Troubleshooting Transaction Payment Discrepancies

Sometimes customers may report that their payment status appears incorrect — for example, showing an amount as owing when it has already been paid. Below are common causes and how to resolve them.

Common Causes of Payment Discrepancies

1. Payments Made in Advance of Due Dates

If a customer pays a charge before its due date, the system may show a negative balance (credit) or display the charge as unpaid in certain summary views. The charge is correctly marked as paid in the Transactions section, but the summary box in the customer portal may not reflect this until the due date arrives. This is a display issue — you can reassure the customer that their payment is recorded and no further action is needed.

2. Discount Date Mismatch

If a discount is applied to a charge but dated in the future, the system will not account for it until that date. This can cause the balance to appear overdue, and automated overdue payment emails may be sent to the customer. To fix this, ensure discounts are dated when they are actually issued, not at a future date. If a discount has been incorrectly dated, contact the Sonas support team to update the date on the back end.

3. Manually Added Charges

A staff user may have added a charge that was forgotten about. Check the event's transaction breakdown and the Activities log to confirm all charges are expected. Use good note-keeping practices when adding manual charges so you can recall why they were created.

4. Payment Plan Configuration

If automated payment calculations appear incorrect (e.g., for last-minute bookings), check the payment plan settings under Company > Payment Plan to make sure they align with your terms and conditions. Update the payment plan if the generated schedule does not match expectations.

How to Investigate a Discrepancy

1. Go to Event > Transactions to review all charges, payments, and their statuses.
2. Compare the total in the package section with the sum of individual charges in the transaction breakdown.
3. Check the Activities log for any recent changes to charges or discounts.

Checking Overdue Payments Across Events

To see which customers are overdue on payments:

1. Event List: Look at the status column — a red currency icon means overdue, amber means payment pending, and green means up to date.
2. Finances Section: Go to Finances, select the "Accounts" display mode, and filter by payment status "Overdue." This generates a report of all overdue accounts, which can be exported from the Actions menu.

Updated on: 05/05/2026