AR adjustments overview

Make an adjustment if a balance is due after an invoice is paid, rather than editing an invoice, so there's an audit trail of the history. For example, if the customer received damaged goods, you can make an appropriate adjustment to show the difference that you owe the customer. When the customer applies the adjustment to a future payment, the balance then becomes zero.

When you create an adjustment in Accounts Receivable, you specify the adjustment type. You can choose either debit memo or credit memo. Debit memos increase the amount that a customer owes you, while credit memos decrease the amount.

Debit memo adjustments

A debit memo adjustment increases the amount that a customer owes you. After you post the adjustment, the debit is batched in a summary and shows on the customer's statement. You can then select the customer's debit memo on the Receive Payments page as a transaction to be paid.

Credit memo adjustments

A credit memo adjustment decreases the amount that a customer owes you. When you create a credit memo adjustment, it appears on the Receive Payments page as a customer credit. You can then apply it to an invoice on the Receive Payments page.