Smart360 Payments Management - FAQ's

Getting Started & Dashboard Overview

Q: How do I access the Payments Management module in Smart360? A: To access Payments Management:

Navigate to the Payments Management module from the main dashboard
You'll see header KPIs showing Total Collected, Received Today, Collection Rate, and Average Collection Time
Access two main tabs: "All Payments" (default) and "Credit Notes"
Use search and filter options to find specific payments or transactions
Click "Record Payment" button to process new payments

Q: What information is displayed on the Payments Dashboard? A: The dashboard shows key metrics including:

Total Collected: Cumulative payment amount for the selected month (e.g., April 2025)
Received Today: Today's total received payment amount and transaction count
Collection Rate: Calculated as (Total Collected / Total Due) × 100 for the selected period
Average Collection Time: Average days between bill/service generation and payment date
Payment Lists: All payments and credit notes with detailed transaction information

Q: How do I record a new payment in the system? A: To record a new payment:

Click "Record Payment" button from the main dashboard
Search for consumer by name or account number
Select payment channel (Walk-in is default)
Choose payment type (Bill, Service, or Installment)
Select payment method from configured options
Enter payment amount and add optional notes
Review payment summary and confirm
Generate receipt upon successful processing

Consumer Search & Account Information

Q: How do I search for a consumer when recording a payment? A: Consumer search functionality:

Search Options: Enter consumer name or account number
Case-Insensitive: Search works regardless of letter case
Partial Matching: System supports partial name or account number matches
Account Details Display: After selection, view complete consumer information including name, account number, service address, phone, email, and current balance
Validation: System verifies consumer exists before proceeding

Q: What consumer information is displayed after search? A: After selecting a consumer, you'll see:

Consumer Name: Full name from account records
Account Number: Unique account identifier
Service Address: Primary service location
Phone Number: Contact phone number
Email Address: Registered email address
Current Balance: Outstanding balance amount This information ensures you're processing payment for the correct account.

Payment Types & Selection

Q: What are the different payment types available? A: Three payment types are supported:

Bill Payment: Pay current unpaid bills (displays current bill of the consumer)
Service Payment: Pay for unpaid services (shows unpaid service charges)
Installment Payment: Pay installment plan amounts (displays all unpaid installments) Each type follows different processing workflows and displays relevant unpaid items.

Q: How do I select bills or services for payment? A: Payment selection process:

Bill Payment: System displays current unpaid bills with invoice numbers, billing periods, amounts, and due dates
Service Payment: Shows unpaid services with descriptions, amounts, and service dates
Installment Payment: Lists unpaid installments with plan ID, installment numbers, amounts, and due dates
Selection: Choose specific items to pay from the displayed list
Validation: System ensures only unpaid items are available for selection

Payment Methods & Processing

Q: What payment methods are available in the system? A: Payment methods are configured in Settings > Payment Mode and typically include:

Cash: Physical cash payments with amount received and change calculation
Credit Card: Electronic card payments
Bank Transfer: Electronic bank transfers
Check: Paper check payments with check details
Online: Digital payment processing The available methods depend on your organization's configuration.

Q: How do cash payments work differently from other methods? A: Cash payment specifics:

Amount Received: Enter the actual cash amount received from customer
Change Calculation: System automatically calculates change to be returned
Change Given: Display exact change amount to return to customer
Receipt Details: Cash transactions include amount received and change given on receipt
Verification: Cash payments are automatically marked as "Verified" when recorded by user

Payment Summary & Confirmation

Q: What information is shown in the payment summary? A: Payment summary includes:

Payment Amount: Total amount being processed
Payment Method: Selected payment method (Cash, Credit Card, etc.)
Outstanding/Overpayment: Shows if payment covers exact amount, creates overpayment, or leaves balance
Additional Notes: Any notes added during payment entry
Channel: Payment channel (Walk-in, Online, etc.)
Processing Details: User recording payment and timestamp

Q: What happens when I confirm a payment? A: Upon payment confirmation:

Payment ID Generation: System creates unique payment ID using number format
Receipt Generation: Automatic receipt creation with all payment details
Status Setting: Payment marked as "Posted" for user-recorded payments
Transaction ID: Unique transaction ID generated
Receipt Options: Download, print, or email receipt to customer
Next Actions: Options to record another payment or return to dashboard

Payment Status & Processing

Q: What are the different payment statuses and what do they mean? A: Payment status definitions:

Posted: Payment is finalized and reflected in system metrics (user-recorded payments)
In Settlement: Online payment processing in progress
Failed: Payment processing failed
Pending: Online payment not yet confirmed
Settled: Online payment successfully processed and settled Status depends on payment method and processing gateway.

Q: How does online payment status mapping work? A: Online payment gateway status mapping:

Stripe "Succeeded": Maps to "In Settlement" webhook status and "In Progress" settlement status
Stripe "Failed": Maps to "Failed" status (no settlement)
Stripe "Pending": Maps to "Not Confirmed" status
Processing Time: Calculated in days for online payments, "Immediate" for user-recorded payments
Verification: Online payments marked "Pending" until verified, with verification button available

Payment Details & Analysis

Q: What information is available in the payment details view? A: Payment details include:

Payment Information: Payment ID, status, amount paid, method, type, channel
Payment Details: Invoice ID, service period, service name, service date (based on payment type)
Payment Analysis: Billed amount, amount paid, difference (exact/over/under payment)
Cash Details: Amount received and change given (for cash payments)
Transaction Information: Transaction ID, receipt number, payment date, processing information
Consumer Information: Name, account number, service address, phone, email

Q: How does the system handle overpayments? A: Overpayment processing:

Automatic Detection: System identifies when payment exceeds billed amount
Credit Note Generation: Automatically creates credit note for excess amount
Credit Note Number: Unique sequential numbering (e.g., CN-46129)
Credit Details: Includes credit amount, reason, created by, status, and expiry date
Application: Credit can be applied to future bills or services
Tracking: Credit notes tracked separately with remaining balance monitoring

Credit Notes Management

Q: How do I create a credit note? A: Credit note creation process:

Access existing payment from payment list
Click "Create Credit Note" from payment actions
System displays payment details (read-only)
Enter credit amount (cannot exceed original payment)
Select reason from dropdown (Overpayment, Duplicate Payment, Billing Error, etc.)
Add optional remarks (up to 500 characters)
Review summary information showing original payment, credit amount, and remaining payment value
Click "Create Credit Note" to complete

Q: What are the different credit note statuses? A: Credit note status types:

Active: Credit is partially or fully unused (Remaining Balance > 0)
Applied: Entire credit amount has been used (Remaining Balance = 0)
Status Changes: Automatically updated based on remaining credit balance
Expiry: Credit notes expire one year from creation date (configurable)
Usage Tracking: System calculates usage percentage as (Applied Amount / Original Amount) × 100

Q: How do I search and filter credit notes? A: Credit note search and filtering options:

Search Fields: Credit note number, consumer name, consumer account number, linked receipt number
Status Filter: All, Active, Applied
Date Range Filter: Today, This Week, This Month, Custom Range
Reason Filter: Multi-select dropdown with predefined reasons
Remaining Amount Filter: Fully Used, Partial Remaining, Full Remaining
Consumer Filter: Search-enabled dropdown with autocomplete
Credit Amount Range: Min-Max input for amount filters

Receipt Management & Verification

Q: How do I generate and manage payment receipts? A: Receipt management process:

Automatic Generation: Receipts created automatically upon payment submission
Unique Numbers: System-generated receipt numbers with prefix (e.g., R-5001)
Download Options: PDF download and print functionality available
Email Delivery: Send receipts directly to customer email addresses
Receipt Details: Include all payment information, consumer details, and transaction specifics
Access: Clickable receipt numbers in payment list open detailed receipt views

Q: What is the verification process for payments? A: Payment verification rules:

User-Recorded Payments: Automatically marked as "Verified" when entered by staff
Online Payments: Initially marked as "Pending" until verification
Verification Button: Available for online payments under processing information section
Processing Time: Shows "Immediate" for user-recorded, calculated days for online payments
Status Updates: Verification status affects payment reporting and metrics

Search, Filters & Advanced Features

Q: How do I search for specific payments? A: Payment search functionality:

Search Fields: Consumer name, receipt number, consumer ID
Case-Insensitive: Search works regardless of letter case
Partial Matches: Support for partial text matching
Real-Time Results: Search updates as you type
Clickable Results: Click consumer names to access profiles, receipt numbers to view details

Q: What filtering options are available for payments? A: Payment filtering includes:

Date Range: Filter by payment recording dates
Payment Method: Cash, Credit Card, Bank Transfer, etc.
Payment Status: Posted, Pending, Failed, Cancelled
Payment Type: Bill, Service, Installment
Advanced Filters: Combine multiple criteria for precise results
Filter Persistence: Applied filters remain active during session

Q: Can I export payment data for reporting? A: Payment data export capabilities:

Export Options: Available from payment list view
Data Format: CSV or Excel format typically supported
Filtered Export: Export respects currently applied filters
Data Included: Receipt numbers, consumer info, amounts, methods, dates, types, status
Custom Reports: Generate reports with specific date ranges and criteria
Regulatory Compliance: Export supports audit and compliance requirements

Troubleshooting & Common Issues

Q: Why can't I process a payment for a specific consumer? A: Common payment processing issues:

Outstanding Balance: Verify consumer has unpaid bills, services, or installments
Payment Amount: Check that payment amount is valid and doesn't exceed allowable limits
Payment Method: Ensure selected payment method is properly configured
Consumer Status: Verify consumer account is active and accessible
System Permissions: Confirm you have appropriate permissions for payment processing

Q: What should I do if a payment fails to process? A: Payment failure resolution:

Check error messages for specific failure reasons
Verify all required fields are completed correctly
Confirm payment amount and method are valid
Check consumer account status and outstanding balances
Retry payment processing if temporary system issue
Contact IT support for persistent technical issues
Document failure details for audit purposes

Q: How do I handle payment disputes? A: Payment dispute management:

Documentation: Record dispute details in payment notes
Investigation: Review payment history and transaction details
Credit Notes: Create credit notes for verified overpayments or errors
Status Updates: Update payment status as needed during dispute resolution
Customer Communication: Use integrated tools to communicate resolution
Audit Trail: Maintain complete record of dispute and resolution activities

Q: What happens if I record a payment incorrectly? A: Incorrect payment handling:

Posted Payments: Cannot be edited without administrative rights
Credit Notes: Create credit notes to reverse incorrect payments
Documentation: Add detailed notes explaining the correction
Supervisor Approval: Major corrections may require supervisor authorization
Audit Trail: All corrections are logged for compliance purposes
Customer Communication: Inform customer of any corrections affecting their account