Receipt and payment vouchers
Every shekel in or out passes through a voucher. This article walks through the voucher fields, how it is allocated to invoices, and when it needs a contra account.
On this page
In Sahl no cash moves without a voucher. A receipt from a customer, a payment to a supplier, the rent, a refund to a customer: all of them are vouchers that, once posted, write their journal entry and update the cashbox balance and the party balance at the same moment. You will find them in the Documents menu under Receipt vouchers and Payment vouchers.
When you need a voucher
- A customer paid a credit invoice, in full or in part: a receipt voucher with purpose "Invoice settlement".
- A customer paid before the invoice exists: a receipt voucher with purpose "Advance payment".
- You paid a supplier for a purchase invoice: a payment voucher with purpose "Invoice settlement".
- You paid rent, electricity or any expense: a payment voucher with purpose "Expense" and the expense account.
- You returned money to a customer or got money back from a supplier: purpose "Refund to customer" or "Refund from supplier".
Register invoices need no manual voucher
Every cash invoice from the POS app creates a posted receipt voucher allocated to it automatically, on the cashier's shift cashbox. See Payments on the sale screen.
Voucher fields
Party and party role
Pick the customer or supplier. If the party holds both roles the system asks for the party role, because customer balances and supplier balances live in different accounts. A voucher can be left with no party for expenses and walk-in cash.
Purpose
| Purpose | When | Requires |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice settlement | Paying open invoices | A party; allocated automatically or by hand |
| Advance payment | Paying before an invoice exists | A party |
| Expense | Payment voucher for an expense | A contra account, mandatory |
| Refund to customer / Refund from supplier | Returning money | A party |
| Salesman commission | Paying due commissions | A salesman; commissions are marked paid, oldest first |
| Other (account) | Any movement against an explicit account | A contra account, mandatory |
"Expense" and "Other" refuse to post without a contra account and show ERR_CONTRA_REQUIRED.
Payment lines
One voucher takes several lines, each with a method, a cashbox and an amount:
- Cash, Transfer or Wallet: pick the cashbox or bank. Left blank, the default for receipts or payments from Cashboxes and banks is used.
- Card: must go to an account of type "Card settlement", otherwise the line is refused.
- Cheque: on a receipt you enter the cheque number, bank, drawer and due date and an incoming cheque is created. On a payment you issue a new cheque or endorse an incoming cheque you hold. Details in Cheques.
Each line is in its cashbox currency. A voucher mixing currencies gets its total in the currency of the first line and is posted as one entry per exchange rate. A commission can be entered on a line: on a receipt it is deducted from what comes in, on a payment it is added to what goes out.
Steps
- Open Documents, Receipt vouchers (or Payment vouchers) and click New receipt voucher.
- Choose the date, branch, party and purpose.
- Add one or more payment lines: method, cashbox, amount, reference.
- For "Invoice settlement" leave Auto-allocate oldest first on, or spread the amount by hand over the open documents in the "Allocated" table.
- Click Save and post. Ctrl+S saves a draft, Ctrl+Enter posts.
Allocation and exchange differences
Allocation ties a voucher amount to a specific invoice. A customer receipt is allocated to that customer's sales invoices, a supplier payment to purchase invoices. The invoice turns "partially paid" and then "paid". Any surplus stays unallocated on the voucher and can be allocated later.
If a dollar invoice is paid at a rate different from the invoice date rate, the system computes the exchange difference and posts it automatically to currency gains or losses when the voucher is posted. The difference is shown on the voucher.
What happens in the books
Receipt voucher: debit the cashbox, bank or cheques for collection (1300) for the amount less commission, debit bank fees (5230) for the commission, credit the contra side: customer receivables (1400) when there is a customer, cash customer (1410) when there is no party, or the contra account you chose. Payment voucher: debit the contra side (supplier payables 2100 or the expense account) and the fees, credit the cashbox, bank or cheques payable (2200). The exchange difference is a separate entry on the party balance against 4200 or 5200.
Cancelling
Cancelling a posted voucher reverses its entry, removes its allocations and reverses exchange differences, so the invoices open again. A voucher whose cheque has already moved (deposited, collected or endorsed) cannot be cancelled; handle the cheque first from the cheques screen.
Payment amount limit
A payment voucher above the amount limit set on the user in their scopes is not posted directly. It waits for approval in the Approvals screen.
Frequently asked questions
Can one voucher settle two invoices?
Yes. Pick the customer and keep auto-allocation on, or spread the amount by hand over both invoices in the allocation table.
Why was the voucher refused with "contra account required"?
The purposes "Expense" and "Other" need an explicit account from the chart of accounts because the system cannot know where the money goes. Pick the expense account or the matching account.
The customer paid more than the invoice. Where does the surplus go?
It stays "unallocated" on the voucher and shows as a credit balance for the customer. Allocate it later to a new invoice or return it with a payment voucher of purpose "Refund to customer".