Adjustments Tracking Report Guide

Overview

The Adjustments Tracking Report records changes to invoices and payment records that result in increases or decreases in receivables. This provides a comprehensive audit trail for all adjustments made in the system.

What Gets Tracked

Cornerstone now records adjustments when changes are made to:

1. Total Due of Invoice

• Edits to invoice amounts
• Application of discount credits to reduce invoice totals

2. Invoice Payments

• Removed payments (NSF checks, bounced checks)
• Auto-pay transactions that don't clear
• Backing out auto-posting for ACH and credit cards
• Payment refunds

3. Late Fees

• Decreasing late fee amounts
• Increasing late fee amounts

4. Available Credits

• Changing the amount of an available credit
• Zeroing out credits

Recording Adjustments

Information Captured

When changes are made, the system records:

• Reason for the change (prompted when making adjustment)
• UserID of person making the change
• Date and time of the adjustment
• Before amount (original value)
• After amount (new value)

Using Phrases for Consistency

Use the Phrases Button to establish "unposting" reasons for easy tracking:

1. Create unposting phrases you wish to track
2. Assign them the category Unposting
3. These will be the only phrases that appear when you unpost

You can also record a description or other note on the edit.

Note: Some changes will automatically fill in the reason for you.

Types of Adjustments

Invoice Total Adjustments

Example: A $20 credit is applied to invoice R25944, changing the amount from $305.00 to $285.00.

The tracking section of the Invoice History screen records:

• Before amount: $305.00
• After amount: $285.00
• Reason: Credit applied

Payment Adjustments

Example: Invoice posted as paid from a credit card transaction needs to be reversed because the card was declined.

The adjustment records:

• Original paid amount removed from invoice payment
• Change identified in the bottom section of Invoice History screen
• Reason: Credit card declined

Late Fee Adjustments

Example: Customer sends an $80 check but the late fee increased, making the total due $85.

Process:

1. Click the Change Late Fee button
2. Edit to the desired amount
3. Both original and new amounts are recorded

This creates Late Fee adjustments as simple adjustments rather than write-offs, allowing you to track customers who constantly pay less than the total due.

Credit Amount Adjustments

Example: A subscriber pays a service invoice to Cornerstone that you billed out of a different system. Removing the amount available in Cornerstone gets recorded.

This allows you to keep track of credits that you remove from the system.

Viewing Adjustments

Invoice History Screen

The bottom section of the Invoice History screen displays all adjustments for the customer, including:

• Adjustment type
• Before and after amounts
• Date and time
• User who made the change
• Reason for adjustment

Adjustments Tracking Report

Report Structure

The report includes:

• Multiple pages with page breaks for each section (when generating for ALL adjustment types)
• Customer account number and name
• Invoice number or credit number affected
• Before and after amounts
• Reasons for adjustments
• User ID who made the adjustments

Report Output Options

• Print the report for physical records
• Email as CSV file for use in Excel
• Sort by any field when using CSV format

Report Selection Options

Date Range Options

Choose the date range based on:

Changes Made Date

• View adjustments made during a specific period (e.g., changes made this month)

Before Date

• View all invoices from a specific month that had adjustments made to them

Type of Adjustment

Select the adjustment type to report:

• ALL - Include all four types of adjustments
• Invoice Total - Only invoice amount changes
• Payments - Only payment adjustments
• Late Fees - Only late fee changes
• Credits - Only credit amount changes

Use Cases:

• See all credits zeroed out this month (applied to different system)
• Review how many late fees were adjusted for the month
• View all payment adjustments (auto-pay rejections, NSF checks)

Sort Field Options

Choose how to organize the report:

Customer Account Number

• Sort by customer for account-specific review

Income Type

• Relevant for Payment reports
• Group payment reversals by type:
  • ACH reversals together
  • Credit card reversals by card type
  • Lockbox or dealer posted check reversals

Note: Income Type field is also used for Late Fee adjustments and invoice amount changes for easy sorting.

Report Filters

Specific Category Filters

Use filters to review adjustments for specific categories. This is useful for:

• Showing a customer how much you've "forgiven" in late fees over a period
• Tracking specific types of adjustments by reason
• Analyzing patterns in payment reversals
• Monitoring credit adjustments

Best Practices

Consistency

• Use established Unposting phrases for consistent tracking
• Train staff on proper adjustment reason selection
• Review adjustments regularly

Documentation

• Add descriptive notes when making adjustments
• Include reference numbers for related transactions
• Document customer communications about adjustments

Reporting

• Run monthly reports to monitor adjustment trends
• Export to CSV for detailed analysis
• Share reports with management for oversight

Customer Relations

• Use adjustment history to support customer conversations
• Track late fee forgiveness for customer goodwill
• Document payment issues for collection efforts

Need Help?

Still have questions? Contact Cornerstone Holding Co. 847-405-9517 or email us customer.success@alarmbills.com