Sales returns

A return from an invoice: the safe path

1. Open Sales, then Sales returns and click New sales return, or start from the invoice itself.
2. Choose the customer, then the origin invoice. Its lines are copied; remove what is not returned and adjust the quantities.
3. The returned quantity cannot exceed what remains of the original line after earlier returns; otherwise posting is refused with "Returned quantity exceeds invoiced quantity".
4. Pick a Return reason (optional here), set Return to stock, then save and post.

The return's currency and party must match the origin invoice.

Return to stock

The Return to stock flag means the goods are fine and go back to the warehouse. They return at the original invoice line cost saved at the time of sale, not at the current average, so the average cost is not distorted. Clear the flag for damaged goods: the return is booked financially, but the quantity does not enter the warehouse and no cost is reversed.

Refund method

• Credit to the customer (the default): the return value becomes a credit balance on their account, deducted from their next invoice or refunded later with a payment voucher.
• Cash refund: the amount leaves the cashbox directly. It requires the cash refund instead of customer credit permission under "Return-specific permissions".

A return without an origin invoice

A feature retail shops need, but the widest door to abuse in any cashier system because it has no quantity ceiling and may be paid in cash. So four controls replace the quantity control:

1. The return without origin invoice permission.
2. The return reason is mandatory. Define reasons under Sales, then Return reasons; each reason is a name and an active flag.
3. A cash refund needs its own permission as well.
4. The amount: if it exceeds the unreferenced return limit in settings (50 in the base currency by default) or the amount limit set on the user if that is tighter, an approval request is created. A cash refund without origin always needs approval, however small.

These requests are approved by whoever holds the approve unreferenced return above the limit permission, from the Approvals screen. Details in Posting, cancelling and approvals. Goods returned without an origin are valued at the current average because there is no original cost.

Cancellation

Cancelling a posted return reverses its entry and stock movement and restores the returnable quantity on the original invoice line. And an invoice with returns cannot be cancelled until its returns are cancelled first.