject to the contracted edition's limit. |
Validations when saving
- Active customer. You cannot record a return for a customer marked as inactive.
- Non-negative price on every returned item.
- Existing item and, if the item requires attributes, they must be provided; if your company validates items' tax schedule, it must match the current configuration.
- Unique document number and automatic numbering configured, when the number isn't entered manually.
- Unique fiscal document (NCF), when your country requires it; the same number cannot repeat on another document.
- Document not voided when editing, and the number, customer, currency or exchange rate cannot be changed if the document already has linked transactions.
- Open accounting period on the document's date.
- Customer currency consistent with the return's currency; if it doesn't match, the system asks you to confirm before saving.
Managing the document
From the details of a saved return, depending on your permissions, you can:
- Void it, indicating a cancellation reason; a voided return can no longer be edited.
- Delete it, if it doesn't yet have an electronically signed fiscal document.
- Duplicate it to create a new return from its data.
- View and record the associated accounting entry, if your company uses the Accounting module.
- Mark it as manually deposited, if your company uses the Banking module, to reflect that the refund was also recorded at the bank.
- Print or email the document.
Additional features based on your setup
- Electronic invoicing: if your company has it active, the return can be electronically signed and the list shows the tab for documents pending to sign.
- Batch printing: available when your company has this feature enabled.
- Divisions: a per-item division column, if your company has this feature active for cash returns.
- Lots, serial numbers, attributes, bins and customs declarations: additional columns in the items table depending on the Inventory modules your company has active.
- Sales territory: an extra filter on batch printing, if your company uses it.
Availability and permissions
- Access is controlled with the "Customer Credit Notes" permission of the user group, with separate levels to browse, add, edit, delete, void and reprint; this same permission also controls Customer Credit Notes.
- Changing the return's sales rep requires a separate edit permission, distinct from the general permission.
- Available under the same editions and conditions as Cash Invoices: if your company doesn't have that capability enabled, you'll see a notice that the feature isn't available on your edition.
- With subsidiaries enabled, each return is tied to a subsidiary and filters by it on lists and reports.
- The fiscal sequence / NCF fields only appear if your country uses fiscal documents.
Tips and common mistakes
Generate the return from the original cash invoice whenever you can. That guarantees the customer, currency and items match exactly the sale being returned, and keeps it linked so you can find it later by filtering the list on that invoice.
Use the cash return only when a cash payment actually needs to be refunded. If you instead want to reduce the outstanding balance of a customer who bought on credit, or make an adjustment with no real cash outflow, use a credit note instead.
A voided or electronically signed return cannot be edited or deleted. If you need to correct a mistake after voiding or signing, generate a new document instead.
The fiscal document (NCF) cannot be changed once saved. Double-check the correct fiscal sequence before saving if your country uses fiscal documents.