Overview

OmniPoint Order Management supports three distinct types of credits to help resolve payment discrepancies and enhance customer satisfaction: Overpayment Credits, Product Credits, and Direct Credits. Each credit type serves a specific business scenario and can be applied to open invoices or refunded back to the customer.

Overpayment Credits

Overpayment credits are automatically created when a payment amount exceeds the associated invoice total. The credit reflects the difference and can be used to pay other invoices or refunded to the customer.

Scenario

A customer submits a check for $110 against an invoice of $104.90. The system records a $5.10 overpayment credit.

Key Features

• Always linked to a specific invoice.
• Created automatically when overpaying an invoice.
• Can be applied manually to another invoice or refunded.

Product Credits

Product credits are issued when a customer returns a product. These credits are created via the Returns process and represent the value of returned goods.

Scenario

A customer orders three items, pays for all of them, but one item arrives damaged. A return is created for one item, generating a product credit for the item’s value (e.g., $52.08).

Key Features

• Can only be issued for shipped and paid orders.
• Triggered via the Returns button on the order or invoice.
• Supports restocking inventory if desired.
• Credit can be held on the account, applied to another invoice, or refunded (via Clear Credit).

Return Process Highlights

1. Locate a shipped and paid order.
2. Click Returns.
3. Select the product, quantity, reason, and whether to return to inventory.
4. Submit the return to generate the credit.

Note: If the product is unsellable (e.g., damaged), uncheck “Return to Inventory”.

Direct Credits

Direct credits are issued independently of any invoice or return. They are used for customer goodwill, issue resolution, or manual financial adjustments.

Scenario

A customer’s order was delivered late. The customer support team decides to issue a $50 credit as a goodwill gesture, even though the order was fulfilled correctly.

Key Features

• Not tied to any specific invoice.
• Manually created from the customer’s accounting profile.
• Must include a reason and amount.
• Can be deleted if created in error.

Creation Steps

1. Open the account’s Credits tab.
2. Click Add Credit.
3. Enter amount, quantity (optional), and a note.
4. Click Submit.

Applying Credits to Invoices

Credits—regardless of type—can be applied to open invoices as a form of payment:

1. Go to an unpaid invoice.
2. Click the payment icon.
3. Select Credit as the payment method.
4. Choose the available credit to apply and submit.

If a credit does not appear, ensure that it’s still available and valid for the account or invoice context.

Clearing (Refunding) a Credit

Product or direct credits can be refunded back to the customer:

1. Go to the Credits tab for the account.
2. Click Clear Credit next to the credit entry.
3. Choose refund method (e.g., Check).
4. Enter refund amount and reference details.
5. Submit to mark the credit as cleared and complete the refund.

Best Practices

• Use overpayment credits only when the system generates them automatically.
• Use product credits for returns after confirming shipment and payment.
• Use direct credits sparingly, with proper documentation and authorization.
• Always include clear reasons for issuing credits to ensure auditability.