The Mark Paid feature is used to record customer payments on invoices. Usually, it's a fairly simple process.  If a payment pays off one invoice, it's just a matter of activating the Mark Paid dialog box, clicking OK, and all the necessary information is recorded.

The Mark Paid process, however, involves a couple of extra steps when a customer pays off two or more invoices with a lump sum payment.  In such cases, you enter the total amount of the payment in the first Mark Paid dialog box.  Then after entering the amount, a second dialog box appears.

The second dialog box looks different depending upon whether you are using the Spreadsheet Method or the Form Entry Method.  To get to the Form Entry Method, remove the checkmark from "Spreadsheet Method" on the first Mark Paid dialog box.

Since the Spreadsheet Method provides you with an overview of relevant invoices, it's the easiest method to use.  It also has an undo feature which the Form Entry Method lacks.  For more information on the Spreadsheet Method, see: Mark Other Invoices Paid (Spreadsheet Method).

The discussion below is for the Form Entry Method.

In the second dialog box, called "Mark Other Invoices Paid" dialog box, you enter the numbers of the additional invoices that are paid off.  (For more details on the Mark Paid feature and information on the steps leading up to this dialog box, see "One Payment for Two or More Invoices" found under Payments by Customers.)

The following provides more information about the different parts of the "Mark Other Invoice Paid" dialog box:

Entering Invoice Numbers. At the top of the "Mark Other Invoices Paid" dialog box is a blank in which you enter the first of the additional invoices the payment pays off.  Type in the appropriate invoice number and press "Mark Above Invoice as Paid."  If there are more invoices, enter the next number and press "Mark Above Invoice as Paid."  Continue the same process until you've entered all the invoice numbers covered by the payment.

Invoices Marked Paid So Far. To help you keep track of your progress, a list of the invoice numbers entered appears at the bottom of the dialog box.  Also appearing at the bottom of the dialog box is a running total of how much is left of the original payment amount.

View Invoice. If at any time, you want to view the invoice associated with the number that you've typed-in, press "View Invoice."  The Mark Paid dialog box will clear and you can look over the invoice and make sure it is the correct one.  Additionally, a warning system has been built into the process which will trigger a warning message if you press "Mark Above Invoice as Paid" and the billing name doesn't match the original starting invoice.

Navigation Buttons. In some cases, it may be helpful to page through the invoices while using the Mark Paid feature.  You can do so by clicking on the navigation buttons in the dialog box.  As you click the buttons, the underlying invoices will change and the number of the underlying invoice will appear in the invoice number blank at the top of the dialog box.

Filtering. The most efficient way to page through invoices is to first check the box "Show Only those Invoices With the Same Billing Name."  If you are working with a customer with a number, then it will read:  "Show Only those Invoices With the Same Billing Number."

When this box is checked, all invoices which do not have the same billing name (or Billing Group Number in the case of a customer with a number) as the original starting invoice will be filtered out.  It makes it much easier to find what you're looking for, limiting invoices only to those of relevance.

You can also refine the filtering effect even more by clicking the [ > ] button on the right side of the dialog box.  It opens a small box (Additional Filtering Options) with several choices:

Show only those invoices with the same billing name (or number)

Show only those invoices with the same billing name (or number) AND with a CREDIT (NEGATIVE AMOUNT) in Total Due

Show only those invoices with the same billing name (or number) AND with a POSITIVE AMOUNT in Total Due

Show only those invoices with the same billing name (or number) AND which have NOT been marked paid yet

The Additional Filtering Options box is handy when you have vendor that you do a lot of business with--or if vendor that doesn't reference your invoice numbers in their payment.

PO #. Sometimes when marking invoices paid, you may not have an invoice number.  You may only have the customer's PO number or a PO reference.  In such cases, you can use the PO function.  By clicking on the [PO >] button, a small dialog box appears on which you can enter a customer's PO number or PO reference.  Along with this, you have a couple of options:

Search for an Exact Word Match. When checked, AnyOrder will search for an exact word match. If you are searching for a PO Number or reference which is purely a number, this normally the best option.  Sometimes, however you may be searching for a PO reference that includes your notation along with the customer's number.
    Here's an example.  Let's say you are looking for a PO Number of RET34567.  On the invoice you recorded this number as "RETURN RET34567" in the PO Number blank.  You may not remember if you typed in "RETURN" first or whether you typed in "RETRN."  If you try to find "RET34567" with "Exact Word Match" turned on, you won't be able to locate the invoice since AnyOrder is trying to match all of the words.
     However, if you turn off "Exact Word Match" by removing the checkmark and search for "RET34567," then AnyOrder will find the appropriate invoice.

Search Only for Those invoices with the Same Billing Name (or Number). Normally, you'll keep this box checked.  The only time you might remove the checkmark is if you are working a customer without a number and you can't find the PO Number.  This will allow you to search through all of the invoices -- not just those limited by the spelling of the name.
    When you have customers without numbers, you always want to make sure the billing name is spelled the same on all invoices issued to that customer.  If you find that the name is different, you should go to the invoice, and spell it the same as the other invoices.  Without doing so, the invoices won't be grouped together properly for billing purposes.  For more information, see Customer Names.

Correcting Mistakes. When all the invoice numbers covered by the payment have been entered, click on OK, and all proper payment information will be entered on the appropriate invoices.  If you make any mistakes, click on Cancel and start over.  If you accidentally mark the wrong invoice paid, jot down the invoice number.  Then exit from the Mark Paid dialog box, bring up the miss-marked invoice on the screen, and select INVOICE TOOLS and REMOVE PAYMENT STATUS from the Menu Bar.  This will remove the paid status message in the Payment Box and any payment notations in the Notes area of the invoice.