A False Zero Balance alert on the financial ledger means that a balance appears to be paid off ($0 balance), but payments have been applied to the wrong invoice, and one or more invoices remain unresolved. Resolving False Zero Balance alerts requires internal money movement. Hover over the alert to identify which scenario applies, then follow the steps below to correct it.
Before you begin
To resolve accounts that need payments unapplied, users will need this permission included in their role: payments_unapply.
Tip: For any transaction made to resolve a False Zero Balance, it is recommended to add a note in the Notes field describing the correction and who is processing it. This creates an audit trail and helps your team understand why the correction was made. |
Scenario 1: Underpaid + overpaid invoice combination
The False Zero Balance alert shows an invoice with a negative balance and another invoice with an equal outstanding balance. If there was a payment applied to the negative invoice, the negative balance signifies an overpayment.
Unapply the overpaid amount in order to settle the underpaid invoice: Select the three-dot menu to the left of the overpaid invoice on the account ledger and choose Unapply Payment(s).
Unapplying a payment from an invoice moves the unapplied amount to the Account Credit balance
In the pop-up window, enter the overpayment amount to move the amount into Account Credit.
Apply a payment to the underpaid invoice: Type: Payment → Method: Account Credit
Amount: Invoice amount to be taken out of Account Credit
The account will update to $0.00, and the False Zero Balance alert will no longer appear on the ledger.
Note: Unapplying a payment only works when a payment was collected toward an invoice. If your invoice is a negative amount or a refund invoice, see Scenario 3: Negative invoice below. |
Scenario 2: Unapplied Account Credit
The False Zero Balance alert shows funds available in Account Credit along with one or more unpaid invoices. In many cases, the unpaid invoice(s) will equal the exact amount of the Account Credit.
One invoice:
From the account ledger, open the payments panel by selecting Payments in the top right corner of the account ledger
Select the appropriate Patient
Choose the unpaid Invoice from the drop-down menu
Type: Payment
Method: Account Credit
Applying Account Credit to one invoice
Amount: Invoice amount to be taken out of Account Credit
Multiple invoices or pets:
From the account ledger, open the payments panel by selecting Payments in the top right corner of the account ledger
In the Payments panel, navigate to the Account tab
Type: Balance Payoff
Payment Method: Account Credit
Applying Account Credit to multiple invoices or multiple pets on the same Account
Amount: Total amount to be taken out of Account Credit
The account will update to $0.00, and the False Zero Balance alert will no longer appear on the ledger.
Scenario 3: Negative invoice
If a negative invoice (negative item quantity and negative price) was created to reverse a charge or refund an item on another invoice, it will trigger a False Zero Balance alert on the ledger. The Unapply Payment action will not resolve this as no payment was taken. In this case, a Refund must be processed in the Payments panel first, then a Payment of an equal amount will be applied to the original invoice that has the item the client originally paid for.
From the account ledger, open the payments panel by selecting Payments in the top right corner of the account ledger
Select the appropriate Patient
Choose the negative Invoice from the drop-down menu
Type: Refund
Method: Other
Processing a Refund to settle a negative invoice
Amount: Enter the full amount of the negative invoice as a positive number (e.g., if the invoice shows -$100, enter $100)
A Payment to the original invoice must be made to settle the balance. Select the appropriate Patient
Choose the original Invoice from the drop-down menu
Type: Payment
Method: Other
Amount: Same amount as the Refund processed above
Note: Enter the Refund amount as a positive number as that will offset the negative invoice amount. |
Frequently asked questions
Can I correct a false zero without the patient being checked in or an open invoice?
Yes, you can resolve False Zero Balances directly from the Payments panel without an active visit or open invoice.
How do I know which invoices are causing the False Zero Balance?
Hover over the False Zero Balance alert icon in the ledger. The tooltip will show you exactly which invoices are involved, and whether they are overpaid or underpaid. Overpaid invoices show a negative (-) balance.
Why can't I use Unapply Payment on my invoice?
Unapplying a payment only works when a payment was collected and applied to an invoice. If the invoice was created with a negative line item (for example, to reverse a charge or apply a missed discount), there's no payment to unapply. A Refund will need to be processed to settle the invoice appropriately.
For negative invoices, do I enter the refund amount as a negative number? No—enter the amount as a positive number. The invoice already carries the negative value; the Refund you process is the matching positive transaction that brings the ledger to $0.
The client paid in full—why is there still a False Zero Balance alert?
This often means the payment was taken as a Deposit instead of being applied directly to an invoice. The money is sitting in the client's Account Credit rather than on a specific invoice. Correct this by applying a payment to the invoice using Account Credit in the Payment Method field.
Still need help?
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