A net card settlement can leave a false debtor balance

The deposit is smaller than the invoice

Suppose a customer pays an invoice through your payment provider. The bank deposit is lower than the invoice amount because the settlement statement includes a fee deduction. The debtor report still shows the difference as overdue.

Check the transaction trail before chasing the customer. A difference between gross customer payment and net bank receipt may need an accounting reconciliation rather than another collection reminder.

Find the provider's transaction record

Match the customer payment reference to the invoice and the relevant settlement. Check whether the deposit contains several transactions, refunds, fees or other adjustments rather than assuming it relates to one invoice alone.

Use the provider's actual records. Different services settle payments differently, and a familiar percentage should not replace the statement for the transaction being reconciled.

Separate customer payment from business charges

Identify the amount the customer actually paid and the amounts the provider applied elsewhere. Keep any genuine customer short-payment separate from charges borne by the business under its own arrangement.

Ask the bookkeeper or accountant to confirm the entries. Do not simply write off the difference to close the invoice or add it to the customer's debt without checking the basis.

Keep the supporting records linked

Retain the invoice, transaction confirmation, settlement statement and bank entry together through clear references. business.gov.au's record-keeping guidance includes sales, payment and banking records among the information businesses should maintain.

That linkage allows another reviewer to understand why the bank deposit differs from the invoice without repeating the investigation every time the aged debtor list is prepared.

Source: business.gov.au: Record keeping

Review exceptions separately

If the provider shows a refund, reversal, reserve or unresolved adjustment, identify its status and obtain clarification through the appropriate channel. Do not assume every difference is an ordinary fee or every transaction is final.

Keep uncertain amounts visible for follow-up. Where a charge or customer obligation is disputed, seek the appropriate accounting or legal advice rather than forcing a convenient allocation.

Clear one false ageing item

Choose an invoice that appears partly unpaid despite a customer payment confirmation. Trace it through the provider and bank records, correct supported accounting entries and document any remaining question.

Use the reconciled debtor balance in the next review. The goal is to pursue money genuinely outstanding while recognising costs and settlement differences in the right place.