Payment Posting Enhancements - Related Accounts

Modified on Wed, 6 May at 3:30 PM

Overview

This article explains how to use the enhanced Post Payments screen in Cornerstone Billing Solutions. The updated screen allows you to tag specific invoices for payment, view open invoices across multiple related accounts simultaneously, and handle adjustments such as late fee changes and write-offs — all from a single screen.

It also covers how to set up Related Accounts, how to search for payments, and how to create credits when no open invoices exist.

How the New Payment Screen Works

Screen Layout

The Post Payments icon now displays open invoices in two distinct sections:

Section	What It Shows
Top Section — "Parent" Account	Open invoices for the primary account you searched for, along with the Related Account number (if any).
Bottom Section — Related Accounts	Open invoices for any account that has the specific parent account number in its Related Account field.

By default, invoices are displayed by invoice number. You can also choose to view them by Account / Invoice # for easier organisation.

Tagging and Posting

Tag the invoice or invoices you wish to apply the payment to — the tagged invoices will be posted as paid. The screen provides the following as you tag:

Feature	Description
Running Total	Shows the total amount of invoices currently tagged.
Leftover Funds	Any remaining funds are added as a Prepaid Credit in the "Parent" account (top section).
Adjustments	Late Fee changes and Write-Offs are also handled using the tag function.

Setting Up Related Accounts

How you configure Related Accounts depends on the number of accounts involved and whether you are using a Feeder/Master account structure.

Feeder/Master Accounts

If you have Feeder/Master accounts, the Master Account number will be automatically added as the Related Account — no manual setup is required.

Two Related Accounts

If there are two related accounts, they can refer to each other so that posting to either account will pull up both accounts.

More Than Two Related Accounts

When you have more than two related accounts, follow these steps:

Designate one account as the "Parent."
Use that Parent account number as the Related Account for all of the other accounts.
Post payments to the Parent account — this will display open invoices from all Related Accounts.

Finding Related Accounts

Two tools are available to help you identify related accounts before posting:

The Customer List search screen includes the Related Account field to help you determine which account to select when posting to all related accounts.
The main Customer List includes the Related Account in the last column (which can be moved) so that you can see account relationships at a glance.

Payment Posting Options

The Post Payments icon supports posting in several ways:

Search Method	Uses Related Account Feature?	Notes
By Account Number	✅ Yes	Presents the new screen with open invoices for all related accounts.
By Invoice Type/Number	✅ Yes	Presents the new screen with open invoices for all related accounts.
By Central Station Service Number	—	Standard posting behaviour.

Searching by Invoice Number

This feature is especially helpful if you receive payments that only list invoice numbers on the check stub. When you search for an invoice number, the system will also display other invoice numbers for related accounts.

The account belonging to the invoice number you searched for will appear in the top section, showing the Related Account number (if any).

Viewing Options for Related Accounts

If there are Related Accounts, you will have the option of viewing or not viewing invoices associated with the other Related Accounts in the bottom section. This gives you flexibility based on your specific needs.

Posting Without Related Accounts

If you are posting using an invoice number and there are no related accounts, you will continue to the individual Payment screen for that invoice — the same behaviour as before.

Adjusting Invoice Amounts Before Posting

You can adjust invoice amounts before tagging them for payment using the following buttons:

Button	Purpose
Change Late Fee	Modify late fees on an invoice before payment is applied.
Quick Credit	Apply a discount credit to invoices before tagging.

The running total for tagged invoices will update automatically as you make adjustments.

Creating Credits When No Invoices Exist

If you need to create a credit and there are no open invoices, you have two options:

Click Apply Payment (as before), then fill in the amount and check number for the auto-apply.
Click the new Create Credit button to control exactly what is recorded in the credit record.

Completing the Payment

Once you have tagged all the invoices you wish to pay, the system will automatically fill in the total for the tagged invoices as the payment amount. Before posting, complete the following steps:

Verify the amount is correct.
Enter the check number.
Click to post the payments.

⚠️ IMPORTANT

Always verify the total amount before posting. Any leftover funds after tagged invoices are paid will be automatically added as a Prepaid Credit in the Parent account.

Need Additional Help?

Our Customer Success team is here to assist you.

Phone: 847-405-9517 x1
Email: customer.success@alarmbills.com